Merry Christmas, to all who are preparing for this wonderous Christian Holiday! The Christmas Tree above tells the scriptural story from Luke’s gospel (2:1-7). Many of us have a tree in our homes to prepare us for the birth and resurrection of Jesus. I will not debate the use of live or artificial trees because we have both in our house, but rather let us ponder the meaning that is behind it. The evergreen branches or needles are a sign of immortality or the everlasting life we have through our baptism and because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Often times we place a sparkling star on top to represent the star the rose over Bethlehem to signify Christ’s birth or an angel because it was an angel that heralded Christ’s birth. Adding lights to the tree can signify the light of God’s Spirit in our lives. We may put all sorts of ornaments on the tree, but some of our household favorites are Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, angels, and scenes of Bethlehem and the nativity. Finally, underneath we share gifts or presents, they remind us of the gift that God gives us, Jesus, God’s Son. This is the greatest gift given and I trust you give great gifts of love to God, your relatives, and the world not just for Christmas but every day!
At CtK we have many trees to create a festive and meaningful atmosphere of God’s presence in our worship. On Christmas Eve Day we will continue our Advent Theme of Christ’s “Holy Disruption” that will cause us to ‘Rejoice’ in our time of worship. I hope your Christmas celebration will include a time of worship with your family and friends. We have three times planned throughout the day (9:15am, 3pm & 5pm) filled with special music, holy communion, and singing some of the great carols of the season! I look forward to seeing you and seeing God’s love come to life!
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Nate
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