Closed Church Doors Sunday After Christmas

I was reflecting on something that disturbed me on Sunday after Christmas.  The number of churches that did not have worship services. As we were traveling to our congregation to worship we noticed that a  number of churches were closed.  I sought the reason why:  because that Sunday, historically, is the lowest attended worship service of the year.  Evidently, some churches do not feel it worth it to have the doors open for fewer people.  

Just a few points:

• What does that say about worship of God’s investiture into our world?  Is that not worth opening the doors to the church even if fewer people can come?
• What does that say about the folks who want to come to church to celebrate God’s incarnation in Jesus?  Is that not worth opening the doors for people to celebrate? 
• There are many churches that opened the doors for celebration through worship, by adjusting the time, combining the multiple worship service into one, some without the usual worship leadership present due to their being out of town, but did it anyway and it was worth it.

Some churches celebrate what they call Christmas Adam, that is celebrating the arrival of the “last” Adam, Christ incarnate, into our world.  Paul writes about Him:

1 Corinthians 15:45 (NLT): The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.

Shouldn’t we be as excited about worshipping the “last Adam” just a few days after his birth? The Bible tells us that on the eighth day Simeon was in the Temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to make a purification offering as required by the Law of Moses.   Simeon was an old man and had waited all his life for the Messiah to come. That day the Holy Spirit had led him to the temple.  Simeon worshiped, blessed Mary and Joseph,  and then prophesied that this child would cause many (in Israel) to fall but will be a joy to many others.   Then there are the Wisemen who sought Him and were filled with joy when they were led by the star and found the Christ child.  

We do not have to travel as far for as long as the Wisemen, nor we do not wait as long as Simeon to celebrate our Lord’s birth. Can we so quickly forget just a few days after Christmas how worthy of worship this Christ child is.  Will we choose to “fall” or be filled with joy by our worship that Sunday after Christmas.  

Fortunately our Church’s doors were open.  We sang a newer hymn/carol that I think illustrates what happened when we entered the doors to worship on the Sunday after Christmas:

VERSE 1:

All people of our newborn King 

Lift up your voice and with us sing 

O praise Him, Alleluia! 

Come, wand'ring souls, to Bethlehem 

Join in the celebration hymn 

O praise Him! O praise Him! 

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

VERSE 2: 

Born is the One who shall redeem 

Worthy alone of all esteem 

O praise Him, Alleluia! 

Come, bind your hearts, in praise rejoice 

Lift up a chorus with one voice 

O praise Him! O praise Him! 

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

VERSE 3: 

Let all creation His name bless 

And worship Him in humbleness 

O praise Him, Alleluia! 

Come gather round His manger throne 

And turn your hearts to Him alone 

O praise Him! O praise Him! 

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

from Nativity, released November 22, 2018

sung to the tune of “O Come All Ye Faithful”

A verse of the traditional carol/hymn: “O Come all Ye Faithful” found in some hymnals states: 

 “Let’s praise His name together, Let’s praise His name together: Let’s praise His name together; Christ the Lord”

Finally I came across these comments that I thought appropriate: 

“There is a sense of urgency to this hymn. Imagine a child, tugging at your hand, saying insistently, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” In the same way, imagine someone pulling at your sleeve or grasping you by the hand, half dragging you as they run through the crowd, saying over and over again, “Come!” We are told that patience is a virtue, but in this case, impatience is a beautiful thing. For who could stand by and wait when all we want to do is worship our Lord and Savior? Albert Bailey writes, ‘The poet takes us by the hand and leads us with triumphant song to the cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem, shows us the Babe, and bids us adore” (The Gospel in Hymns, 279). This hymn invites us to sing with the angels, sing with our families, sing with our fellow believers, and with every fiber of our being, worship Christ the Lord.’” And that is what churches did whose doors were open on the Sunday after Christmas. Thanks be to God.

Quentin

Sharecropper’s Inheritance

Christmastide, 2024