Christmas is such an incredible time of year.
Of course, as Christians, it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and recognizing with awe that it was God’s plan from the very beginning to come and “be with us.” I love that. Emmanuel means “God with us,” which is my favourite way to address God at this time of year. Addressing God as “Emmanuel” makes me feel less lonely, more understood, and oh so deeply loved.
No matter what people believe about Christmas, it seems relatively well understood that sometime during the season of Christmas, most people will either spend time with their family, connect with some friends, or even treat themselves to some special alone time in honour of it being ‘Christmas.’
Christmas is also one of the few times of the year when the world hits ‘pause’ to celebrate something so central to Christianity. Even if your year hasn’t gone as you expected, Christmas really is different.
Whether your year has been filled with joy or stress or both! The season we find ourselves in at Christmas is universally noted as different than any other time of year. And because it is ‘different’ and ‘special,’ people often engage in certain behaviours and traditions that are different from other times during the year.
Some of your typical traditions may include decorating the tree, looking at Christmas lights, or enjoying Christmas baking. What if you could begin a new tradition this year? What if you could spend Christmas Eve with Connexus alongside your close friends and family? All you have to do is extend that invitation. Did you know Christmas is a time of year when inviting your friends to church is not weird? People almost expect to be invited. Seriously! The conversation often goes like this:
“Hey, do you have a Christmas Eve Church service that you go to with your family/friends? No?…Oh! Well, then, you should join me for Connexus' Christmas Eve service! They have an amazing service filled with your favourite Christmas carols, a message filled with hope, and so much more… Connexus is a church for people who don't go to church anywhere else, and they make their Christmas service the best service of the whole year! Let me know if you wanna join me this year and I’ll get you a ticket!”
A lot of the time, friends and family say yes to invitations. Even if they don’t come, extending the invitation shows you care and could spark a meaningful conversation this Christmas season.
So go crazy and stay cool. Invite your friends to join you for Christmas Eve in Barrie or Christmas Eve in Orillia. You will love it, they will love it, and I will love hearing the story after, too. Here’s to seeing stories written from your invitations this Christmas!