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Written by Margot Wallace from the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

One important feature of our holiday celebration took place on Christmas Eve when together we dressed up our carefully selected, perfectly shaped tree in complete joy and gratitude for the oxygen it provided all year!  With friends and neighbors, this ritual was accompanied by caroling, laughter, mince-meat pie, and, homemade ice cream, followed by attending Church service. This special tree-in-a-pot was planted in the yard shortly after the New Year. This image of the twisted branch belongs to the rarest pine in the USA, native to our coastline, notoriously hardy, sitting atop the ocean’s bluff, subject to all atmospheric conditions. Without the generous branches of Torrey Pine trees, we would have little shade from the Southern California sun; birds and other animals would be hard-pressed to find such solace from their predators. Their perky needles point to heaven, full of the hope that Christmas promises. Its’ spirit reminds me of “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer, which I memorized some time ago:

“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree;

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear a nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain, who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree!”

Painted by Margot Wallace

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 2:19-20

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

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Written by Christine Hecker, Director of Student Ministries at the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

When we were children, our father always set up the most adorable little Christmas Village every year. He would tell us stories of the villagers – where they were going; what they were doing; who was down on their luck and in need…each year the stories changed.

That tradition has continued as my siblings and I set up our own Christmas Villages each year and tell stories of the miniature people residing in their quaint cottages to our children. It is our hope to pass down our dearly collected villages to them and that the tradition will continue from generation to generation. As I look forward to setting up the Village this year with my now ‘young adult’ kids, I am reminded how fortunate I am to be a part of Village Church. We’re a Church that is very aware that there are many needs in our San Diego communities, and across the globe, and we work diligently to meet those needs with the gifts God has given us – time, talents, and treasures, at Christmas and throughout the year. 

SCRIPTURE:

Colossians 3:16

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

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Written by Irene Dickson from the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

When we lived in the Chicago suburbs we attended an old Presbyterian Church with a small congregation. Our daughter, Helen, attended Sunday School. In class, the children were asked to draw pictures about what Christmas meant to them. The artwork would be included in a visual presentation at the Family Service on Christmas Eve. Helen loved to draw and we were not surprised to see her ‘masterpiece’ included. But her drawings kept on appearing, and we were a little bit embarrassed as they were all variations of the same thing…. A heart and the word ‘love’. When we commented to the Pastor later that our daughter was an enthusiastic artist, but we wished she had included more
“meaningful” depictions of the Christmas season…. Perhaps the nativity scene, an angel, a Christmas tree, even a snowman.  “Ah,” said the Pastor, “we included so many of Helen’s pictures because not only was she joyful in her creativity but her drawings represent exactly what the birth of Jesus means ….. Love.”

SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 1:23

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

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Written by a student from the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

We do the white elephant game.  We get a bunch of funny gifts and put them in bags and boxes and wrap them. We draw cards and whoever gets #1 goes first. They pick a gift, unwrap it, and hold on to it. The second person choses either to steal #1’s gift or pick a new one. The game goes on until all the gifts are gone.

SCRIPTURE:

Romans 12:10

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

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Written by Alan Goodman from the Village Church

MEDITATION:

I spent my early childhoodin the greater London area all through World War II. Death and destruction were all around me even as a child. I hardly saw my parents since both were pressured by the British Government to support the war effort. I loved to read even at an early age, and I was used to being on my own a lot during my early growing up years. With little money and severe food rationing, my parents did something that has stuck with me to this day.

 I only had ONE yearly present during the war years and that was on my birthday (December 17) which was a combined birthday and Christmas present. They bought me a “William” Children’s book by Richmal Crompton who created a whole series about “William”.  “William” was a boy slightly older than me who, with friends, supported the war effort, played Robin Hood and pirates with his friends, etc.  With my boyhood friends, we would emulate “William” and be in a different time and space than the daily carnage of

war around us. I used to be angry that I only had one birthday present combined with my Christmas present, but I realize now that this was one of the most loving things my Mom and Dad did for me in my early years. They loved me and made a huge sacrifice to buy me a “William” book. In my later years, God has made me very aware that these simple books to a child were indeed absolutely precious and expressed that love.

SCRIPTURE:

Corinthians 9:15

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

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Written by Arthur J. Schoonveld, a contemporary minister and writer.

MEDITATION:

Every Christmas season for the past several years we have had the privilege of watching our grandchildren open their Christmas gifts. It has become a family tradition. Each year it’s a delight to see their anticipation as they tear wrapping paper away and then see a gift they wanted but had not expected.  Whatever gifts we give each other, none comes close to the gift God gave us on the first Christmas Day some 2,000 years ago—the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus. It’s a gift too wonderful for words. God’s gift to us is the costliest gift ever. It’s the gift not only of the birth but also of the death of his Son, our Lord Jesus. It’s a gift we don’t own, because we belong to him, and we can’t keep this gift for ourselves. Most important, Jesus is the gift that each one of us needs desperately. Without him, there is no hope, no life, no future. God’s gift to us on that first Christmas calls us to celebrate and worship. Make sure to come and worship Christ the Lord today. Accept God’s gift and receive him as your Lord and Savior. Invite someone who does not know about this gift to come with you. And as you celebrate, ask the Lord for open doors to share this gift in days to come.

