No Church on Christmas
The wonderful Bunnie Diehl and her readers have gone off on a tear, viz., "...Megachurch People are Evil", blah, blah, blah. The Very Cheerful "Singin' in DC" at Songs for Frogshas registered what she refers to as "Liturgical Rant #1" in outrage at Megachurches. "The thing about Christmas," she cybersnarls between clenched electronic teeth, "is that it is about *Christ* and *mass*, gathering together to celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus in Bethlehem." [And, goodness, maybe "Singin'" should not only come up with a new handle (I mean to say, really) but start a Liturgical blog with Bunnie and the Style Editor...it would be like the Three Liturgical Horsewomen of the Apocalypse.]
What is the reason for this outrage? Some Megachurches, you see, are cancelling Christmas. That is, they are not having service on Sunday, December 25th, because it's...Christmas. It takes a lot of people to put on a Megachurch Extravaganza, you see. Hundreds. And on a holiday, shouldn't they be allowed to be home with their families?
Lee over at Verbum Ipsum wonders, if they aren't having services because the unchurched won't show up for Christmas, well, "'reach[ing] the unchurched' is presumably not an end in itself is it? I mean, once you've got them what do you do with them? The whole point can't be to reach the unchurched "seeker"; you have to be reaching them for something."
Well, not to be blase and cynical about it all, but colour the Ombudsman unsurprised, kids. I mean, let me flick off some dust from my impeccable Mechlin lace and 'splain things. No, "reaching the unchurched" is the telos of the Megachurch. Indeed, Megachurches are not really churches so much as they are businesses designed for the purposes of evangelism. Note comments by Willow Creek that "church leaders decided that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources". Effective use of staf and volunteer resources...man, if that ain't B-School Talk, what is?
My only problem with this argument is that all the other Big Box Stores will be open for business on Christmas Day! Of course they will, we have to be able to make a return! So when are the Holy Big Boxes going to realize that viability and maintainence of their Brand requires them to utilize resources for Customer Interaction on December 25th? Couldn't they at least have some people to pray with people who stop by and want their money back?
1 comment:
Might I suggest to the Executive Directors of the "closed for Christmas" Megachurches that they simply refer all of their clients to the closest Catholic or Anglican mass or Evangelical communion service for Christmas day worship. It would be a great way to step into the larger realm of Christendom and a reminder of where this cosmic Birth ends: in a death, resurrection and transformation of all who believe.
Of course, this might lead some not to return to their Megachurch the next week. Hmmm... maybe this creates more problems than it solves... Yes, perhaps having one or two elders without family connections available to pray in the sanctuary (is it called a sanctuary?) is the better course.
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