Churches cancelling church services on Sunday because it's Christmas Day

[Amulek]

18 hours ago, bluebell said:

Though I don't necessarily enjoy having to get up and get dressed on Christmas morning, I'm glad that we still hold a service (though I'd love a good Christmas Eve service like some other religions do--a religious worship service).

What are your thoughts?

Same. The only real downside to having Christmas on Sunday this year is that our ward isn't shifting the time (9am start) and my wife doesn't want to get up extra early to make our traditional Christmas breakfast (cinnamon rolls and breakfast casserole), so we'll be doing it as brunch instead. Which is fine by me, because brunch is awesome!.

 

[HappyJackWagon]

My family, my parents, my sister, my sister's family and my brother's family all live within a few minutes of each other, yet we are all have different church times. I have zero problem skipping church Christmas morning so that we can accommodate everyone else's schedule AND still get together for Christmas breakfast as is our tradition. Missing 1 Sunday isn't the end of the world.

[Calm]

4 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

My family, my parents, my sister, my sister's family and my brother's family all live within a few minutes of each other, yet we are all have different church times. I have zero problem skipping church Christmas morning so that we can accommodate everyone else's schedule AND still get together for Christmas breakfast as is our tradition. Missing 1 Sunday isn't the end of the world.

Or you could all attend a service together that works with the Christmas breakfast schedule.

[HappyJackWagon]

1 minute ago, Calm said:

Or you could all attend a service together that works with the Christmas breakfast schedule.

Except everyone feels they must (or at least really want to) attend their own ward so...whatever.

We had the plan in place and then last week 1 of the wards announced a different schedule for Christmas day which threw our plans off. That was considerate  We've had to scramble our schedule because of a church schedule. Yeah, I find that annoying.

 

[Rain]

7 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

Except everyone feels they must (or at least really want to) attend their own ward so...whatever.

We had the plan in place and then last week 1 of the wards announced a different schedule for Christmas day which threw our plans off. That was considerate  We've had to scramble our schedule because of a church schedule. Yeah, I find that annoying.

 

I would find that annoying too. I have no problems with changing the schedule, but knowing how many people have plans well in advance for the day you need to change the meeting schedule in September.

[Chum]

9 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

I still go to midnight mass as well or at least watch it on TV, but don't tell anyone .

I admit I'm tempted.

9 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

I served at so many masses in Latin that I still have it pretty much memorized.

Except for the confiteor. It was too long. I got to the "beate's" and then just faked the rest by mumbling, because the congregation was supposed to be reciting it too at the same time as we were, and nobody was listening anyway.

I was a Catholic youth. After 20 years out, I attended a mass for a deceased client and was surprised to find I remembered everything. A friend (also ex C now LDS) explained "You can take the boy out of the Church but..."

It's been twice 20 now. I can't say if it's all still in there or not.

[MiserereNobis]

29 minutes ago, Calm said:

Or you could all attend a service together that works with the Christmas breakfast schedule.

Yes. Like Buckeye, go to midnight mass together! 😁

[bluebell]

10 hours ago, Calm said:

There was also a certain satisfying crunch to the snow.

I miss the true North.

This made me laugh because I cannot stand the sound that snow makes when you walk on it when it gets below zero.  That weird squeaky/crunch.....ugh.  Like nails on a chalkboard to me!  I was watching some show on tv where a person was walking on snow in the extreme cold and I had to mute it.  

[Chum]

20 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

24 minutes ago, Calm said:

Or you could all attend a service together that works with the Christmas breakfast schedule.

Except everyone feels they must (or at least really want to) attend their own ward so...whatever.

You can put me in the All Wards Are Church group. However, I can socialize and schmooze wherever I am. Not everyone can. (Or maybe I do better where no one knows me.)

[bluebell]

34 minutes ago, Calm said:

Or you could all attend a service together that works with the Christmas breakfast schedule.

This is what we do.

