In case for some reason you were living under a rock and haven't looked at your calendar yet, Christmas indeed falls on a Sunday this year (might sound silly, but really, folks, this time of year, it's perfectly normal to forget which day it is....I do it all the time.) In our time now, we don't normally have a Christmas Day worship service, so when Christmas falls on a Sunday, Christmas worship in the morning falls smack dab in the middle of planned events. Unity will be offering one worship service at 10:00 am on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Every house is different on Christmas, but when I was a little girl, 10:00 am was our traditional Christmas brunch time. As a teenager, sometimes we would be unwrapping presents at 10:00, although sometimes we would still be sleeping. And as an adult, 10:00 is when I start preparing food items and either packing for a trip to someone's home or preparing my home for guests. Perhaps you are traveling or perhaps Christmas is the only day you have off. Perhaps you or someone in your home is ill (strep anyone?) and would like to keep your germs at home. Perhaps you come to the 11:00 pm worship on Christmas Eve and can't manage to get back at 10:00 am the next day. As a pastor, let me say that I know worship will be meaningful and fellowship will be friendly on Christmas morning at Unity Presbyterian Church, and if you can come, do come, and be renewed by this rich worship experience. As a fellow human being, let me say that I empathize with the Christmas morning chaos, and I myself will be cleaning my house, rolling fresh gnocchi, and whipping gallons of cream in anticipation of my family coming into town, and I will not be in worship on Sunday.
I often explain that my goal with the youth is not for each teenager to have perfect youth group and Sunday School attendance (although we love to have you as often as you can), but that when they leave the doors of this church, they live as followers of Jesus Christ in all their busy lives filled with rehearsal, matches, meets, tests, jobs, and friendships. Faith is not limited to what is felt within the walls of Unity Presbyterian Church; rather Unity Presbyterian Church ought to inspire faithful lives.
The same is true for Christmas Day: even if you are unable to attend a worship service on Christmas morning, you can still faithfully follow Jesus Christ throughout your day, individually and as a family. For my blog today, here is a list of ideas I have for worshiping God individually and as a family on Christmas Day:
#10: Grateful Hearts, Grateful Hands
When I was growing up, we saw a lot of Christmases: ones with a ton of gifts, ones with only a few gifts; ones when family all came together, ones when family were far apart, ill, or disgruntled; ones when the food filled you to burst, ones when the ham was dry or the turkey was overcooked. I've known Christmases when the list to Santa Claus was first and foremost in my brain and others when I was more excited to bake Jesus's birthday cake. I've seen my share of white Christmases and icy Christmases and hot Christmases and brown muddy gray Christmases. What I learned every year, however, was that Christmas was a time to be grateful for whatever it was that happened that year. The year that I had the stomach flu, I was grateful for my Wallflowers CD and new CD player that kept me company while I laid in bed. One year, the only gift I received from my parents was a professional wooden clarinet, and I was grateful for the sound it produced and the way it felt and smelled in my hands. On years when the snow drifted up to my knees, I was thankful for snow to play in and safe travels for my relatives. I was always thankful that my Dad was always off of work and home to cook on Christmas Day.
As you go through the day, you might challenge yourself or your family to say a prayer of thanks for each thing they notice to be grateful for this year. Here's a sample prayer:
For these gifts, Lord Jesus, we are thankful.
#9: Birthday Cake for Jesus - not just for kids...
When I was a little girl, my mom and grandmother would help me bake a cake for Jesus after breakfast on Christmas Day. The cake would be our dessert, and we would say a prayer as a family before we ate it. I can remember in my pre-teen years when playing with the newest video game console held more excitement than baking in the kitchen, I wanted to just buy a box cake mix and use plain icing, no words or designs. After all, as I said, I don't think Jesus would mind or care and he's not here to eat it. My mom wouldn't hear of it, saying that we give Jesus our very best because he is the very best.
From that day onward, I would spend hours, some years even weeks, finding a perfect difficult recipe for Jesus' birthday cakes: We had dark chocolate mint brownies once and a lemon pound cake another time; carrot cake and pecan cake and coconut cake...the list continues.As a teenager, it was a challenge for me to find a recipe and bake it on Christmas Day; I wanted to beat my skills from last year.
So perhaps this year, when your family gathers for dessert, you can dub it Jesus' birthday cake, the very best to give for the very best who came, and say a prayer of thanks to Jesus. It may seem a little cheesy, but it forced me and my family to remember why we had gathered in the first place. Here's a prayer for Jesus' birthday celebration:
For the gift of God with us, Emmanuel, God in the flesh, born this day through Jesus the Christ child, we give you our thanks and praise. Amen.
For the gift of God with us, Emmanuel, God in the flesh, born this day through Jesus the Christ child, we give you our thanks and praise. Amen.
