Focusing on the Christ in Christmas

Continuing with our discussion on making more of the holidays, here are four simple ways we’ve tried to help to steer focus during this time on Christ. Don’t limit yourself to using (or dismissing) these, however! Create and tailor some that will suit your family!

(Older/Younger) Advent Candles. Popular in the liturgical world, this simple 5 ‘session’ format is a strategy to put the season of Advent (Christ’s coming to earth) in front of us for the entire month, not merely Dec. 24-25. We’ve used it the 4 Sundays (during dinner) & on Christmas Day in December.

It consists of a ring of 5 taper candles (of specific color to represent certain things) and one is lit each gathering as part of the emphasis for that week. Week One is preparing for Christ’s coming (Scripture & discussion are given). Week Two is anticipating His coming. The final week is worship & celebration. Interspersed in these readings is rich theology and teaching about Christ as well as emphasis and encouragement to direct our heart's focus to Christ.

There are published booklets which will script out for you the wording. We’ve modified this to our family over the years. The brief time we spend together in this way includes singing, Scripture & interactive readings (done by different family members.) Often it leads to discussion.

We’ve modified it to fit younger children (when our family was younger) and now are able to utilize it as we are all close to adulthood. (Caution: as with anything you choose to use, read through the content to verify you are comfortable with its contents.)

(Younger) Birthday party for Jesus. Used as an outreach (if you invite neighbors/friends) or simply a means of focusing on the One who was born, this cultural practice can be a fun & meaningful dinner theme or separate event. Incorporate ‘gifts’ from God (wrap small pkgs to be opened by the family) which specify all the blessings God bestowed because of the Incarnation (salvation, the Cross, forgiveness of Sins, power over sin, reality of Heaven, etc.) and discuss how these have impacted your own life/heart. Fit in your own family birthday traditions to this gathering. Don’t’ forget the birthday cake, candles & manger scene. How might you include the reality that some reject this birthday King/Savior?

(Younger) Christmas Books. Invest in a quality Christmas children’s book each year and bring them out every year to read again and again. Even in the ‘fun’ ones you read, emphasize Christ as the reason for the season. Perhaps right after supper or right before bed could be your ‘appointment’ time to keep every day in December to read with your child(ren). We often concluded with the reading of the Christmas story from Luke 2 on Christmas Day, acting out with our hardy manger scene the events as our children utilized the pieces.

Old/Young: Go Caroling to your neighbors’ homes. Have your children make a greeting card & bring a plate of cookies (or another gift) and sing a short number of songs. Doesn’t have to be professional. It is your presence that matters. (I still remember when we lived in Wisconsin, we brought a plate of cookies like this to our older, bachelor, keep-to-yourself neighbor. He yelled through the closed door -that he didn’t open even after we knocked loudly- “I don’t want no cookies!” )

What’s your idea? How can you steer focus on Christ this Christmas? (He sure won’t be the focus at the Mall , or store advertisments, or music you hear on the radio, or…..?!!)

Keep Him first in your own heart, then help endear Him to your family!