COLUMN: Church closed, Starbucks open … what's wrong with this picture?

Guest ED/Jim Symons

12-20-11

Last week, friends from Atlanta came to visit and attend our church Christmas program. At dinner after the program they mentioned that their (well-known) church was not having services on Sunday, Dec. 25. On the way home after dinner my wife and I stopped by our local Starbucks for coffee. The sign in Starbucks was clearly posted: Open Christmas Day, Dec. 25, from noon until 6 p.m. Like an alarm in my head and my heart I thought to myself, what’s wrong with this picture? The church is closed and Starbucks is open?

The year 2011 is not the first time December 25 falls on a Sunday. The last time Christmas was on a Sunday was 2005. The New York Times ran an article in early December of 2005 about several pace-setting mega churches not having services on Sunday, December 25, citing low attendance in 1994 — when December 25 came on Sunday.

Earlier this year Lifeway Research polled 1,000 Protestant pastors regarding church schedules for Sunday, Dec. 25. Ninety-one percent (91 percent) of the pastors surveyed indicated that their church would have a service on Dec. 25, leaving nine percent (9 percent) not having a service. What is clear is that there are more churches deciding to opt out of having a service on Sunday, Dec. 25. Yet, Starbucks will be open from noon to 6 p.m.

I have four questions regarding not having a service on Sunday, Dec. 25.

First, what does it say about us? Perhaps it says that we have so capitulated to the world that we don’t see a reason for meeting together as the family of God on the first day of the week.

Second, what does it say to our children? By placing the priority on not having a service we de facto teach them that family gatherings and Santa are more important than assembly with the family of God. (In some cases, they already know this by our actions the other 51 weeks of the year.)

Next, what does it say to the world outside the church? Truthfully, I really don’t care. However, if I were a thinking man outside the church I would wonder about the incongruity of Christian and Christmas, where people from the Christian church don’t meet together on the birthday of the One they profess to be their Lord and Savior.

Finally, I wonder what canceling church on Sunday, Dec. 25, says to Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. I’m fairly confident that the Holy Spirit is grieved. The church of Jesus Christ has assembled on the first day of the week for over 2,000 years. Brothers and sisters in parts of the world meet secretly on the first day of the week and sometimes in threat of their lives while some -- in some need to be edgy -- jump on the wagon to cancel. What has changed in our culture has not changed for the better for the church. I don’t portend to know what God thinks, but I am positive that I would rather ask forgiveness for leaving Santa Claus on Sunday morning than neglecting meeting with the family of God. Perhaps Jesus looks at our current situation and says, “This is one of the sins I died for.”

I’m a Christian and I’m also a Baptist, I believe in local church autonomy and soul liberty. I’m not going to tell another Christian what to do. However, I recall hearing and repeating, “If everybody else jumped off a bridge, would you jump?” Just because some mega-church pastor does it doesn’t make it right. As for me and my house, we will be in church on Sunday morning, Dec. 25.

Jim Symons has served in six churches in six states in the past 35 years and is currently music director at Florence Baptist Temple. He has degrees from Wayne State University and Harvard University. Jim, his wife, Vickie, and their two Yorkies are celebrating their 10th Christmas in Florence.