This is an absolute, dyed in the wool,bonifide outrage! I have heard and even been witness to some pretty low-life tasteless things going on in the Christian Church lately, but this one beats them all! Here we have the enormous good fortune to have one of the most important Holy days of the entire year to fall on Sunday, our normal day of worship, and what do these ignoramuses do? They cancel services for that day! When I first heard about this on television I did a double take thinking they had to be making a silly joke, but NO! Because they went on to interview some of the pastors and priests involved ,and their reasoning was just as muddled as someone who is putting together some sort of show! "Once, a few years back this happened before, and almost no one showed up for services! So few came, it made it almost pointless to be there! " Well, that is hardly the point, is it? Even if your people don't care enough to come to church to celebrate this miraculous Holy birth, whomsoever is there, is there for the right reason, and deserves to hear the most anointed preaching they ever heard, with plenty of reason to shout the praises of Almighty God! This is church, Not show business! These so-called spiritual leaders should have prepared the hearts and minds of their flock to receive Jesus at his birth on Christmas day, not bowed to the whims of the lay-abouts who want to slop around in their pajamas on Christmas morning, up to their arm-pits in torn wrapping paper, while the children run amuk, getting a head-start on breaking all their new toys and playing with the empty boxes! What are these "men-of-the-cloth" doing for the Lord if they can't lead their people any better than that? I may not be the smartest person on the planet, but this one thing I know.This idiotic decision was not a result of prayer and supplication, weeping between the porch and the closet, seeking the Lord.This was from and of the flesh, where supposed leaders threw up their hands and capitulated to popular opinion, walking by sight and not by faith.Also, there are those of us who have no family, no other place to go on Christmas,and the one place they can go now is denied them. In addition,These leaders have now made it clear that they are not interested in feeding Christ's sheep, spiritually speaking, they are only interested in numbers. Butts in the seats, and big dollars in the collection plate.Shameful. Just Shameful. In addition, if the Church is closed on Christmas Sunday, then It just might as well remain closed the rest of the year, for all the good they have undone with this one stupid, rash action. I, on the other hand, am happy and pleased to say that my church will have services Sunday morning, and I am SOOO looking forward to it! There will be rejoicing and worshiping and praising God, and singing in Thanksgiving, and Hallelujahs rolling all over that place as the fire falls and the presence of God fills us up, and some of the best, most exciting preaching that anybody ever heard,and it won't matter one little bit if there are only two there, or two hundred, or two thousand. I will be there, the preacher and singers will be there, a very tired Yon son will be there after having worked all night Christmas eve, and you know don't you, "that if two or more are there gathered in my name, there I will be among you"...and that is what it is all about!
And as for these nitwits who are taking Christmas day off...I am sure the Lord will deal with them as they deserve...eventually, unless they repent.
OBTW...Merry Christmas!
OUI?
Posted by: Phoenix | December 24, 2005 at 04:01 PM