Why Christmas Eve is So Important!

Dear Crosswalkers,

According to recent reports, Toys “R” Us wants to take over Christmas!  Well, maybe not replace Jesus or anything crazy like that, but according to USA Today they do plan to “invade the mall this holiday season, opening 600 ‘Express’ stores in malls and other shopping centers around the country, more than six times last year’s count, and hiring 10,000 seasonal workers.” CEO Gerald Storch said, “We’ve been very aggressive during the economic downturn, and this is another aggressive action.”

Consumerism is by nature aggressive.  How aggressive should the church of Jesus be in sharing good news at Christmas?

Here’s something to think about:  There are really two big Christian holidays:  Easter and Christmas.  Easter always falls on a Sunday.  Christmas has never been Sunday-specific.  Following a tradition that goes back to the Puritans, Christmas is only celebrated on Sunday when the calendar dictates it.  But Evangelical churches have by tradition and practice chosen Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Christ.

One writer put it like this: “Christmas Eve services are a last bastion against the rampant materialism and secularism that threatens to overwhelm the true meaning of the season, keeping the birth of Christ in the center of our hearts and celebrations.”

Given these cultural realities, it is imperative for us to prioritize keeping Christ in Christmas and worshiping the Lord on Christmas Eve.  It is a way for us to leverage the positive pull of the season to glorify the Lord.  That’s why we make invitation cards for our Christmas Eve service.  Would you please invite friends and family to join you in church on Christmas Eve?  You can trust it will be a lovely and elegant service, and the gospel will be presented in a compelling manner.  The service will be on Friday evening, December 24, at 5:00 p.m.   We will conclude within an hour.  See you there!

Here is a lovely Christmas prayer I found, written by an anonymous believer from the 10th century:

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are our eternal salvation,

The unfailing light of the world.

Light everlasting,

You are truly our redemption.

Grieving that the human race was perishing through the tempter’s power,
without leaving the heights You came to the depths in your loving kindness.

Readily taking our humanity by Your gracious will,
You saved all earthly creatures, long since lost,

Restoring joy to the world.

Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ,
and so possess us as Your shining dwellings.

By Your first coming, make us righteous;
At your second coming, set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light
and you judge all things,
We may be clad in Your spotless robes
and follow in Your steps, O King,
into the heavenly hall.

May God possess us as his shining dwellings!!!

Merry Christmas!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie