As a child, Christmas Eve was a very special day to me. Eating Shepherd’s Pie for dinner was a family tradition, and I was always excited about dressing in my best clothes and driving to church to attend my most favourite church service of the year – the night time candle light service. I loved singing the familiar carols, and feeling content and comforted by sharing worship with those I love by the warm glow of candle light.
Now that I am “grown up” and have children of my own, I am trying my best to give my children the same experience on Christmas Eve that I so fondly cherish. We eat Shepherd’s Pie for dinner (and more recently my own recipe for what I call Winter Pie), and we attend the evening candle light worship service, but this year I want to start a new annual tradition with my family. After church when we’re back home and the children are in their pyjamas, I want to read the Christmas Story to my family as we sit by our decorated Christmas tree. No, the story read will not be about a jolly man in a red suit, nor flying reindeer, nor a snowman. I want to read the account of the birth of Jesus Christ straight from the source.
You may say:
But you just heard the Christmas story read at church!
Very true. But I believe:
1) You can never hear it too many times.
2) It’s the last message the children hear before going to sleep. Also, we can’t pause the worship service at church because a child has a question. At home, we can openly talk about the passage and answer any questions the children may have.
3) Children will retain and remember the message when shared together as a family. Leadership starts at home and children will recognize the example set by parents, and learn how important it is to “walk the walk”.
4) In a society of “convenience”, where the work-life balance is often skewed to the point where families are spending less and less quality time together, one act of reading together as a family is certainly worth fighting for.
Whether you have a family bible you want to read from, or like me you will use an electronic version (The Christmas Story: https://www.bible.com/bible/59/luk.2.esv), I encourage you to set aside some time to read the bible together as a family.
What are your family traditions at Christmas? Do you read the bible together? Please share your thoughts and comments on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PrinceofPeaceLC
