The Gathering Forsaken

Mega-Churches like Willow Creek Community Church, Mars Hill Bible Church, Fellowship Church near Dallas, are canceling their worship services on December 25th. And many of those who aren't canceling, are "scaling back" their services. I read this on World's Blog this morning and was floored. Which shifted quickly into, "of course, what did I expect." I've wavered between anger and mourning the rest of the day when I think about it.

It's not just the big nasty evangsell-outs thinking this way. Had one member of my church speak to me in shock and awe that we're going to have our two regular services that day. I did restrain myself and spared that person a tongue lashing--growth in sanctification on my part. (incidentally, our pastor won't be doing one of the two typical Reformed Christmas Sermons: something about the birth of Christ or something about 'what place has Christ with Belial?'--we'll be getting whatever passage is next in his series in Luke and 1 Samuel. YAY)

I realize I'm way behind the curve, as the Jollyblogger pointed out--the blogosphere is full of denunciations of this. But I wanted to vent a little myself. BTW, before I forget, I share ol' Jolly's recommendation of: Public Worship to Be Preferred Before Private by David Clarkson and had considered keeping a handful of copies on my person to hand out to anyone else at church who are in the same boat with the previously mentioned congregant.

I remember a few years ago when I said something to a fellow church member about seeing him on that Lord's Day (happened to be Easter) and he said, "Probably not, going to mother-in-law's to see her church's Easter cantata--it's a day to be with family." Now, as one who sees each and every Lord's Day as THE day to celebrate the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of our Lord, I didn't care for this at all. But even if I was one of those (IMHO) misguided and superstitious ones who put a mystical and/or religious significance to Easter/Christmas, I think I would realize that those are the days you should be with your spiritual family celebrating in the presence of the One Whom the "holiday" is supposedly about! That was bad enough to leave a nasty taste in my mouth for about 7 years (really don't hold anything against this person, just his thinking). But what we have here is a totally different animal.

As Dennis Miller used to day, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but this is worse. What we have here is a denial of the means of grace on the part of behalf those are entrusted to.

This is sin. This is a wide-spread case of shepherds deserting their flock (in effect)--albeit for "one week only." Sure, we read that Christians are to "not [neglect] to meet together, as is the habit of some." But apparently, these ordained servants of God, leaders of the church, think that it's okay to deny the brethren the meeting! And for a silly, fluffy excuse that "people need to be with their families" or "It's more than being family-friendly. It's being lifestyle-friendly for people who are just very, very busy." (this from Willow Creek spokeswoman Cally Parkinson). Sin almost seems like too kind a word for this skubalon.

All over this world, there are Christians who gather for worship, wondering if today's the day that the machine gun-toting soldiers come marching in to take them away. But they gather. They sing. They pray. They hear preaching.

But here, in this "blessed land" we'll call off services--not so that members don't have to worry about being killed, imprisoned, raped or sold into slavery. But so they can sit around a tree in their pj's, sipping hot cocoa with their family to a Bing Crosby soundtrack.


God have mercy on us all.