What is your favorite Christmas song? Perhaps I should ask what is your favorite Christmas “religious” song and “secular” song. In some philosophical way, all the songs might be considered religious one way or the other. So, let’s just keep it simple…what is your favorite Christmas song? The one that when you hear it you always stop to listen; you know some if not most of the words; and it always makes you feel good. One of my favorite Christmas songs was banned from many radio stations. Can you guess which song and why it is banned?
Here is a second question: What is your favorite Christmas tradition? You do it every year… almost every year; you may have started the tradition or it might have been passed down to you. I would be interested in knowing. In fact, if you attend the Christmas Day worship service this Sunday, December 25, I will be asking those two questions. I have several traditions that I love. One of them is placing the “spikes” in a very inconspicuous place on the Christmas tree. I know these are not exactly like the spikes used to crucify Jesus, but they are a pretty good reminder. In the middle of all the other whimsical and family decorations, there are two reminders of why Jesus was born. He was born to die.
If we have the time and opportunity, I would love to hear from some of our church family about your favorite Christmas songs and your favorite Christmas traditions.
If we have children at the Christmas Day service, we have a little surprise for them. I will read the Christmas Story and give each of them a gift from Bethlehem.
By the way, just a reminder that we will have a nursery available for Christmas Eve worship services at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. The nursery will be open for preschoolers from birth to 5 years of age. The 4:00 PM hostess will be Mary Braxton and her Christmas Crew. The 6:00 PM hostess will be Brook Brewer and her Merry Elves.
The Christmas Eve Worship is always beautiful. How could it not be? We read the Christmas Story, sing the old familiar Christmas Carols, Celebrate Communion, have a Candle Lighting Ceremony and this year will continue the JIBC tradition of baptizing by candlelight (only at the 4:00 service). Spoiler alert…we are on schedule to baptize two of my grandchildren! Yeah, a good thing we are in the water…I will probably be crying a bucket load of tears of joy to add to the baptismal pool! Call the church office if you want to be baptized on Christmas Eve. We would love to have you join us.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Pastor Tom
