By Pastor Nissa Peterson
Chatfield and Root Prairie
Lutheran Churches
I was driving home from a Christmas celebration one year late at night. At 11:58 p.m. on December 25 the radio station played a Christmas song. And the very next song, starting at 12:01 a.m. on December 26, returned to classic rock.
For much of the world, Christmas ends at midnight on the 25th. But for us, it continues. The season of Christmas lasts for 12 days, ending with the celebration of Epiphany on January 6. Too many people consider Christmas to be over, when in fact it is just beginning!
For Christians, the spirit of Christmas lasts in our hearts every day of the year! We celebrate that Jesus is Emmanuel – GOD WITH US. God is with us in the person of baby Jesus. God comes to earth to be human – with all the joys and sufferings that entails. And God with us doesn’t stop on December 26th. Hallelujah!
God continues to be with us in the darkest and brightest moments of our lives. God continues to be with us in the scary and the exciting. God continues to be with us in the wonderful and the terrible. Every day – not just on Christmas.
So leave your Christmas lights up all year (if you want). Sing “Joy to the World” all through the summer. Celebrate that God was born as a baby in a manger. Celebrate that God came to be with us and is with us still. Celebrate that we see God’s kingdom around us through love and justice and worship every single day.
At our fifth and sixth grade after-school program, a favorite game is called the “snoopy kids” game. I made it up one year to help teach about Christmas all year long. It’s called Snoopy Kids because the idea is that the kids are out of bed snooping around for their presents and the two “parents” are running around trying to tag them and bring them back to their rooms. It’s delightful!
In this game, the kids run through the church looking for two items: a wrapped gift box and the baby Jesus. Because Christmas isn’t just about presents – but about finding Jesus in the midst of everything we do. The kids find Jesus in Sunday school classrooms, the conference room, the coat rack – they find Jesus all over the church.
We also share how we find Jesus throughout our lives. We start each week with highs and lows, and name places we see God in our lives. They find Jesus at school, on the sports field, in the library, and with their friends. They find Jesus in hard tests and tests they did really well on. They find Jesus in friendships that are awesome and friendships that need help. They find Jesus in cows, dogs, friends, sports and music. They find Jesus all through their lives!
This year, I invite you to continue your Christmas celebration throughout the year, recognizing that Jesus is present with us in every part of our lives!
Peace, Pastor Nissa
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