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Written by Nanci Hoffman from the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

I asked my daughter Tami, who now lives in the U.S. if she were asked to write something for a Christmas memory, what would it be?  Without hesitation, she said it would be about the Christmases we shared with our church in Tokyo many years ago. It was in the 70s and 80s when we attended the Tokyo Baptist church in Shibuya, Tokyo. I think the total attendance on a Sunday morning was about 100 to 150. Many of the congregants were young, new, Japanese Christians, the only Christians in their traditionally Shinto or Buddhist families. Some congregants were expats mainly from the U.S. or Britain, doing business in Tokyo with their families. The Staff of the church were missionaries mainly from Texas. Because we had what would have been considered over there a large home, we often opened it up to the church for Bible Studies and other activities. The happiest of all was when annually we invited the whole church by an invitation in the Sunday bulletin to our home for a Christmas Carol sing and fellowship. The church organist, Darrell Mock, would play my piano, and probably 60 to 70 of our church friends would sing around the Christmas tree, many sitting on the floor, all crowded together. We would sing from the little books of lyrics I typed up. Darrell would play some special music for us. Then we would share in the goodies that everyone brought. It was glorious. It is one of those memories that when brought to mind fill our bodies and souls with light, laughter, lightness and such thankfulness, as times with friends, music, good fellowship, and praise to our Lord evoke. Thank you, Tami, for bringing this memory to us again.

SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 145:18

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

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Written by Judy Walters from the Village Church.

MEDITATION:

In 2022, the doorbell rings on Christmas Eve and we expect it to be Amazon with a last-minute gift.  Or Uncle Joe dressed as Santa Claus to surprise our grandchildren.  Back in the day, circa 1945, we had a different, but traditional visitor every year on Christmas Eve.  A doorbell ring or a knock on the door, and our special visitor arrived by taxi after traveling by train from New York City to Washington DC. Not Santa, however, she may as well have been. Anne Walters, my Godmother, was adored by all our family.  Although we weren’t blood relatives, we were related in our hearts.  Anne delighted my three sisters and I with some of the latest Christmas tree decorations and delicious candies from Macy’s Department Store on 5th Avenue.  Soon after she arrived, Anne donned an apron, becoming “Hazel” just like Ted Key’s cartoon housemaid character from The Saturday Evening Post magazine. Entertaining us by telling jokes in her New York accent, she vacuumed, washed dishes, and cooked alongside my mother. She was a great help to our family.

Anne first met my parents at First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan where they became friends and members.  Not only that, but she also worked for the Doctor who delivered me. When I was baptized, Anne became my Godmother.  She took her commitment seriously by always writing to me and taking a real interest in my young life.  Even though I drifted in my Christian walk, I knew that she was praying for me and eventually I came to know the Lord.  I’ll never forget her twinkling blue eyes, her kind and generous spirit.  She infused laughter, love, and joy in our home every Christmas.  There was no better gift than Anne!

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 2:15

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

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Written by Ace Collins. This is an excerpt from his book “Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas.

MEDITATION:

The Nutcracker Ballet is perhaps the most unique Christmas tradition. Considering that this ballet was adapted from a morbid story written for adults, brought to the theater by a famous composer who had great reservations about the project’s merit and especially about its Christmas setting, and originally staged by students and opening to bad reviews, one would think the ballet would have been doomed to obscurity, lost in the maze of other failed holiday theatrical productions. But The Nutcracker survived, somehow hanging on to life in communist Russia and finally finding a magical platform in a place that rarely embraced classical culture – Cold War-era United States…Each year more than 200 American ballet companies pack theaters from coast to coast with their versions of The Nutcracker. The ballet creates the same kind of results in Europe and Asia. The Nutcracker does not embrace the scriptural story of the first Christmas. It is simply classic fantasy told in a childlike fashion., But in important ways, the Nutcracker accomplishes what the holidays are supposed to accomplish: it brings family and friends together to share in the wonder, joy, and magic of the season. Just like the bright-eyed expressions of 12^th century children as their fathers cracked nuts at Christmas, the looks of wonder in children’s eyes as they watch or participate in a much different holiday Nutcracker prove that the spirit of Christmas can be reborn in a wide variety of ways around the world each year. And that spirit is something worth celebrating.

SCRIPTURE:

James 1:17

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

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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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