Why Go To Church on Christmas Eve?

When I started ministry a little more than 10 years ago, I was appointed to a church in Battle Creek. It was a great church that deeply cared about their local community, and I wanted the community to know about it! It was a few weeks before Easter and I was looking at ways to get the word out. That's when I was walking around the downtown area and one of the most popular local restaurants was promoting a special Easter-day brunch...at 11:00 a.m. AKA THE church hour. Here's what that told me: Our community doesn't even expect people to come to church on Easter anymore. The same can be said for Christmas Eve.

Now, as a pastor, I can whine and bemoan that people don't value the church anymore or I can get out there, share my story on why these services are important to me, and invite people to come and be part of it with me (HINT HINT to all my church members reading this--INVITE!).

Here is why I believe it is worth the time to go to church on Christmas Eve:

1) We're reminded that we're part of a bigger story.  The Christmas story--God taking on human flesh and living among us--is a story that takes us beyond the presents and all the commercialism. I love getting gifts for people, I listen to too much Christmas music, but I also believe in each of us God has placed this innate desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves: And that something is being part of God’s rescue story in the world, and that story starts at Christmas. We need to be reminded of that. We need to be reminded that Christmas doesn’t need to have all this extra stuff: It just needs the simplicity of a baby in the manger who loves us more than we could ever imagine. 

2) It simplifies Christmas in a way that gives us the freedom to truly enjoy it.. A church member recently said that they feel like they enter another world when they come into the church. During the season of "hustle and bustle" we all need an hour where we can put all that done, and remind ourselves that hope is here for us no matter what is in the oven or not in the oven or what is under the tree or not under the tree. I hope that everybody enjoys good food and meaningful gifts. I do! But the beauty of Christmas also goes beyond that.

3) We're forced to slow down. For an hour we just sit, sing and receive. That's a gift we all need. Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie. In recent years, I have realized how crucial it was for Kevin to go into the church before he went home to wreak havoc on Harry and Marv. He took time to sit and be, and then he was ready to do what he needed to do, which in this case was maybe not the most moral thing but my goodness it is some of the best 15ish minutes in movie history in my opinion.

Give yourself the gift of being part of a bigger story, entering simplicity and slowing down this Christmas. I would be honored and delighted if you joined us at either of our services. We'll be celebrating Jesus' Birthday Party at 4:00. This is an interactive service for our noisiest disciples. Then at 8:00 we'll have a more traditional candlelight service with a mix of the old and new. Any and all are welcome at all services. And I do mean ALL are welcome.

-Brian Steele, Pastor Farmington First UMC