As the Christmas season is upon us it can be so easy to get lost in the norm of holiday traditions. We spent a lot of time making sure we have bought all the presents, juggled all the parties, coordinated all the family get-togethers, while still trying to make sure to keep Christ at the center of it all. It can be exhausting. And in the midst of all of this, it can be easy to relay on established traditions.

However, this year we have a rare occurrence. One that only comes around about every 7 years. Christmas Morning is on a Sunday.

Having Christmas on a Sunday raises a question: “Should we have church services on Christmas Morning?” It’s not hard to see why one would ask this. I mean every family is different, and each family has their own traditions when it comes to the holiday. Some celebrate on Christmas Eve, others on Christmas Morning. Still others have a big Christmas lunch or dinner with extended family, or a combination of all of the above. Depending on your family, it can be a chore to figure out how you are going to work it all out. So it makes sense to ask this.

When I first started thinking through this I heard a lot of people say, “It’s Christmas, so of course we should have church.” While I appreciated the spirit behind their remark I found that answer lacking. This is mainly due to the fact that we don’t meet on Christmas morning the other six years. Really what it comes down to is a greater question of “Why do we gather on Sundays?”

While the New Testament does not give specific instructions on what day to meet, it does speak to the importance of meeting often. The writer of Hebrews warns his audience to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is clear the writer places an importance on gathering together frequently which is understandable in light of the purpose of the church and who she is.

In the early church, Christians began meeting on the first day of the week in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. An example of this can be found in Acts 20:7 where it says that, “On the first day of the week, when we gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them.” This is just one example of early church practice but many historical church writers such as Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian speak of meeting on the first day of the week. Thus Sunday has come to be known as the Lord’s Day.

At Grace Fellowship we think that gathering together on the Lord’s Day is valuable. It is a weekly reminder of the Gospel. That the God of all creation has made a way to bring His people back to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. We meet every Sunday because we never want to miss an opportunity to gather together as the bride of Christ and celebrate all that He is and has done. So as long as we are physically able to gather together this will be our practice.

When you think about Christmas being on Sunday, remember that on that day we will be celebrating the God of the Bible. The one who in Genesis 3 promised He would bring a redeemer to save His people. Even though the people had to wait for hundreds of years God was faithful and kept His promise. A promise that was fulfilled in Jesus, the baby who came to save the world. This Christmas on Sunday we will celebrate both the baby and the cross. The King who has come and will come again.

We can’t wait. See you there. Oh, and we’re worshiping on New Years’ Sunday as well!