Church closings on Christmas - my two cents

I’ve pretty much avoided the huge flap about churches that were deciding not to have services on Christmas day. Lots of churches I’m familiar with have late evening / midnight services on Dec. 24th, and I figure that counts just fine in terms of worshipping and thanking God for His entrance into, participation in, and ultimate promise of union with His creation. Whether to hold Christmas services on Christmas morning always seemed to me to be mostly a matter of congregational demographics. However, this story caused the hairs to prickle up on the back of my neck.

On a Sunday later this month, you won't find anyone at one of the largest churches in Palm Beach County.

The reason: It's Christmas.

Christ Fellowship Church will not hold services that Sunday, a decision in line with what's occurring at several other big churches around the country.

On the very day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, those churches will close their doors to give members more time to spend with their family. What makes this year different is that Christmas falls on a Sunday — church day.

But Christ Fellowship's pastor, Todd Mullins, said that Christmas — Sunday or not — is set aside for family time.

"Christ Fellowship is all about supporting the family," Mullins said.

In all fairness, they are holding lots of Christmas services on the 23rd and 24th. But that last sentence I excerpted really creeped me out. I have this funny, old-fashioned notion that someplace calling itself Christ Fellowship should be all about, well…Christ. There is something happening in our society where even those who seek to proclaim the gospel in an orthodox and faithful manner are losing focus. The distractions and background noise have become so overwhelming that it’s enormously difficult to stay concentrated on what’s real and true. As usual, however, it’s not like we haven’t been warned.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal 1:6-7, NIV)