Did you catch the banter over Christmas Day services this year?
Christmas day fell on a Sunday, and the arguments over having church or not having church on Sunday morning were pervasive. There were tweets defending why the churches must keep their doors open Christmas Sunday, and then other posts arguing that the sabbath begins at sundown Saturday; therefore, Sunday church was not necessary after a Christmas Eve service. Amongst the arguing were two articles put out by The Gospel Coalition offering two differing sides to the coin: “Why Our Church is Having Christmas Day Services,” and “Why Our Church Canceled Christmas Day Services.”
And the crowds went wild.
The ugly comments on each article were not surprising, unfortunately, but what I found almost unbelievable was that the subject took center stage amongst church leaders and their parishioners. I struggled with the arguing, but mostly, I was confused. To be in God’s house worshipping with His people is a privilege, and it’s one I fear that many Christians in America have become apathetic about.
Could it be that for some church has become a mere chore that is “done” begrudgingly? Perhaps it’s a dispirited duty, leaving many longing for reasons to take extended breaks from its community. Resentment rises when this is the prominent attitude, and the church is easily reduced to a group of lost sheep who are unaware and out of touch. If that’s the case, it’s no wonder that for some an opportunity to cancel was harshly defended and argued.
And for others, church has been reduced to duty that is checked off simply to feel better about oneself. In this legalistic frame of mind, it’s no wonder that the attitude toward those who cancelled was a prideful, “shame on you.” Church for these can too easily become a self-righteous badge of honor.
We all have the tendency to err on one side or the other, but neither attitude is how God intended for us to perceive His Bride. At its essence, the body of believers in a local church is held together and maintained by Jesus’ love for us and by our love for one another as spiritual brothers and sisters (Eph. 4:15-16).
Sometimes it’s a messy love, as illustrated through the prophet Hosea. God commands this prophet to take a prostitute for his wife, and though she continues to betray his commitment, Hosea stays with her, loves her, and is faithful to her.
Hosea’s unrelenting love is a picture of what it is like for Christ to love his church. Jesus loves relentlessly, and He delights in His children wholly and completely, even when they act unfaithfully. This persistent, unconditional love is what the church is built on. When we begin to understand the magnificence of it, there is little more profound than returning praise to Jesus in His house and with His people. It is a privilege that we do not deserve.
And God’s amazing love is tangibly experienced through the church community that we stand shoulder to shoulder with, and it’s mostly deeply felt when we press in by serving, worshipping, gathering, sharing, and fellowshipping together.
Apathy is crushed when we feel that love through a hug or through a saint willing to sit for a few extra minutes to pray on behalf of a situation that feels overwhelming. The begrudging attitude softens when we discover the beauty in heartfelt worship because of answered prayers, in sincere singing through tears because God has not left us alone in our battles, and through the preaching of the Word as God speaks directly to us, penetrating our prideful heart.
This community, the Bride of Christ, He gives as a gift for us to feel, see, experience, and better understand the love that Jesus has for His people.
When we arrived early to prepare for our Christmas Eve service, my husband and I were met with a flooded building due to a burst pipe. Panic rushed through as we watched the surge of water pour out the back doors of the church. I walked through the halls, my shoes under cold water, and held back tears as we made calls cancelling all services for the Christmas weekend. I couldn’t help but think about the online bantering the preceding week.
Perhaps it’s when we can’t meet, that our arguing over whether to or not becomes nonsensical.
The first parishioner who arrived assessed the flooded building and then said with tenderness, “Let’s get to work. We’ll shed tears later.” Within an hour, the flood was overcome by church members who came not in their beautiful Christmas garb, but in their work boots and with their cleaning equipment, ready to serve the body and love one another.
I will always remember that Christmas Eve gathering, as unorthodox and messy as it was, as one of the most beautiful pictures of the church I have ever seen.
By Your grace and in Your power, may we keep from making Your church into a mere duty or a self-righteous badge. Give us a heart of gratitude for your people, Lord, and provide in us a longing for worship in an age where we can easily become apathetic toward the church. Give us perspective that provides joy when we realize how many around the world would give anything to be together in your house but are unable to do so. And in the moments that we are reminded we have taken for granted the gift of your church, strengthen our feeble knees, and give us a spirit eagerness to love and serve your Bride, the church.
Amen.
