I realize that certain times of the year are family times for many people, and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day are two of them.
Some of my happiest memories as a child are going to my Grandparents or my Uncle Jack and Aunt Ruth’s house to be in a very loving and close knit family. We would gather together on days like July 4th, Christmas Day and the Sunday of Christ’s Resurrection. They were happy and joy filled days!
So when Christmas or New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, we may wonder whether we should go to church. I believe it is still best to go to church and do family activities afterwards. The good should not take the place of the best. Also, many people do not have families to be with and being in church is their family. Even if attendance is lower, we should not close the doors of the church on a day that is ultimately about Jesus Christ. We may have to realign our normal Christmas Day activities, but we should not see it as an inconvenience to worship God. We still are to seek Him first on the first day of the week. Worshiping God on the first day of each week is never an inconvenience.
The only reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ appearing in a manger in Bethlehem. How can going to church to worship Him for such amazing love be an inconvenience? That seems like a sad irony! 89 percent of Protestant pastors surveyed by Lifeway were planning to hold worship services on Christmas Day, and we will join with them.
(Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/89-percent-pastors-will-hold-worship-services-christmas-sunday-lifeway-172136/#44xeEuMLd2KVKgDo.99)
I believe that Sunday is the one day of the week that we set aside to gather together to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This was clearly the practice of New Testament Christians, and we must continue this practice in the present day (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1,2). As a Christian, I have put a fence around Sunday and by His grace, refuse to let other things interfere or interrupt my focus to go to the house of the Lord and worship God publicly with His people. What God desires of us is possible because of what He has done for us by His grace. Finally, this may be an opportunity for us to simply deny ourselves and follow Christ.
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
It would be an honor for you to come and join me and others at Heritage Baptist Church as we worship our Risen Savior and seek to exalt His name together.
