The Lord’s Day… which day would that be? He created all seven days, so technically, they are all His.
Any Christian would probably quickly say that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and because it’s the Lord’s Day, that’s when people should go to church. To be fair, going to church on Sunday has been a tradition for many years, dating back possibly as far as 115 A.D. It has been the tradition for so long that many people believe it’s biblical… but that is false. Meeting for church on Sunday is no more biblical than eating pickles on Friday… it is merely a tradition.
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was observed on Saturday… the end of the week. They did this because God rested on the 7th day of Creation. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish people followed that standard, met in the Synagogue, and observed the Sabbath on Saturday. When the Old Covenant was done away with, believers began to meet on Sunday. They could’ve chosen any day, but Jesus rose from the grave on a Sunday. That day was, in turn, called the Lord’s Day, and so that’s the day believers chose to meet… to celebrate his resurrection.
There are many traditions we’ve taken part in for so many years that we have started to think these things are biblical when in fact, they are extra-biblical.
Another example of this would be mid-week services. Again, nowhere in the Bible says we should meet together in the middle of the week.
In the New Testament, the church met together in some way every day. So, if we follow that standard, all churches are missing the mark.
What about meeting together in a church building? Nope, that’s not in the Bible, either.
What about meeting for Sunday School first, then singing some songs, and then the preacher screams a little, then there’s the altar call… nope, also not in the Bible.
What about Vacation Bible School, Christmas Eve Services, Deacons Meetings…. All good things (well, 2 of them anyway), but you won’t find that in the Bible.
Here’s where things get hairy… anytime I bring this kind of thing up, people will say, but the Bible clearly says in Hebrews 10:25 (and in the KJV because that’s how it was always preached to me), “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”
There it is in black and white… don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together… don’t do it… do not do it.
If the Bible says that, how can anyone argue that we should ever be ok with missing any church service? If the church has a service, we cannot forsake assembling ourselves together there… the Bible tells us not to…
I had this conversation with someone not long ago, and that is the first verse they pulled out to back up their position.
But then I asked this question… “what came first, the verse or the service.”
You see, any church, any pastor, anyone can use that verse to prove their point… they can plan a revival and say that the Bible says not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together… they can plan a potluck dinner, a fundraiser, a business meeting… don’t forsake the assembling, a week of VBS… don’t forsake the assembling… a Christmas service… don’t forsake the assembling…
That verse has been used to manipulate more people than maybe any other verse I know. Because the church can plan anything they want to and then lay out that verse as a guilt trip.
But that’s not fair because the verse came years before these man-made services. So, using the verse after something is planned is nothing but manipulation.
I remember when I was a kid, the preacher would preach some version of this “sermon”… 3 to thrive… three church services every week to thrive in your Christian walk… be there every time the doors are open… you’re supposed to be… don’t forsake the assembling…
How convenient that these verses are quoted by church leaders to convince people to faithfully attend services.
I’ve done a little research on the context of this scripture, Hebrews 10:25. From what I have gathered, the writer of Hebrews was writing to the Jewish Christians who were being persecuted. After years of this persecution, their strength was fading, and many were tempted to fall away from the faith. The writer of Hebrews was encouraging these people to stay together, work together, and build up one another… there’s strength in numbers… sharing your burdens with other believers, spending time with them, and doing life together… it was easier to stand strong in the face of persecution when they had the help of other believers.
That scripture is definitely encouraging believers to spend time with one another, but it has absolutely nothing to do with church attendance.
Do you see the point I’m trying to make? We have added so much to the Bible. We have made gods out of the church. Instead of it being for Him, it has taken the place of Him. The church is worshipped more than the Creator. We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated by these institutions.
What happened to the verse… Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them. What happened to “the people are the church,” not the building? What happened to the order of things… God first, family second, church third…
I have seen so many posts on social media this week that say something like Christmas won’t be on Sunday again for 11 years. So many things will change in those 11 years, don’t miss being in church with your family on Christmas this year. I counted some rendition of that post in my Facebook feed about 15 times one day.
And it just leaves me scratching my head in confusion. What does that even mean? Christmas won’t be on Sunday again for 11 years. Yes, obviously, things will change in 11 years. People we know and love will be gone, our kids will be grown up… a lot of things will change in 11 years. Time is a thief.
