Church Just Messes Up Holidays

This past week while in the car and listening to sports talk radio, a commercial for a local business was aired.  It was one of those "conversations" between the radio host and the business owner.

The businessman was looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday because "it is all about family and food."  While I may have a word or two wrong in the next quote, I was next astounded to hear, "Thanksgiving isn't like holidays like Christmas and Easter when church messes things up."

Either this man has issues, or I do.  There are at least two glaring problems with his statement.  The first is the most egregious.  Church is not something that "messes up" holidays.  It is the reason that there is a holiday.  If it were not for God's gift of a Son at Christmas--celebrated, oddly, with worship services around the world and attended at rates higher than any other time with the exception of one day--there would be no holiday to "mess up."  If it were not for Christ's resurrection from the dead on Easter--strangely again, celebrated at church in the other prominent holy-day (holiday) that brings more people to church than any other--this man would not have to worry about whether he serves red wine or white wine with his spiral ham.

Worship services lift up the foundation for the days themselves.  There is nothing wrong with family and food at Christmas and Easter.  But if they are celebrated without church, they are devoid of meaning.

Second problem.  At Bethel we actually do try to "mess up" Thanksgiving with a worship service.  More than 25 family members will be gathering at my house on Thanksgiving.  It will be a joy to prepare a 22 pound turkey and to eat and laugh.  Prior to that, however, we will be at worship thanking God for all his bounty.  After all, even Thanksgiving has a focus.  The businessman should look at the name of the day:  thanks giving.  To whom will you be giving thanks this year? 

Go ahead.  Mess up your holidays. You will be glad you did.