Some Churches Taking Heat for Closing Doors Christmas Sunday

Churches that close on Christmas Sunday deserve to catch a lot of flak about closing. I agree that the best way to celebrate the birth of Christ is in His house. These "mega" churches and any others following their example are just bowing to the politically correct secular crowd. When are people going to understand that Christmas is about Jesus?

(AgapePress) - Some Christian leaders feels some U.S. churches are bowing to secular culture by not having worship services on Christmas Day this year. Recently, a number of mega-churches across the nation announced that they are canceling their services on Sunday, December 25, saying they expect low turnout or want to allow members to spend time with their families on the holiday.
Last week Associated Press reported that some of the country's largest houses of worship are canceling their usual Sunday services in an effort to be "family friendly." Among the churches closing on Christmas are Chicago-area Willow Creek Community Church; Lexington, Kentucky's Southland Christian Church; Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan; North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia; and Fellowship Church near Dallas, Texas.
However, some Christian leaders have criticized these churches' decisions, declaring it is unthinkable to close the doors of God's house on the Lord's Day, and perhaps particularly so when that day is also the Lord's birthday. While some pastors argue that the decision to close is a matter of putting family relationships first, Fuller Theological Seminary's Professor Robert Johnson has voiced strong objections to the idea of redefining Christmas as a family celebration rather than a commemoration of the Savior's birth. And Rev. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries told the Miami Herald that Christians need to "think carefully" before abandoning worship services that day, "especially when many churches are rightly blaming retailers and business for ignoring Christmas."
California pastor and Bible teacher Dr. John MacArthur agrees. In fact, he believes a consumer mentality may be to blame for what he sees as a disrespectful or even sacrilegious move on the part of these churches that are opting to cancel services on Christmas.
"I think it's ridiculous," MacArthur says. He proceeds to demonstrate the irony, commenting, "You certainly wouldn't want to have a church service interrupt a celebration of Christ's birth, I guess. What kind of thinking is that?"

Read the rest here.
See my previous post here.