Christmas at Our Church

As I write, it is the day before the day before Christmas. Or as we like to call it at our house, “Christmas Eve Eve”.

By the time you read these words, Christmas 2014 will be a memory. But I’m still anticipating it, and basking in the afterglow of a wonderful Sunday spent celebrating Christmas as a congregation.

Someone wrote an article recently in which they stated, “Christmas time is to churches what Black Friday is to retail stores.” Honestly, that is true more often than not. This is why a few years ago, the deacons and I decided to purposely lead our church toward simpler, more scaled-back ways of celebrating Christmas. I told them, “If we have to act in an un-Christ-like manner in order to prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, I’m not sure that really honors Him.” So we’ve tried to celebrate Christmas as a church in ways that don’t add more hurry and stress to people’s lives.

But I do love Christmas. And I love Christmas at our church.

I love to see our sanctuary decorated for Christmas. (Kudos to both Mrs. Sharon Payne and Mrs. Carrie Bennett for the “the Hangin’ o’ the Greens” this year! And a big thanks to Mr. Mel Payne for building the new manger scene that sat out in front of our church building all through December. I asked him if it was okay to thank him publicly, and he said yes. I didn’t tell him I was going to do it in print. Hope he’s not mad; he’s bigger than me.) I know I’m biased, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a church look more beautiful than ours does at Christmas time.

I love Christmas carols. I know we can get tired of them by the time December is over, but Christmas carols have more sound Bible doctrine, line for line, than almost any other type of hymn or worship song. And I love our Christmas Choir, singing about the birth of Jesus to us in wonderful new songs and arrangements. I think they add so much to our December services.

I love showing the video of A Charlie Brown Christmas, where Linus quotes from Luke 2 and then says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” I still choke up sometimes when I watch it.

I especially look forward to lighting the Advent Wreath with the children. We made a special effort to involve the children in our morning services this year. Lighting those candles draws the children’s eyes like magic! And every one of the four things I place by the candles is designed to teach a major element of The Christmas Story. The little plastic Bible opens to reveal a verse of Scripture and a picture of the Christmas Star; it represents the prophets who foretold Jesus’ birth. Then there’s a small model of the little town of Bethlehem; a figure of a kneeling shepherd boy; and finally, a snow globe with the Baby Jesus in a manger inside. All of them are sturdy and meant to be handled by children, and I love seeing them pick the things up and look at them as I talk.

My favorite part of all my favorite parts is putting on my “St. Nicholas” robe, and telling how originally St. Nicholas was a bishop (or pastor) in Asia Minor in the 4th century, who gave gold coins to poor children. Then I give all the kids a bag of chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. (Josh Liechty captured the moment beautifully with his camera. You can see the pictures on our church’s Facebook page.) I love the fact that “Santa” was a preacher of the Christian faith! (And some of the rowdier members of our church love it when I throw the leftover chocolate coins out into the congregation! Every year my wife tells me I’m going to hurt someone doing that. I suppose if that happens, I’ll have to quit. Until then: duck!)

And I love having our congregation bless the children before they go up to children’s church in the Treehouse. (A blessing is simply a prayer for God to do something for someone.) When we all raised our hands toward them and said, “Children: God be with you as you worship Him”, I hope it made them all feel very special. Jesus blessed the children. We should, too.

Now let me close by blessing you:
May the LORD be with you, and bless and keep you;
May His face shine upon you and may He be gracious to you;
And may He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace!
And before I forget: Happy New Year!

Pastor David