INVOCATION
O God, as we ask for your spirit to be with us as we worship we are reminded that of all the times we gather, this night your presence is most easily seen. As we celebrate your coming to earth in the birth of a baby, help us to find you in our world everyday, not just at Christmas. Thank you for the many blessings we find in this season and for the people we share them with. We pray all of this in the name of Christ Jesus, born in a manger and crucified on the cross for our salvation. Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP
As we wrap presents and fill socks
May we not forget the gifts of Christmas.
As we unwrap boxes and giggle with glee
May we look for the gifts of Christmas.
As we share food and laughter with friends and family
May we be reminded of the blessings of Christmas.
As we worship our God this night
May we find the gift of Christmas, Christ Jesus.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Each week during advent we have been exploring the gifts of Christmas, and each Sunday we have opened another gift. Remember we found binoculars, a peace sign, a heart, a manger and the Christmas story as we celebrated the gifts of hope, peace, love and joy? Do you remember how big the first box was? Now all we have left is this little white box. What do you think might be in this last box?
Well let’s open it and see what it might be! [Open box to find a small white candle] What might a little white candle have to do with the gifts of Christmas? Do we light candles at Christmas? What kind of candles do we light at church? Why do we light them?
Right, on Christmas Eve we light candles to remind us that when Jesus was born a great light of hope, peace, love and joy entered the world. In the same way a candle lights a dark room Jesus lights our world.
The last candle of our advent wreath is the Christ candle because we light it this night as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Let’s light that candle now and celebrate this very special gift of Christmas.
OFFERING STATEMENT
As we give our tithes and offerings tonight may we see this as a time to share the gifts of Christmas with those in need of hope, joy, peace and love in their lives this holiday season.
[Offering is taken]
Let us pray: we thank you God for the many gifts we have to celebrate this Christmas. May our gifts in response be used to help others experience the gifts of Christmas through the ministries and mission of this congregation. Amen.
COMMUNION
It is often hard in this season of Christmas to connect the birth of a small baby to the crucifixion of a man on a cross. We get focused on the warm fuzzy nature of the birth story and set aside the ultimate purpose for God being incarnate. Christ’s death and resurrection give this Christmas celebration its hope, joy, peace, and love because this gift of Christ’s birth is given its meaning in the light of Easter morning. As we come to this table tonight, may we find the gifts of Christmas in the bread and the cup of our Lord.
Let us Pray:
O God of birth and death, of winter and summer, of celebration and festival, we thank you for the gift of incarnation. We gather here at this table to remember your time on earth as one of us. We know O god that though the years from birth to death were few, that the gifts given to us are eternal. As we remember the sacrifice of Christ in this meal may the bread and the cup fill us with your hope, peace, love and joy this Christmas night.
As we partake of this meal we ask that our souls and our spirits would be renewed this night. And that the greatest gift of Christmas, Christ Jesus, would reign in our hearts as we seek to live out the prayer he taught us to pray saying: Our Father…
BENEDICTION
Go forth this night, shining the light of Christ to the world through the candles of your life and your choices and decisions. Go in peace, assured by hope, filled with joy, knowing you are loved. Amen.
Scene 1
Youth Minister is finishing up Sunday School lesson on the gifts of Christmas.
YM: …so remember this Christmas that the true gifts of Christmas are not found in a box under the tree—they are found in the love you share with family and friends, the peace that comes in knowing God is always with you, the hope of faith and the joy that comes with being a child of God. And for next week I want you to be able to share 2 ways you experienced a gift of Christmas this month that did not come to you wrapped up. have a great week and I will see you next Sunday!
[Youth minister leaves]
#1: Ugh…I’m so glad she’s done talking…I mean how boring can one person be?
#2: I know, its even worse than being in school! And on top of everything else she even gives us homework!
#3: Well, I think all that Christmas gift stuff is pretty goofy anyways, I mean…who ever heard of celebrating Christmas without presents? What would you do all day December 25th? Sit around and talk to your parents? As if!
#2: Yeah, it is pretty ridiculous…I know I’m getting the new game cube and I am already planning on spending the whole afternoon playing it in my room.
#1: You already know your gifts?
#2: No, not exactly. But since it is the only thing I asked for I know I’ll get it! Last year mom and dad didn’t get me the present I wanted and I threw such a temper tantrum that day my dad went out and got it the 26th! They won’t make that mistake again.
#3: My parents don’t ever get me anything I don’t pick out myself. So Christmas day is kind of a waste…in fact I often don’t put them under the tree I just keep them out, its easier than wrapping them all up. this shirt is a Christmas present this year! How do you like it?
#4: I don’t really need anything this year, and I can’t remember what I put on my list anyways…now I am wishing I had kept a copy because I am worried about what my little brother might be getting me!
