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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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MEDITATION:

Written by Vickie Stone from the Village Church.

One of my most cherished Christmas memories is from my childhood in Ohio. It was a big adventure when my parents loaded my brother and two sisters in the station wagon to head to the hills of Granville, Ohio to the Timbuk tree farm to select the perfect tree. Back then, a drive from our family home in Columbus was like a trip to Timbuktu. (I later learned that this is how the tree farm got its name; it was just shortened to Timbuk Farms.

 Our home had a family room, that today would be called a great room. So, we kids were especially excited knowing we could pick out a very tall tree since our room had a cathedral ceiling with vaulted A-frame beams. The search was on. The crisp snow on the ground, the pine scent in the air, and knowing my mom had packed thermoses of hot chocolate with marshmallows, to fight off the chill made our outing extra special.  Even our dog Sandy was tickled to come along. Eventually, we would narrow it down to our top few trees by hanging someone’s scarf to mark the tree thinking we’d forget where it was and not be able to find our way back. Dad always had the final decision though, bending over on the ground and looking at the trunk to see how straight it grew, knowing he’d have the challenge of making it stand up straight once we got it home.

Sometimes it feels like the heavenly Father takes the same approach as us. Watching us make our choices knowing if we partner with Him our life is easier to live true and tall. Once home it was fun to string popcorn and cranberries which Mom would help us kids with. And we’d bring home paper chains we made in school. The Christmas season is so full of anticipation, like that which Mary must have faced so many years ago, filled with wonder and trust as she awaited the birth of the world’s savior.

SCRIPTURE:

Isaiah 11:1

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Ruth Grendell from The Village Church.

About a week before Christmas each year, the ornaments are hung in their appropriate places on the living room tree. Many of them are those I have gathered from my health care mission trips to other countries.  Each one is associated with special memories that I can reflect upon during the holiday season.  In addition, there are a few of my mother’s vintage round glass globes. (Unfortunately, sometimes, I find a broken one, although it had been wrapped carefully in its box.)  I am very sad; however, the memory is not lost!     The smaller “stocking tree” in the family room is decorated with small ornaments and needle-point stockings including The Twelve Days of Christmas ones that are “almost finished!  A project to complete next year that could yield additional opportunities to reflect on future Christmas activities!   However, the most important beautiful ornaments on the cabinet shelf are the porcelain Nativity Figurines that Bob and I purchased several years ago. What a wonderful display to reflect each day on the true meaning of Christmas! These will be the first and the last ornaments that will be on display, until Epiphany as we anticipate the wonders of Advent. 

SCRIPTURE:

Isaiah 11:2

“the spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Kezi Thibodeau, a 9th-grade student from the Village Church.

My favorite Christmas tradition is putting the star on the tree after setting up all of our Christmas decorations. When I was younger, my two brothers and I would rotate the job of placing the star on the tree. Since we were all too short to reach the top of the tree, my dad would pick us up. He would lift us up to the tree and as a family, we would watch the Christmas season being in our family.

SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 2:9

“The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.”

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MEDITATION:

Written by Asheritah Ciuciu, a contemporary writer and speaker.

Because what you behold is what will take hold of you. We know this instinctively, but sometimes we can forget, especially during the busy Christmas season. The Bible tells us about the importance of this very principle. When Jesus first walked onto the scene, John the Baptist introduced Him by saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). John wanted people to stop what they were doing to gaze at Jesus…“Look,” John was saying. “See what’s in front of you.” Behold. means to see or observe, gaze at, or contemplate. We’re always beholding, even if we’re not aware of it. We behold the shiny purses and glittering things in storefronts, believing somehow, “This will make me happy.” We behold the number on the scale when holiday bites catch up with our waistline, groaning, “This will ruin me.” We behold the

Christmas family photo we posted, hoping to get more likes than her photo did, whispering, “This will validate me.” Behold. Look at the wrong things, and they determine your life’s direction. But … train your gaze on the right things, and they’ll transform your heart’s affections. Because when you stop to behold Jesus, His beauty and majesty will captivate you.  Jesus’ arrival and mission consumed John — it was all he ever talked about. John declared, “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34, ESV). Because what you behold is what will take hold of you. What things captivate us during the holiday season? We’re bombarded by shiny things screaming for our attention. Christmas catalogs. Black Friday “deals.” Pinterest-ready cookie platters. Swoon-worthy party dresses. These and so much more fill our newsfeeds, our to-do lists, our conversations. If we’re not careful, we can get so wrapped up in the external preparations for Christmas that we forget to unwrap the reality of Christmas. It’s Jesus. Behold. The Lamb of God. The One who came to take away the sins of the world that we may find forgiveness and eternal life with God. This Christmas pause to reflect: What’s taken a hold of you? Most likely, it’s the things you behold.  But take heart — it’s not too late to make a new tradition this holiday season, to take time each day to stop the holiday preparation frenzy and prepare your heart to celebrate Jesus. Behold Him. Gaze upon His beauty. Rest in His presence. And share with others the things you discover about Him. This Christmas season may we become [people] who behold Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

John 1:29

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

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