[InCognitus]

3 hours ago, Navidad said:

Oh my goodness! Church-sponsored socials such as dances . . . . . and you ask why we don't join the church? Our faith (the Mennonite faith) has banned all pre-marital sex for members because it leads to dancing! Oh my, and I thought my LDS friends really were Christians . . . tsk tsk! 🙃

 

[bluebell]

32 minutes ago, Rain said:

I would find that annoying too. I have no problems with changing the schedule, but knowing how many people have plans well in advance for the day you need to change the meeting schedule in September.

It makes me wonder why they decided to change it so suddenly.  Usually these kinds of things are planned far in advance, like you said.  If it's not for something that couldn't be helped then I agree, that's annoying.

[HappyJackWagon]

17 minutes ago, bluebell said:

It makes me wonder why they decided to change it so suddenly.  Usually these kinds of things are planned far in advance, like you said.  If it's not for something that couldn't be helped then I agree, that's annoying.

I couldn't say for sure because it's my brother's ward. My guess is they saw the church release about Sacrament only on Christmas, realized other wards would be finished early so they could also get in early and get done earlier than usual. I don't hate that idea...but again, proper notice would be great.

[bluebell]

28 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I couldn't say for sure because it's my brother's ward. My guess is they saw the church release about Sacrament only on Christmas, realized other wards would be finished early so they could also get in early and get done earlier than usual. I don't hate that idea...but again, proper notice would be great.

Yes, especially since the church announced that a long time ago.  

[Navidad]

4 hours ago, InCognitus said:

 

Thats a good one! Especially in front of a LensCrafters. I am always harping away on blind spots! Take care!

[Teancum]

On 12/18/2022 at 3:41 PM, bluebell said:

I thought this article from the NY Post was interesting, about the pull between the importance of Sunday services and many Christians belief that there is no reason to go to church on Christmas Day, even if it's on a Sunday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/18/us/christmas-church-service-protestants.html

It mentions that for practicing Catholics, church services on Sundays are non negotiable.  It of course doesn't mention us.

The end of the article quotes a pastor that disagrees with this trend--

That is an interesting point.  If you really do believe that Jesus is the reason for the season, and you believe that normally Jesus wants you to worship at church on the Sabbath day, then is it hypocritical to decide not to attend church on Sunday because it's Christmas?

Though I don't necessarily enjoy having to get up and get dressed on Christmas morning, I'm glad that we still hold a service (though I'd love a good Christmas Eve service like some other religions do--a religious worship service).

What are your thoughts?

Well our church does nothing really for Christmas or Christmas eve unless Christmas is on a Sunday. Sure there might be a Christmas sacrament meeting around Christmas but we do nothing for Christmas at all unless it falls in a Sunday.

When I was the bishop of a ward I instituted a Christmas eve service. It was not long. It consisted of music, some comments and scripture reading. I emphasized that only those who wanted to participate in such an event should come and if there were other family events or conflicts that was fine. I found it a wonderful evening the 5 years we did this. We had decent attendance.  The succeeding bishop to me ended it.  That was disappointing to me. This guy was really a hard liner and the last person I would have recommended to be bishop after me and I even told the SP that when he ran potential successors by me.

[bluebell]

25 minutes ago, Teancum said:

Well our church does nothing really for Christmas or Christmas eve unless Christmas is on a Sunday. Sure there might be a Christmas sacrament meeting around Christmas but we do nothing for Christmas at all unless it falls in a Sunday.

When I was the bishop of a ward I instituted a Christmas eve service. It was not long. It consisted of music, some comments and scripture reading. I emphasized that only those who wanted to participate in such an event should come and if there were other family events or conflicts that was fine. I found it a wonderful evening the 5 years we did this. We had decent attendance.  The succeeding bishop to me ended it.  That was disappointing to me. This guy was really a hard liner and the last person I would have recommended to be bishop after me and I even told the SP that when he ran potential successors by me.

This is true. Unlike the Catholic church, Christmas itself isn't a day denoted to worshipping God together in a church building in our religion.  I think that's true for all protestant religions as well.  Not sure about Seventh Day Adventist or the orthodox churches (I'm assuming the orthodox churches behave like the Catholic church, but I could be wrong about that).

