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No Christmas at Willow Creek Revisited

UPDATE:  See bottom of the post. 

In the comments section of my original post, "No Christmas at Willow Creek", Andy writes:

I may be wrong but thought the Sunday service at Willow Creek was a seeker service and that believers attended a midweek service. It doesn't make sense to me to hold a seeker service on Christmas as most prechristians are busy with Santa and other festivities that day. I hope they are not cancelling their midweek services during the Christmas season.

I thought about this after reading some of the comments over at Shane's post on the same subject.  Some may believe that  Willow Creek's wrong is mitigated somewhat by their non-typical worship schedule. Others may conclude that they didn't cancel their "main" service".  Now, many may reject their seeker-sensitive model or find major faults with it.  But the fact is, normal worship for active (believers) members occurs on days other than Sunday under the Willow Creek model.

But in fact, this may make Willow Creek's decision even worse.  If the Sunday service is the one normally reserved for seeker-sensitives (and in fact this is the service that non-believers are invited to attend) isn't this the one service that shouldn't be cancelled for any reason?!?  Especially for Christmas, a time when people often become more contemplative and are more spiritually minded.  Particularly as we struggle through a season of vapid commercialism that has almost stripped Christmas of its meaning? 

In the year 2005, I blogged about three events where church services were either cancelled or discontinued for some reason.  The first is Hurricane Katrina.  Here in the Mississippi Conference, churches were destroyed.  Our conference is paying the salaries of pastors who do not even have church buildings to preach in the destruction was so severe.  The second is the tragedy at University Baptist Church, where a pastor was electrocuted during a baptismal service.  And the third is the cancellation of worship due to Christmas. 

Which two seem pretty defensible?

Update:   Ann Althouse points to this article in the New York Times and asks a very good question:

And what about the people who don't have families and might have needed that service to have a warm connection to other human beings on Christmas?

Rumor has it a certain church in Starkville (not mine) is closing church on Christmas too.  While it isn't a megachurch, it is the largest church in the county.  I'm trying to find out if it is true.

Update:  Apparently, the rumor isn't true, or, if it was, it isn't now. 

No Christmas at Willow Creek

UPDATE::  See update post here. 

A friend of mine is a manger of a Cokesbury bookstore.  Several years ago we were talking and she told me that she heard that their "competitive rival" across the street, Lifeway Bookstore, was going to be open for business on Good Friday.  We were both shocked and dismayed at the news that a church affiliated merchant would be open on that day of all days.  (Lifeway was formally known as Baptist Bookstore and is owned by the Southern Baptist Convention). 

I'm even more shocked to learn from Ben Witherington, that  Willow Creek (and others) will not be holding church services on Christmas this year (note to the calendar challenged: Christmas falls on a Sunday this year). 

It is unusual for me to criticize the decisions of other churches (and denominations) for the decisions that they make.  If I'm not a member of that church, then I don't think I have standing to criticize.  But I have to confess deep disappointment with Willow Creek.  I have used and like their resources.  Their Bible study materials are top notch.  And while their model of ministry isn't one that I imitate, it is a model that I admire.  In another life, I might have migrated up north and become part of the Willow Creek community. 

Shame on you Willow Creek.  This decision has confirmed the worst criticism and perceptions of your church--that you cultivate self-centered, narcisstic Christianity.  I write this as a friend and admirer.  I expect more from you.   Willow Creek's credibility has been damaged with me given that they apparently cannot see how wrong this decision is.  Their decision is particularly ironic given that I received a sample book, The Case for Christmas, written by Lee Strobel, former teaching pastor of Willow Creek (with ordering instructions should I want to buy more for my congregation to give out at Christmas) several weeks ago. 

Shame on any other church that makes this decision as well. 

I have heard more anxieties expressed this year about how worried people are about the secularization of Christmas, the purging of Christ from the holiday, "Holiday Trees" (instead of Christmas trees), Happy Holidays (instead of Merry Christmas), etc.  If your church decides to abstain from Sunday worship on Christmas day, you have abdicated any moral position in the fight to "save" Christmas.  How can you say to the world don't take Christ out of Christmas if you can't open your church on Christmas day, even when it falls on a Sunday! 

Some 2000 years ago, an infant was born in a stable because the doors to the inn were closed to his family.  If he came Christmas Sunday this year, would the closed doors be found on his church? 

I could say more, but Ben Witherington says it better.

Hat tip: Wesleyblog