After some fun in church talking about Christians using the world “Christmas” as opposed to the word “holiday,” someone reminded me that the word holiday comes from the notion of “Holy Day,” a special religious day. Certainly Christmas is that. That got me to thinking that when someone wishes me a happy holiday, a good response might be, “You have a blessed Holy Day too!”
Christmas is a Holy Day! It’s a special time of celebrating the incarnation, the coming of God to us in the flesh in Jesus Christ. This is Good News!
[Jesus Christ] who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human being,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:6-11
As a church we will celebrate this Holy Day with several special events leading up to Christmas and on Christmas Eve with three special candlelight services. The 5 PM service is geared toward children and will be led by the contemporary team. The 7:30 PM service is our traditional service with the choir. The 11 PM service will include communion and be led by people from all three of our Sunday services. I encourage you to make attending worship with your family and friends a priority over all the other expectations that are put on us at Christmas. Gatherings with family and friends are an important part of the season, but worshiping Christ is what it is all about. As Mike Slaughter says, “It’s not your birthday!” (Okay, there are some who are born on December 25, but that’s not the point.) Putting Christ first in all of our Christmas activities, gatherings, and preparations and worshiping on Christmas Eve will help us have a truly blessed Holy Day.
Tom and I pray that you will have a blessed Holy Day and that Christ will be born anew in you and yours this Christmas!
In Christ’s love,
