Thoughts about church being closed on Christmas

I've spent many holidays and "family times" in the hospital caring for patients and their families. I always counted it an honor as I know so do many of my colleagues!  I am surrounded by people who give up time their families every holiday" nurses, social workers, EMS, doctors, ES folks, those who deliver food trays, with a smile...!

LOTS of people work holidays, it is part of life. It is only once every seven years or so that Christmas falls on a Sunday, adding pastors, deacons, musicians etc. to the list of those who work. This infrequency is why what I heard/read was so upsetting to me. Church staff complaining about having to "work" on Christmas as it takes them away from their family!

Wait...what? Really?

Is it too controversial that I want to say, "I've worked to save lives many a holiday...now it's your turn!”? Geesh – for you it is half a day, plan around it and Get. Over. It. You have a job that provides great flexibility and more family time than most. Isn’t it a ministry of service to others? Christmas on a Sunday!  It feels like this should be viewed as a beautiful opportunity to show God's love, and what better day to serve than the day we recognize as the Birth of Our Savior?!


So, when Christmas doesn’t fall on a Sunday do you work?  I don’t see many pastors/church staff visiting the sick in the hospital and certainly none of them have visited my father in the nursing home…not once!

And you know what…I am too annoyed to come down from my soapbox right now – so I am going to stand up here with my hands on my hips for a few more minutes and just SMH!

Addendum: Obviously, this does not refer to all church staff. Some folks actually found it a blessing to be there.