I’m sure you have some wonderful traditions that you have passed down in your family through the years. We do too! We each get one gift on Christmas Eve, the PJ gift, and usually a family game. After the Christmas Eve service, we have some appetizers and just listen to beautiful music and enjoy being together, and everyone gets in their new PJ’s. It is nothing extravagant, nothing spectacular, just simple family time. On Christmas morning, we make sure the animals are fed, and out come the cinnamon rolls in the shape of a Christmas tree from the oven. The smell of coffee gets Dad out of bed, and everyone is anxiously waiting to open presents on Christmas morning We put on our favorite Christmas CD for Christmas morning, it is BJ Thomas singing, Wake Up! It’s Christmas Morning. And then we open presents, one by one, usually youngest to oldest. It always looks like a mess, because we have a big family! It is nothing extravagant, just simple family time. When I think about the first Christmas, those same words apply. It was simple, and it was family time. The setting was certainly simple, but the reason Jesus came was for family. God wanted His family back. His plan was extravagant, but delivered in a simple way. His Son would come out of space and time from heaven and grow up on earth in simple family that would change history forever. Lo and behold, it involved angels, shepherds, and innkeeper, wise men, and an evil ruler who wanted to thwart the whole plan. But God’s will prevailed, and Jesus grew up to simply change family forever. We are part of the family of God, and our families can experience all the hope, joy, love and peace that this simple family time in a manger, in a stable brought to our world. We BELIEVE!
Bow Down by David Baroni, Tony Sutherland
Verse 1
Bow down before the Lord
Worship Him O worship Him
Bow down before our God
Enter in O enter in
Consuming fire and sweet perfume
His awesome presence fills this room
This is holy ground
So come and bow down
Chorus
Holy, holy
Holy Lord of hosts
Saints and angels give You glory
Now and forevermore
Wake Up! It’s Christmas Morning by B.J. Thomas
Verse 1
In my mind, there is bread on the table
Wood on the fire
In my mind, we are gathered together
To celebrate our heart’s desire
I close my eyes, I see a prince on a camel
A shepherd boy running fast
Both headed in the same direction
Towards a baby in the grass
And I see as generations pass
The miracle gets harder to behold
In a dream I’m face to face with my Lord
This is what I’m told
Chorus
Wake up it’s Christmas morning
Wake up there’s work to be done
Gather ’round you band of angels
Gather ’round the permanent One
Wake up it’s Christmas morning
Wake up it’s Christmas morning
Come and behold the broken hearted
It’s for their sake
He has come
Verse 2
In my mind I see a revolution
Fought for those in need
Led by a Man with a great ambition
For hungry hearts to feed
And this leader
He is gentle and kind
He carries no weapons at all
Just the life that was given to the lost and forgotten
That I might heed His call
Emanuel behold Him (7X)
Verse 3
Oh, in my mind I see a worried father
Keeping warm, wrapping tight
In my mind I see a loving mother
Cradle Him through the night
And in comes a shepherd boy
Arriving at his destination proud
Well I wonder if he knew
What that Child was gonna do
When the angels were talking about
Word of the Day: Luke 2 16-20
Song of the Day: Bow Down by David Baroni, Tony Sutherland or
O Come All Ye Faithful (chorus) by C. Frederick Oakeley, John Francis Wade or
Wake Up! It’s Christmas Morning by B.J. Thomas