Away with Words: In Pursuit of Authenticity

I'm not sure what to think of this

From today's New York Times, "When Christmas Falls on Sunday, Megachurches Take the Day Off."

"Megachurch leaders say that the decision is in keeping with their innovative and 'family friendly' approach and that they are compensating in other ways. Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., always a pacesetter among megachurches, is handing out a DVD it produced for the occasion that features a heartwarming contemporary Christmas tale."

Critics counter:

"'I see this in many ways as a capitulation to narcissism, the self-centered, me-first, I'm going to put me and my immediate family first agenda of the larger culture,' said Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. 'If Christianity is an evangelistic religion, then what kind of message is this sending to the larger culture - that worship is an optional extra?'"

The scope of the Megachurch Christmas dilemma:

At least eight megachurches have canceled their Christmas services. They are only a fraction of the 1,200 or so in the country, but they are influential, Scott Thumma, a sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary, said. The trend has been reported in The Lexington Herald-Leader and in other newspapers. Besides Willow Creek, the churches include Southland Christian Church in Nicholasville, Ky.; Crossroads Christian Church in Lexington, Ky.; Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Tex.; Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, S.C.; North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga.; First Baptist in Atlanta; and Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich. Many other megachurches that are staying open on Christmas Day are holding fewer services than they would on a typical Sunday.

In contrast, various denominational traditions regard canceling services as "unthinkable":

"I can't even imagine not observing Christmas in an Episcopal church," said Robert Williams, a spokesman for the Episcopal Church USA. "The only thing I could think of would be a summer chapel that might be shut down anyway." In many Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, known for their rich liturgical traditions, Christmas Day attracts far more worshippers than an average Sunday. Grown children return with their parents to the parishes they belonged to when they were young. "From the Catholic perspective, the whole purpose of the holiday is to celebrate it as a religious holiday in the company of the community, and for Catholics that means at Mass," said Robert J. Miller, director of research and planning in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

What do you think? Article.

posted by Jeremy Del Rio @ 12/09/2005 11:08:00 AM