I had an interesting idea last night. We had about 12 people in our Thanksgiving Eve worship service. Which is fine. It's not about the numbers. Anyway, here's my idea.
Technically, Thanksgiving is not on the Church's calendar. It is a government holiday. But, the idea of it makes good theological and Biblical sense. So, why not have a church service?
I grew up having the service on Thanksgiving Day. But, my fieldwork church and the church I pastor hold it on the night before. And I know plenty of other churches that hold this tradition. The theory is that by holding it the night before, people aren't as pressed for time the next day. Which also makes a theological statement.
I know the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday is a big deal to many people across the nation, including many Christians. This is somewhat problematic. Many good Christians decry the commercialization of Christmas but participate in the opening kickoff of that commercialization. So, what to do?
I came up with the idea of having a church service on Black Friday about 3 or 4 in the morning before the stores open. The idea here is, "Come, worship the true God, before worshipping a false one." Or maybe have the same service around noon or so, to give shoppers a spiritual respite and a time for confession and absolution.
Thoughts?
