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5 ways to keep Christ the centre of Christmas
Ruth Clemence is back on our blog with useful ways we can keep Christ at the centre of our Christmas celebrations.
What is the best thing about Christmas?
A) Christmas dinner. B) Decorating the tree. C) Presents! D) Jesus Christ.
Wait. Where is the option to tick all of the above? I’ve also got answers E, F, G, H and the rest of the alphabet of why I love Christmas. Surely Jesus would understand how much I love celebrating his birth with festive food, colour-coordinated baubles and a nice bit of turkey, wouldn’t he? I know I am probably meant to answer ‘D’ but honestly, I cannot contain my excitement at the wonder and joy of the festive season. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
In all the preparations for Christmas it can seem even harder to make time for Jesus. We use busyness, tiredness and other excuses throughout the year for why we haven’t had time for God. Maybe we give him the leftovers rather than the first helpings of our Christmas feasting. I’m not writing this to evoke feelings of guilt, but to gently bring the focus back to Jesus. It’s a reminder that the Son of God, being in very nature God, made himself nothing; he was born into poor, humble circumstances - for us. He took on the nature of a servant; he came to serve not to be served - for us. This baby that we celebratre the birth of once a year deserves our all throughout the year.
Here are five ways to keep Christ at the centre of our celebrations and hopefully into the year ahead too:
1) Give thanks.
It’s that time of year when relatives and friends ask what we would like for Christmas. We are blessed with some great gifts and we thank those people who have kindly given us something.
How much more should we thank Jesus for entering our broken world to give us a new life in him. Even when Christmas is a difficult time, we can give thanks to God that he is always with us, cares for us and loves us immeasurably more than we could imagine.
2) Take time to be intentional with God.
If we have time to check our social media feed, grab a coffee, watch TV - we have time. Even if our busy schedule is so busy that we can’t do any of the above, then we need to reevaluate a little. Shift something further down the list. It might just transform our mind, heart and day if that time is crafted to spend intentional moments with Jesus.
3) Share good news of great joy.
Christmas is a brilliant time to tell other people about the hope that we have this time of year and every day. We can link the birth of Jesus to Easter - the baby does not stay in the manger but ends up on a cross, in a tomb and then alive three days later. If we are talking about Jesus to others with gentleness and respect, it is a great way to keep Him at the centre of the celebrations.
4) Reflect on the Christmas story afresh.
We know the story. Shepherds. Wise men. A star. Some gifts. Mary and Joseph. An angel. Has the familiar made us a little bored or lukewarm towards this wonderful news? Consider how this story fits into the wider biblical narrative. Dig a bit deeper. Ask questions of those familiar passages and come to the text as if never having read or heard it before. Try reading it aloud. Maybe listen to an audio version or watch a retelling of the story. Ask God to speak through these passages in a fresh way. The Bible is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) which can bring to life the most well-known stories with fresh wonder.
5) Remember that Christmas doesn’t stop on Boxing Day.
For many, Christmas comes but once a year. Then there is this strange time between the end of Christmas and the beginning of New Year. Christmas decorations come down. Christmas stock in the shops is reduced in price and the remnant of the joyful celebration seem to disappear. January begins, resolutions start and soon get forgotten and then begins the countdown to Christmas. The joyful news is that Jesus is with us every day and the hope that we celebrate at Christmas doesn’t disappear when the tree comes down. If anything can keep Christ at the centre of this season, it is the truth that Jesus is alive in his followers today and our hope for his return keeps us expectant all year.
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