So, because so many things will change, then what I want to do is rush through all of my family traditions?… ones that put Jesus at the front and center, precious moments with my family where we meet together (2 or more and He is in the midst) where we celebrate the birth of our Savior, where we spend time laughing, sharing, opening presents, enjoying breakfast together… the one day of the year that time stands still. The day we slow down and soak it all in… but instead of doing all of those things, what I should do instead… (because Christmas won’t be on Sunday again for 11 years) what I should do is rush through all of those things?
You are saying that I should put my family on the back burner… because church is also on Sunday. Because the preacher said I should come. He even posted about it on social media to make sure we all saw it. We know the pastor not only wants us to be there, but he thinks that if we are good Christians, the core group, we will be there. It’s the Lord’s Day, after all.
But haven’t we already established that it is only a tradition, not biblical? Who’s going to tell the pastor? Will anyone question his authority?
The clear answer that everyone around me seems to be giving is that because Christmas is on a Sunday this year I shouldn’t forsake the assembling of myself together with the people of the church. I should rush through Christmas morning to sit in a pew. To listen to some songs, and a sermon, because that is “what the Bible teaches”
Hmm. That makes zero sense to me. And I feel like all of that is nothing but manipulation.
Four years ago, I would’ve argued differently. I was still in that bubble and thought you should always be in church…every time the doors were open.
But, gosh, it feels good not to be there anymore. It feels good to clearly see this manipulation.
It feels good to be a part of a church that understands that. To have a pastor who doesn’t manipulate… who doesn’t post guilt-ridden posts for his people to see…who says things like you never get that time with your family back, soak it in, slow down, enjoy Christmas… who respects and loves the people who volunteer enough to not ask them to come out early on Christmas morning to turn the heat on, to make the coffee, to unlock the doors and then wait around for people to leave so they can clean up the mess and lock the building. But, who also understands the importance of gathering with your church family, so instead plans a service on a different night…because even though Sunday is technically “The Lord’s Day,” churches can meet together any day. And if you meet on that day, it isn’t necessary to meet again on Sunday, just because it’s Sunday. A pastor who even puts together a “service” for you to watch online with your family so that you can worship with your family, in your pajamas, in your living room whenever it’s convenient for you. Because you are the church even when you aren’t in the church. That just feels right. It’s a whole new world for me. It’s good.
I know of many churches that are having their traditional Christmas Eve services, and then they will turn around and have church again on Christmas Day, just because it’s Sunday. Imagine the stress that will place on the volunteers. Does anyone ever stop to think about the person who has to get there early for both of those services or stay late for both services… or for some people they have to do both. Just think about how much time that takes away from their family. It seems cruel, doesn’t it?
Let me just drop this right here and let you come to your own conclusion…
Let’s just say that a church dismisses on Christmas Day. No one comes. The members are encouraged to stay home and spend time with their families. No one comes to the church building that Sunday… how does the offering make its way into the offering plate? Will the members remember to give the next week? Will they double their offering the next week or forget and only put in one week’s tithe? What would that do to the church budget? Will the church lose money by canceling services?
What if the members thought the preacher shouldn’t be paid because there was no service that week? Isn’t he required to make sure there’s a sermon preached by someone 52 Sundays of the year? Would he even be doing his job if services were canceled? This could look really bad for him.
Would the members get out of the habit of coming to church every week if there weren’t services?
So many questions and so many concerns, and none of them are biblical. All of them are man-made.
Before you decide that I’m against church services or that I don’t think gathering together with church people is important, let me stop you. That is not what I think at all. I am a faithful church attender. I go every week because I want to, not out of guilt (anymore) or because a pastor tells me I should, but because of an understanding that this time together with fellow believers is important.
But, to make such a big deal about being in a church building on Christmas Day… to make posts to make people feel guilty or less of a Christian because they want to stay home with their families… I think that is heavy-handed, pharisee-like manipulation.
Do you know what I think?
I think encouraging people to stay home with their families, equipping them to share the real meaning of Christmas with their family, teaching them how to lead their families… teaching them to be the church instead of just coming to church… I think that might be something to consider.
Until Next Time,
Whitney