Tonight, as I'm waiting to go to the Christmas Eve Service at a little church in the town I'm in, I am reminded of a conversation New Church Boss and I had a while back, probably last year. He was relating how his then Head Pastor wasn't going to be at church on Christmas. He was taking Christmas off. New Church Boss was a little mystified at how his boss could be gone on one of the biggest nights/days for the church.
As I was reflecting on that this morning, I thought about the first Christmas I took off as a church staff. My family was going to be together in one place, many of the extended family included, and I wasn't about to stay home and miss it. I was going too! I remember the look on the Pastor's face when I said I wouldn't be at the church on Christmas Eve. Absolute shock. (I could have pulled out my terms of employment right there and showed him that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were two days that I had off according to that piece of paper. If y'all don't mean it, don't put it in writing.) They survived that Christmas without me and when I said a few years later that I would be gone again this time for a Mission trip, there was barely a murmur of protest.
I do believe that it's important for a church to put it's best foot forward on Christmas. Pastors, staff and church members should be aware that they are hosting a group of people that may only go to church once or twice a year. It's important to be on point that night. However, I think every so often it's okay for the Pastor and staff members to get a Christmas off, especially if their families don't live in the area. Once in a while a Pastor should be allowed a pass on Christmas, to be allowed time to be with their families and walk into a different church on Christmas Eve and worship God without the stress of leading it all.
Those are just my two cents. Merry Christmas everyone! I'm off to Christmas Eve service.
No comments:
Post a Comment