#1: This has been, real it’s been fun but I’m not sue these Gifts of Christmas have been real fun! It’s not like we’ll ever find any. I got to get to work! Good luck on your tests this week
#2: Bye
#3: See ya
#4: Good Bye, don’t forget to do your “homework!”
[All exit laughing at the homework joke]
Scene 2
Everyone enters laughing/talking/wondering where the snacks are!
Youth minister enters a few moments later…
YM: Merry Christmas! Is everyone excited about being done with school for 2 weeks? How did ya’ll’s tests go last week?
[Groans from the class then everyone at once starts talking about their tests]
YM: May I have your attention please! We need to get to our discussion about the gifts of Christmas! Last week I asked you to look for 2 examples of when you experienced a gift of Christmas! So what did you all come up with!
[Long period of silence…Youth Minister prompts responses]
#1: Ok, I’ll go. I found the gifts of Christmas in friends and family because that’s what the season is all about right. I mean they help me out, it’s like they really care about me this time of year. My friends are easy to talk to and even though they drive me crazy I know my parents care about me.
#2: Umm…well…umm…what was the question again?
YM: How did you experience the gifts of Christmas this month?
#2: Oh, well I guess church did it for me. [under breath] that’s got to be the right answer huh?
[Everyone else but Youth Minister laughs]
#3: [Sarcastically] When you first talked about these gifts, I thought it was pretty dumb, I mean, like Christmas is all about the presents and you kept talking about these other “gifts.”
#2: They kind of sounded like ESP or something…
#3: Let me finish! But I went home and thought about what you said. And I thought of my friend Sally’s family who are having to deal with the fact her brother was killed in a car crash this fall. You kept talking about peace as a gift that one Sunday and my life is pretty peaceful but there’s not much peace in Sally’s this year.
YM: So how did you experience a gift of Christmas?
#3: It’s not so much that I got peace, as it is that I gave it (you know, like we heard in that children’s sermon about giving peace and love away and not being left without but receiving more than you had before?)
[Class murmurs agreement]
So I asked my mom if I could invite Sally over for an early Christmas dinner. Sally gave me a card last night thanking me for inviting her and going on anf on about how nice it was to be in a happy house this Christmas. I nearly cried as I thought about how deeply affected she was by such a simple act.
#4: I found one, and I can’t wait for next year to find it again! I found a gift of Christmas joy this year when we went caroling! I thought it was going to be pretty stupid, but the people were so glad to see us when we got there!
#2: That was before they knew you couldn’t even carry a tune in a bucket!
#4: Yes, even though we weren’t very good they were still happy to see us. And it was in that joy that I found the gift! The fact that just showing up at someon’e house and sharing a couple of Christmas carols could bring someone such happiness was incredible. Last week we talked about how much we hated getting those unglamorous gifts like socks and toothpaste. But here was a very unglamorous gift of a visit and a song that became a gift of caring and love that brought joy so great they couldn’t even put it into words. This one lady even started crying!
#2: Or your singing was so bad it brought her to tears…
Entire group: Shhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
#1: after hearing your reports I guess my first answer was kind of a cop out…I do have a story about experiencing a gift of Christmas…I can’t wait for Christmas to come so my big sister can open her present from me! I know it sounds a little silly but I am more excited about seeing people open the presents I have gotten them than what they got me! My sister has been wanting this picture for 2 years and I finally saved up enough money to get it for her. I think she gave up hope of getting it after he last birthday. She is going to be so happy to get this!!!!!
YM: So what do all these gifts of Christmas have in common?
#1: not under the tree
#3: touch people’s lives
#4: reflect the true meaning of Christmas.
YM: Yes, but what else do these gifts have in common…below the surface?
#1: I don’t know
#3: we hate when you do this…
#4: just tell us the answer you want us to say!
#2: [mumbling] Do it for others.
YM: What?
#2: [little clearer/louder] We do it for others. [very clear and frustrated] Never Mind.
YM: No, tell us, we just can’t hear what you said.
#2: What all of these things have in common is that there are all gifts shared with others. They each did something for someone else and yet they not only gave them a gift they also got a gift in the process as well. They showed that what you said last week—though it sounded silly was true—that we can receive gifts of Christmas that aren’t in a box under the tree. The gifts of Christmas do not have to be computer games or things we pick out ahead of time. They can be the love and peace and hope and joy of the season. What they also have in common is that they were each surprise gifts, one’s thay did not know they were going to get. And would not have if they hadn’t stepped outside themselves and looked for what they could give to other people.
YM: So true! As we end class let us pray…Dear God, thank you for the gifts of Christmas, and for the opportunities to share them as well as receive them. Help us to seek ways to share them each day of our lives. Amen!
