Closed for Christmas
Front-page story, New York Times, today.
Some of the nation's most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day, a move that is generating controversy among evangelical Christians at a time when many conservative groups are battling to "put the Christ back in Christmas."
At first, Laurie Goodstein's story made sense. Why should people have to work on Christmas Day? Even if their employer is a megachurch? Why not make this wonderful family holiday a day of rest, and let everyone stay home, quietly, with loved ones. Why not?
Of course I was smirking sardonically. If these huge congregations, with membership reaching 25,000 and beyond, are the future of American religion, then the break with traditional Christianity will soon be complete, and there will have to be some sort of reckoning about just what it means to be a Christian. Until the Reformation, being a Christian required subscribing to the Nicene Creed, and even the earliest breakaway sects (Lutheran and Anglican) retained this requirement. But Calvin and other more radical reformers, intent upon returning to an earlier and allegedly "truer" church, were bothered by some of the metaphysics that the Creed implied - and that was the end of orthodox Christianity. Now we have orthodox Christian sects (Roman Catholicism among them), but "Christianity" itself is, shall we say, open to interpretation.
But if I was not surprised by the news when I read it, I found myself becoming surprised, the longer I lived with the story. Sunday is the Lord's Day. Christmas is the Christ's birthday. How do we combine these principles to yield the result (church closed)? Just how debased is this religion? One begins to suspect that megachurch services - which are rousing and long on the multimedia, I understand - are a sort of Sunday, "feel-good" equivalent to Friday night football. They're not supposed to interfere with traditional, family holidays.
Right?
Comments
nah.... they're just taking a cue from us cheap jews (i'm a jew i can say this lol) .... megachurches means mega-employees and they realize that they'll have to spend oodles in overtime to bring their support staff in on a federal holiday on a sunday! They'd rather save their money for right-wing political action committees!!! :)
Posted by: rob | December 9, 2005 02:17 PM
The priest at last Sunday's Mass suggested we return to the spirit of Christmas by rigorously avoiding all commercial trappings - for example, playing any Christmas music (other than the Messiah, etc) or having any ornaments, even a decorated tree, until the night before Christmas. He said that he knew we would be regarded as "strange," but observed that the same could be said for Hassidic Jews who were not detered from following customs that seemed odd to others.
I don't think this should be mandatory, but I was more or less raised this way, so it seems kind of normal to me. I hate being in a department store in mid-October, assaulted by new plastic versions of 50's plastic Christmas songs. Even worse, I hate hearing rap, hop-hop or goth versions of the same (only because they sound even worse). When you are a little kid - let's face it - even if you are Christian, the day is about Santa Claus and loot. It doesn't have to be that way when you are older, however, as you realize the biggest gift of the day is Christ's arrival on earth. Fortunately, I get to celebrate at my church, which will be open on Christmas Day.
Posted by: Ozma | December 9, 2005 03:54 PM
Phew. I was afraid you were going to say that The DB was going to be closed for Christmas. i expect to see a post. Bah! Humbug! on your day of rest and family and worship.
Posted by: Susan | December 9, 2005 09:36 PM
Phew. I was afraid you were going to say that The DB was going to be closed for Christmas. i expect to see a post. Bah! Humbug! on your day of rest and family and worship.
Posted by: Susan | December 9, 2005 09:37 PM
Even, RJ, we hope will be silent on the 25th. It is now by long standing tradition a time for family and close associates. Oops, well, maybe he will have to post after all.
Mega churches by the way are mega nonsense, debased isn't the half of it, I'd say.
Posted by: George | December 9, 2005 10:26 PM