"Christmeaster" - the word itself is enough to send shivers down the spine of any devout Christian mom who religiously (pardon the pun) sends her kids to Sunday school every week or any church leader.
It has the connotation of people who drag their feet through the door on only the holiest days of the Christian calendar - Christmas and Easter - simply to sooth their own conscious about the fact that they hadn't been to church since the last holiday.
The Christmeasters are side-eyed, clearly defined by their darting eyes upon entry into the sanctuary since they have no habitual pew, and welcome committees rush forward with gifts, assuming they are guests, only to be told, confusedly, "Oh, no, we're members. We have been since 2011. Don't you remember us?"
Well, I'm here to take a stand for all of us Christmeasters and say once and for all that there is no sin in coming to church only a twice a year. Sometimes things get in the way - maybe you work on Sunday mornings, or you have Boy Scouts on Sunday mornings, or even that Sundays are the only days you can sleep in and your mental health requires at least ONE full night of sleep per week - and sometimes people just don't want to go more often. Sometimes the kiddos absolutely refuse to go, and you gotta pick your battles. Sometimes (oh, no) you just forget.
Part of having a healthy relationship with God is acceptance of the limitations that He has placed in your life. He has given you obstacles and choices in your life, and He understands that you will choose them over church sometimes because you need them for your own personal growth, or simply just to fulfill a need that He gave to you. He sees your life and He understands what you are going through; He will not let a few absences in His house put up a block between you and Him. In fact, He is proud of you for getting to church on those two days a year that you do -- especially since it would be easy to let other things, like family and/or gift-giving to come in the way of getting there.
He understands that He is easiest to see on these holiest of days -- that is why we celebrate them. He understands that sometimes there will be a distance between you and Him that requires a holiday spirit to fix -- and He loves you anyway because of that. He appreciates every effort you can make to find and connect with Him. Perhaps that is weekly visits to church. Perhaps that is coming on Christmas and Easter. Or perhaps that means not ever going to church and fostering that connection on your own.
So, it's fine. Pull up to church on Christmas in your Santa hats and sit in the back pew where nobody can glare at you. You know your own relationship with God, you know He loves you, and you know it's okay.