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 2:14

“ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

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MEDITATION:

When asked about their favorite Christmas traditions, some of the youth at the Village Church said the following:

“My favorite Christmas tradition is opening up a present on Christmas eve and always knowing it is pajamas!” 

“We have a tradition every year to pick an event for everyone to do. My sister and I normally pick baking. There are about 15 people doing it!”  Stella Ethridge (5^th Grade)

“One of my Christmas traditions is cuddling by the fire and reading the “Night Before Christmas” and “Santa is Coming to San Diego.”  When it is Christmas, we block off the stairs until it is time to open presents.”  Taylor Randall (6^th grade)

“My favorite Christmas tradition is putting ornaments on the tree because my family comes together, and we all share our ideas.” 

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 1:14

“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Susan Smart, a Christian educator and writer.

Christmas traditions have played an important part in our family holidays to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ. Family traditions can bring lasting bonds within a family too. These in turn can be passed along through the generations and give children as well as adults special memories and a sense of roots and belonging.  We may consider the Christmas tradition of reading the Christmas story a given, but after hearing others talk, it often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of opening gifts and preparing a big meal. Take time this Christmas to sit down with your family either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to read the story of the first Christmas in the Bible. When our children were little, we would have them add the individual pieces to our Nativity set as we read the story. As they have gotten older, we no longer put our wrapped gifts under the tree. Instead, we set up our Nativity set under our Christmas tree to represent God’s greatest gift – Jesus! Setting up a Nativity set is a wonderful family tradition in itself! Still another family tradition we have is that the kids may open one single gift early on Christmas Eve. As they do we emphasize that God has given us the single greatest gift that was ever given in His Son, Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 2:16-17

“ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Laura Metzger from the Village Church.

Putting up the Christmas tree is a special activity in our home, as it is a way to display our lifelong collection of Christmas ornaments.  We have ornaments from our childhood that have been on our Christmas trees for as long as we can remember, as well as many ornaments that tell the story of our own family. Each year on the day after Thanksgiving it was a tradition when our children were growing up that they would make craft ornaments – those still go up on the tree every year!  And I have ornaments that the children made in pre-school and elementary school, which often included pictures of them from those early years!  There are ornaments that reflect what was special in our family life over the years, such as sports, band, hobbies, school, and jobs. We also buy Christmas tree ornaments as travel souvenirs, which are really fun to review each year! We have ornaments that were hand-crafted by the ladies in my mom’s “girls club,” who met regularly for over 50 years.  I remember those special groups of ladies as I put their handicrafts on the tree.  We also have ornaments that reflect the traditional Christian symbols of Christmas, such as stars, angels, nativities, and wise men. And there is a Santa collection that began with a small ceramic Santa that was on my birthday cake when I was a young girl.  As my children are now adults, I’ve passed some of the ornaments on to them, and have new ornaments with memories of my grandchildren. And I buy each grandchild a Christmas ornament each year for their tree. I love putting the ornaments on the tree, remembering and retelling the stories behind them. It’s a great way to remember the gospel story of Christmas.  Our Christmas tree is special because it is filled with a lifetime of people and events that have been important in the life of our family. I’m in the process of writing up those memories so the children and grandchildren can continue to tell some of these stories to the next generations!

SCRIPTURE:

Deuteronomy 32:7

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Christopher Hunt, a contemporary author and ministry leader.

For a middle-aged man, I possess an excellent long-term memory. I might not remember where I put my keys this morning, but I can recall with vivid clarity Christmas Eve, when I was just three years old, tearing the wrapping paper off a box that was bigger than me to reveal the Fisher Price “Little People” Airport. To this day I remember that magical moment down to the smells and feels. I also remember knowing, even at that tender age (and as one who had already wholly subscribed to the tradition of gift receiving) that Christmas was really about the birth of Jesus.

Decades later I find myself battling to keep at the forefront what I knew then deep down in my little heart: that the greatest present of all is Christ. It’s as if the busyness, buying, giving, and getting of the Christmas season conspire to drown out that particular truth. Perhaps they do. Yet, on Christmas morning I want to remember and cherish that Christ is God’s ultimate gift to his people and creation. More than that, I want my children to remember the magnificence of what God has done. 

How much more will we savor the time spent with family, the eating, and the giving (and receiving) when our hearts hold fast to the gift of a Savior? This Christmas morning, my family will bask in the goodness of God’s great gift by sharing a simple devotion. I might not make the children wait to open gifts, but at some appropriate moment, I will gently draw in everyone’s attention and share a brief reflection. In whatever way you choose to celebrate the coming of our Savior, may you and your family have a truly memorable Christmas.

SCRIPTURE:

John 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

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