But Sunday is a designated day for worship in our faith, as well as the protestant faith, which is why I thought it was interesting that protestants and evangelicals are coming at the issue from a different angle and having some angst on the subject.

That's too bad about the Christmas Eve services.  It sounds really lovely.

[Scott Lloyd]

I venture to say that for some people, the only time in the year they do attend a worship service is on Christmas Day. What a shame to cancel the service just because the 25th falls on a Sunday. Doing so strikes me as a violation of the law of the Sabbath. 

[Damien the Leper]

On 12/18/2022 at 1:41 PM, bluebell said:

I thought this article from the NY Post was interesting, about the pull between the importance of Sunday services and many Christians belief that there is no reason to go to church on Christmas Day, even if it's on a Sunday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/18/us/christmas-church-service-protestants.html

It mentions that for practicing Catholics, church services on Sundays are non negotiable.  It of course doesn't mention us.

The end of the article quotes a pastor that disagrees with this trend--

That is an interesting point.  If you really do believe that Jesus is the reason for the season, and you believe that normally Jesus wants you to worship at church on the Sabbath day, then is it hypocritical to decide not to attend church on Sunday because it's Christmas?

Though I don't necessarily enjoy having to get up and get dressed on Christmas morning, I'm glad that we still hold a service (though I'd love a good Christmas Eve service like some other religions do--a religious worship service).

What are your thoughts?

Attend a Christmas mass! I will be attending mass at 12am at St. Thomas More in Phoenix. 

[Peacefully]

23 hours ago, InCognitus said:

For Christmas, I think that's church wide:    https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/latter-day-saints-to-attend-sacrament-meeting-only-on-christmas-day

10 November 2022  "On Christmas Day, Latter-day Saints to Attend Sacrament Meeting Only"

But it says this about New Year's day:

"In addition, because New Year’s Day on January 1 also falls on a Sunday this year, stake and district presidents may consider setting an alternative Sunday for observing fast day, but other regular meetings will be held. Any New Year’s Eve Church-sponsored socials such as dances or other activities should conclude at midnight on Saturday, December 31."

I thought it was kind of strange, but they didn’t ask me, lol. 

[Damien the Leper]

4 hours ago, bluebell said:

This is true. Unlike the Catholic church, Christmas itself isn't a day denoted to worshipping God together in a church building in our religion.  I think that's true for all protestant religions as well.  Not sure about Seventh Day Adventist or the orthodox churches (I'm assuming the orthodox churches behave like the Catholic church, but I could be wrong about that).

But Sunday is a designated day for worship in our faith, as well as the protestant faith, which is why I thought it was interesting that protestants and evangelicals are coming at the issue from a different angle and having some angst on the subject.

That's too bad about the Christmas Eve services.  It sounds really lovely.

The Orthodox celebrate on January 7th as they observe the Julian Calendar. From what I understand, it isn't a holy day of obligation as it is with the RCC. I wonder if our Byzantine Catholic brothers and sisters get 2 Christmases a year. One at the beginning and one at the end. 

[Rain]

16 hours ago, Damien the Leper said:

Attend a Christmas mass! I will be attending mass at 12am at St. Thomas More in Phoenix. 

Why that particular church?  I've debated on going the last few years, but the lateness has stopped me especially the distance to Phoenix where it seems most of the midnight services are.

[HappyJackWagon]

13 minutes ago, Rain said:

Why that particular church?  I've debated on going the last few years, but the lateness has stopped me especially the distance to Phoenix where it seems most of the midnight services are.

Midnight Mass really is a cool experience. If you haven't been to one, and can stay awake, I definitely recommend  

[Dario_M]

No that can't be true. Why? I wanna have a church service on sunday. ✝️

[JAHS]

We have an unusual situation where our ward is "nested" with another ward. We each have our own sacrament meeting but then meet together for the second hour.
On Christmas we will meet together for Sacrament meeting only. Bring extra bread!