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Why I'm Going To Church on Christmas Sunday (and You Should Too)

In case you haven't heard, Christmas falls on a Sunday this year.  When I looked ahead at this year's calendar in the fall of 2021, I was so excited for this opportunity.  How appropriate it is to be able to observe the day we traditionally celebrate the birth of our Savior together as the church!

Yet, as we have drawn closer to Christmas this year, it has been shocking to see Christians all over our country actually opposing the corporate assembly of the church on Christmas Sunday.  My first inclination was to think this was coming from the liberal sect of so-called Christianity - you know, the same groups that have been cancelling church for the sake of convenience for quite some time.  But, that is not the case here.  Good, Bible-believing Christians have convinced themselves it is okay to "cancel church" this year.  What are their reasons?  "We can worship Jesus from home as a family."  "We are prioritizing family time, which is also important."  And many other such excuses are being given.

This whole issues has really bothered me.  Have we become so self-centered that we can honestly convince ourselves that it is justifiable to put anything before Jesus - especially on a day we have literally set aside to honor Him?  Lord, help us!

Now, some of you may say, "But you know Jesus wasn't actually born on December 25, right?" You are right. So, let's just set that issues aside and consider something deeper.  God has instructed the church to corporately gather and from early on the church did so faithfully and consistently on Sundays (in honor of the resurrection of Jesus).  No tradition of men (including Christmas) should supersede the clear instruction of Scripture to "[not forsake] the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but [to exhort] one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

By the way, Easter will also be on a Sunday next year (as it is every year).  Are you going to use the same reasoning to miss that Sunday as well?

Someone pointed out to me that Christmas will not take place again on a Sunday for eleven more years.  In that time frame, much will have changed for every one of us.  By that time, four of five of my children will be teenagers.  Your kids may very well be grown and gone by that point.  You may not even be around anymore.  How important it is for you to show them now while you still can that Jesus truly is the reason for the season - that nothing is more important than honoring and worshipping Him!  You can do so by bringing your family to gather with the church to worship Jesus on Christmas Sunday this year.

For those of you who are local to Cortez, Colorado (and who do not have a church of your own to attend), I invite you to join us at Lighthouse Baptist Church at 10:45am (MT) this Christmas Sunday!

Let me add, though our church is gathering on Christmas day and I think yours should too, you have every right to disagree. I still love you and we most certainly can still be friends. Regardless of what decision you make, it is my prayer that every one will make it a priority to honor Jesus this season. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

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