#8: For Over-Achievers and Lovers of Liturgy
I have on many occasions blogged and spoken about my love for tradition and liturgy. Good liturgy and traditional words connect us to the communion of saints, the followers of Jesus in every time and place. When I recite liturgy on Sunday morning, I connect by the power of the Holy Spirit, with my brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues in churches throughout the country and even the world. I connect with my deceased Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Schwartz and spiritual mentors of every age: Karl Barth, St. Augustine, and Joan of Arc. We become one with a great chorus of believers in every time and place who give worship and glory to our God. If you crave this connective experience, here are two Christmas Litany's that come from the Book of Common Worship and have been recited in many times and many ways
Litany A
The Word was made flesh.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
and dwelt among us,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Jesus, Son of the living God, splendor of the Father, Light eternal:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, King of glory, Sun of righteousness, born of the Virgin Mary:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Lord:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, Prince of Peace, Shepherd of souls, perfect in holiness:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, Friend of all, protector of the poor, Treasure of the faithful:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, Good Shepherd, inexhaustible Wisdom, our Way, our Truth, and our Life:
Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus, joy of the angels, and crown of all the saints:
Glory to you, O Lord!
This Litany would be a great one to do with the whole family, having one member read the non-bolded parts and the rest of the family respond with the exclamations in bold.
For a more serious, contemplative approach, try this:
Litany B
All the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God. Alleluia!
Shout to the Lord, all the earth. Alleluia!
O Christ, splendor of God's eternal glory,
the mighty Word, sustaining the universe:
Renew our lives by your presence.
Lord have mercy.
O Christ, born into the world in the fullness of time
for the liberation of all creation:
Release all into your promised freedom.
Lord have mercy.
O Christ, begotten of the Father before all time,
born in a stable at Bethlehem:
May your church be a sign of hope and joy.
Lord have mercy.
O Christ, truly God and truly human,
born to a people in fulfillment of their expectations:
Fulfill our desires in you.
Lord have mercy.
O Christ, born of the Virgin Mary,
child of wonder and splendor,
mighty God of all ages, Prince of Peace:
May the whole world live in peace and justice.
Lord have mercy.
#7: For Children as they open gifts
I can remember being in middle school and right after Christmas morning, I'd get a phone call from my friends and we'd discuss what we received. I can remember kids saying things like "My parents really skipped out this year" or "I didn't really get everything I wanted." An attitude of gratitude is not "cool" or easy to come by in the holiday season, especially when our children grow accustomed to a Christmas morning that looks and feels a lot like a shark feeding frenzy only with children and gifts.
Families have lots of ways of dealing with this, and I applaud each of your efforts to give your children a fun, exciting, and happy Christmas as well as a grateful one. Here are two prayers, one for children and one for parents that might help with the thankfulness factor during the feeding frenzy:
For Children
Lord Jesus, wise men traveled for miles to bring you the first Christmas presents. So may we too remember with thankful hearts the love that comes with each present we open. We also thank you for the amazing love you have for each of us, and we thank you for the many gifts you give to us. Amen.
For Moms and Dads, Grammy's and Grampy's
Let me just for a moment, Lord, hold this time in my heart. It is about mysteries and gratitude, unknowing and wrong sizes, snippets of ribbon and screams of delight. Help me to remember the immense love you have for each of us in this room. With each gift that is opened, no matter how perfect or not, let me feel again the many ways that you gift us each day, especially with your presence in our hearts and the presence of each other in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
#6: A full on Devotion
Perhaps you'd like to really feel like you've gone through a Presbyterian worship service? Here's an example order of worship you can use to worship together as a familiy.
Prayer of Invocation
O Almighty God, who by the birth of your holy child Jesus has given us a great light to dawn upon our darkness: Grant, we pray, that in this light, we may see light. Bestow upon us, we beseech you, that most excellent Christmas gift of charity to all, so that the likeness of your Son may be formed in us, and that we may have the ever brightening hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old Testament Reading
Psalm 97
New Testament Reading
John 1.1-14
Meditation
What words from these scriptures stand out to you today?
Why does the birth of Christ have continued significance today, in 2016?
What is one thing I can do today to show my love for Jesus?
Hymn: O Come All Ye Faithful
Offering
We have received many gifts today. As followers of Jesus, we commend our gifts to God for God's use. Let us reflect on how we might use some of our gifts, both physical and spiritual, to give God glory and honor this day and every day.
Hymn: Joy to the World
Benediction:
So go now, and "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord." (Psalm 98)
And may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord's face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord's countenance lift up toward you and give you peace, now and forever. Amen.
#5: A good old fashioned Hymn-Sing
I'm sure I'm not the only one who sort of secretly wishes we could gather around the family piano and look like this so-called perfect family on Christmas morning. Reality is more like this:
And I kind of am grateful for that. Maybe this year, you get out the carol books and give it a 15 minute try. Whether you sound like bleating goats or the von Trapp family, or whether you end with tears of joy or tears of laughter or even tears from argument, Psalm 98 today calls us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, and if we are trying, that's all the counts.
