Tis The Season To Worship

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” – John 1:14.

This year will be like any other. We will all hear the comments, view the illustrations and observe the traditions that surround every Christmas season. But there is one phrase that you tend to hear most often at Christmas time. You will hear people say that this person, this group or all of us could use a little more Christmas spirit. But what exactly is Christmas spirit? How do I get it and how do I demonstrate it every day? 

To me, Christmas is about worshipping our Savior. It is about falling on our knees in wonder, worshipping God, who came to us a baby, lying in a manager, surrounded by animals, because there was no room in the inn. No matter if you were saved yesterday or have been a follower of Jesus for decades, it is hard to get your arms around the wonder of the Christmas story. 

Christmas “spirit” is not found in bright decorations and Christmas music. It is not found in a Christmas tree. It is not found in brightly wrapped gifts. Nor is it found in out-dazzling our neighbors with a bigger outdoor display. It is not found in being warm and glowing. It is found in the joy of knowing that the history-changing story of Christ’s birth is true.

I believe true Christmas spirit is a deep-seated joy in worshipping the Christ child born to save mankind from their sins. It is so easy to celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and spending time with family, but never connect the celebration with the reason for it. It is much like going to a wedding reception to celebrate their union without knowing the bride and groom.

If you truly have the Christmas spirit, you could remove the trees, lights, presents, food, and music, and your joy would continue unfazed. That is because they personally know the Christ who was born in a manger.

If we all worshipped this mystery at Christmas, lived that worship in every moment of our life’s during the Christmas season, we would all have the Christmas spirit. The Christmas season brings a perfect opportunity to include our friends, neighbors, and relatives in our worship of God and model to them our love of Him. 

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you define Christmas spirit?
2. Should our worship experience be any different at Christmas? Why or why not?
3. If you decided to “skip Christmas,” what impact would that have on you?
4. Are you willing to change anything about how you celebrate Christmas this year? If so, what? How will those changes effect your Christmas?