One of the traditions I have at Christmas is one that I have gained within the last 10 years, that is the tradition of a Christmas Eve service. In the church I am currently in, and the one I previously served in, the Christmas Eve service was a family service. As a Children’s Pastor I absolutely believe in age specific classes for children on a regular basis, but there is something so special about families worshipping together on Christmas Eve. Just tonight I attended the Christmas Eve service at Liberty and I was reminded again how wonderful it is to have multiple generations of families celebrating the miracle of Christmas together. At first sight you would see a dimly lit, packed sanctuary. You would hear the rustling of people and the cries and talking of children. These things may seem like a distraction or even seem to take away from the “atmosphere” of the holiday. But to me it just makes it even more Christmas Eve. You see we know from the account in Luke 2 that Bethlehem was very crowded. In fact it was so crowded that Mary and Joseph could not find any room in an inn. The light wasn’t good and so the young couple was trying to find their way around the stable to the best that they could. I can imagine Joseph trying to make it seem more like a room for his young bride who was soon to deliver her son.
Because Joseph and Mary were in a stable, in a crowded town, we can be pretty sure that things were far from quiet. There were probably babies crying out, overheard conversations, and even the animals making noise. It was far from a silent night, and definitely not as put together as a pretty nativity scene that we all observe each year. So hearing babies crying out or squeezing in a little closer than normal in a pew just reminds me of that miracle that happened so many years ago. The miracle of God coming to earth as a helpless baby in a less than perfect situation in a world with "no room" for Him. May these Christmas Eve services always remind me of the simple beginnings of Christmas and not allow me to get caught up in the elaborate celebrations.
It is because of this that Christmas Eve services are one of my favorite traditions at Christmas time. If you have never experienced this type of worship I would encourage you to find a church that does it. I have been blessed to serve in two churches that believe in worshipping as a family on Christmas Eve and it is something that has become very important to me.
Thankfully Growing at the Grove!
Miss Megan
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