Keeping Christ in Christmas
Well, here we are gang! Christmas is upon us. That time of year we vow to focus on the true meaning of the holiday, to take time to rest and enjoy the company of friends and family, and to keep things simple. But by this point most of us get swept up in the hustle and bustle of the season: the shopping, the giving, the cooking, the serving. The list goes on and on, and before you know it, it’s December 26th and you’re left thinking: what happened to Christmas?!I’m not here to add something to your growing to-do list. I’m not here to alter any family traditions you already have. I’m simply here to offer two ways to keep the focus on Jesus during this season—because Christmas is, after all, about Him. It’s about His quiet, humble arrival to save us all from our sin. We needed Him because we cannot do it on our own, no matter how many charities we give to at Christmas. No matter how many acts of kindness we do during the holidays. No matter our attendance at Christmas Eve service. These things are all important, but they cannot save us from the punishment we deserve. Only Jesus, the sweet little baby born in a stable and laid in a manger, can save. Let us remember Him this Christmas.Idea #1: A Happy Birthday Jesus party. Good news--we are having a party at Hope Church Christmas Eve morning after our 10:00 service! It will be a time of celebration—with cake! We hope you will join us in celebrating the newborn King. And the party can continue even after you leave—consider making Jesus a birthday cake or cupcakes as a special treat on Christmas day. Who wouldn’t love cake for breakfast—it is Christmas after all!Idea #2: The White Stocking. I came across this idea a few years ago on Pinterest and love that it is simple, but meaningful. All you need is a white Christmas stocking and the poem at the link above. Display the stocking and poem in a special place in your home, preferably a place you see every day. Then, on Christmas morning, have each family member write a gift to Jesus on a slip of paper and place it inside the stocking. “Gifts” might include a personal goal for the upcoming year (reading your Bible everyday), ways you’d like to serve others in the coming year (an act of kindness each week), or something you’d like to do as a family in the coming year (mission trip or serving at a community event). Keep the slips of paper in the stocking until the following year, then pull them out and share aloud on Christmas Eve. Share the ways God has worked in your life over the past year.May your Christmas be full of cheer, and may the coming year be filled with blessings and joy!“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11