#4: For those of us who ain't so merry
While Christmas is a time for joy, peace, love, and hope, it also represents a time of challenge, mourning, and grief for many of us. Last night marks the longest night, and with today the winter solstice, comes longer days and more sunshine, something for which we all desperately yearn. Perhaps the holidays are markers of those who are no longer with us or family rifts that seem to never be solved. Perhaps we are alone this year or we have to work or worse, we have to work in retail. Perhaps a loved one is sick or in the hospital. When the dark of night seems to overwhelm us, the bright light of Jesus on Christmas morning can feel too bright, too joyful, too cheerful, and we feel guilt and pressure for feeling as glum as we do. Christmas Eve is always bittersweet for me, as the funeral for my Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Schwartz was on Christmas Eve. I miss her every day, and though I know she has joined the Church Triumphant, I would give anything for her advice, her smile, and her warm presence.
Here's a prayer for some sad times:
Mighty God,
You rise with healing in your wings,
to scatter all enemies that assault us.
As we wait in hope for the coming of that day,
when crying and pain shall be no more,
help us by your Holy Spirit
to receive your power into our lives
and to trust in your eternal love,
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
God with us, Emmanuel,
Light of the world, born this very day.
Amen.
#3: Not-so-Childish prayer for the family
I have confidence that teenagers will find all of these prayers incredibly boring and just absolutely childish and totally unnecessary. To parents, I say, this is totally normal and you shouldn't feel sad or guilty or worried. Even the most faithful of kids is learning to be themselves by disagreeing with mom and dad. From time to time, teenagers even agree with what you're saying but will argue with you just to prove that their opinions didn't come from you. Don't worry, don't give up, don't feel alone. This is all extremely normal.
That said, here's a prayer that probably won't be any MORE interesting for your youth, but has words that they might secretly muse over or think about if you put this on their radar. We plant seeds and trust that God's Holy Spirit is watering them over time.
Lord God,
Today, may we not only unwrap presents,
But may we discover more of your love.
Today, may we not only eat of festive food,
but may we feast on your faith.
Today, may we not only cherish happy times with family and friends,
But may we invite you into our lives.
Today, may we not only sing carols that celebrate your birth,
But may we dwell upon the resurrected Christ, alive in this moment.
Living Lord, we long to discover your love, to feast on your truth, to invite you into our lives, and to thank you for your sacrifice. Amidst the family, food, and presents, we long to celebrate Christmas with you.
Amen.
#2: An act of Kindness
There's this commercial for Publix that was on last year and I've seen again this year, where the little boy invites his dear elderly neighbor to Christmas dinner, and the mom is just so touched (You can fill in the blank: "Oh my son, what a wonderful boy! What a surprise! I'm beaming with pride!").
Let's be perfectly honest, I blubber like a babbling brook every time I watch this commercial. Let's be even more honest, sometimes I watch it again online so I can blubber even more.
There's an element to this commercial that reminds us of the charity and gift-giving that is associated with Christmas. We know the Salvation Army buckets and Mr. Scrooge buying the prize turkey and even the kind act of leaving a cookie for a tired Mr. Santa Claus as he delivers gifts. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves for our charity to be magnanimous, for our generosity to be enough to inspire Mrs. Lindsay to cry, for our gift giving to be inspirational, selfless and meaningful. I think we are putting too much pressure on ourselves. Jesus gives the ultimate gift of God in flesh appearing...in the most simple, humble way possible: by being born as a vulnerable, helpless child in a dirty stable in the middle of Nowheresville. All of our small acts of kindness and generosity contribute to the spirit of Christmas. Perhaps as a family, there might be a time to list the acts we've done or that have been done for us. And let's be honest, Mrs. Lindsay will cry at all of them anyway, so goal achieved.
#1: Being Present, being you
Sometimes I can lose myself in Christmas. There are 100 presents to buy, 600 cookies to bake, 5 {feels like million} rooms and toilets to clean, relatives to see, miles to travel, Christmas specials to see, people to greet...the list goes on and on. It's not uncommon to find ourselves at the end of Christmas Day cleaning the dishes and tossing the last of the wrapping paper feeling a bit like we've missed it, sensing that the day spun past us in a whirlwind of chaos.
The easiest thing we can do to prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of the Christ child on Christmas Day is to commit to ourselves that we will be present, we will be ourselves, and we will treasure the gift of holidays with family and friends. Here's a prayer for you:
Almighty God, you got this.
Teach me not to worry about the small things,
but to seek the things that matter.
Empower me not to dwell on imperfections,
but to linger in memories of joy.
Forgive me of my wayward mind and frantic spirit,
and give me peace and serenity this holiday season.
Focus my soul on your love, your peace,
your hope, and your joy this Christmas and every day.
Amen.
A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, from this crazy Rev. May you know and experience the love and peace of Christ this year and feel connected to the communion of saints who join their voices over every time and place to give glory and honor to Almighty God.
