Put The “mass” Back In “Christmas”

The word “Christmas” refers to the birth of Christ, of course, but more specifically it denotes the worship service–more than that, the Communion service, the “mass”–that marks that event. So as we put Christ back in Christmas, let us also put mass back in Christmas. In other words, let’s go to church!

In the Biblical measure of time, the new day starts on the preceding evening (“the evening and the morning were the second day”), which means that Christmas Eve is really Christmas. (So it’s OK if that’s when your family opens presents!) So going to a Christmas Eve service counts. But there is nothing more meaningful than a communion service on Christmas day.

Sadly, many, and maybe most, Protestant churches have abandoned holding Christmas services. In fact, when Christmas fell on a Sunday a few years ago, many churches cancelled their Sunday services! But, contrary to the excuse given for that travesty, Christmas is not just a time for family; it is a time for worshipping the Incarnate God, and doing so with your family is especially valuable.

If your church does not have a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service, visit one that does.

My pastor said that Lutherans and the Catholics are about the only ones who have Christmas services anymore. I want to emphasize that I do not intend this blog to be for and about Lutheranism, nor am I trying to talk people into joining my church. But if you attend some other church, this would be a chance to visit a Lutheran congregation. You may have never seen an evangelical Protestant liturgy drawn straight from the Bible, and I suspect you would find it at least an interesting and different approach to worship. You can see what the fuss on the blog is often about.