There was a cartoon of a professor playing golf while his students were listening to his lecture from a cassette player on his desk. He was so pleased with himself that he decided to pre-record a week’s classes in advance so he could play more golf. The final frame showed the professor’s cassette lecture being played to a room full of…other cassette recorders.
I continue to remind my children that they are blessed beyond measure to have a sweet mother who has made every Christmas an event to remember; tree, lights, presents, food, and guests are just the start of her annual labour of love.
Our time has not yet come, but we too will have to accept that our children will develop their own sets of Christmas traditions. It will pay for us to let them find what works for them and enjoy the mix of old and new traditions.
Concerning church services, this may be the first Christmas that I will NOT be asked if we “have a special Christmas worship service.” Covid worship number restrictions have meant that we have not had walk-in visitors who customarily ask about Christmas worship.
The interruptions to church meetings over the last 18 months have taken their toll. We have been apart too often and too long.
Our week-to-week church services form much of our Biblical traditions of fellowship. Traditions that must not be changed: Prayer, preaching, singing, communion and giving are our foundational acts of worshipping together.
Church leaders are wise to express both gratitude and concern for the convenience of the recent online worship services.
Yes, we must praise God that all the various modes of broadcasting have helped to keep us together when the state had kept us apart, but also, concern must be had (maybe more warranted than welcomed), when Christians begin to accept virtual fellowship as being as good as actual, face-to-face fellowship. I assure you; it is not!
May God bring us all together soon, lest we exchange real fellowship for a remote screen.
John Staiger
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