December 16, 2024
The Communion table may be considered a “peace table,” for by these symbols of the bread and the juice we remember what the Prince of Peace accomplished, “making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).
December 18, 2023
Deep down, at Christmas, most of us don’t long for more presents and fancier holiday extravaganzas. We do yearn, however, for simplicity and mercy. . . .
November 1, 2023
By Michael C. Mack Each Christmas I faithfully sing the hymn . . . though I question the historical accuracy of the words. Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright. . . . As I read the biblical accounts, I imagine the atmosphere surrounding Jesus’ birth as something other than silent, calm, and bright. More like clamorous and chaotic. The streets of Bethlehem are bustling as people from across the region arrive in their ancestral hometown to register for Caesar Augustus’s census. Joseph and Mary walk wide-eyed through throngs of fellow Jews from King David’s line hectically looking
December 24, 2022
"It was the winter of 1968, the break between semesters of my senior year in Bible college," Ken Idleman writes. "Kaylene and I had been married the previous August and had determined that we would spend our first Christmas together in the Holy Land . . ."
December 23, 2020
By Chris Moon After 35 years in ministry, Vernon and Ellen Landreth found a new way to share the story of Jesus Christ—as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The couple have spent more than a decade serving their Idaho community as the jolly couple in red. They created a business to match—The Santa Couple—and typically do 60 to 70 “gigs” per year, Ellen Landreth said. They make home and business visits and join customers on carriage rides. They’ll even drop off presents wherever they are needed. And they’ll tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ “at every opportunity we
December 16, 2020
By Chris Moon Churches are making a variety of changes to their Christmas Eve traditions to accommodate social distancing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. And pastors are doing so while wondering when life finally will return to normal. “It’s been crazy,” said Ross Frisbie, senior minister at Tonganoxie Christian Church in Kansas. “I never thought by December we still would be dealing with this, and even more so now with cases going up. It’s crazy. I’m looking forward to normal.” Frisbie said his church will have three Christmas Eve services while offering churchgoers three options by which they can attend
December 24, 2018
By BJ Krug It was a time of war. A time of upheaval. A time of economic uncertainty, of political uncertainty. In 1816 the Napoleonic Wars had just ended, and the nations of Europe had crashed over and against each other until their borders were no longer recognizable, even to the people living in them. In many places, occupation forces were still present or were only recently withdrawn. A young priest in Austria named Joseph Mohr wrote a poem channeling some of that uncertainty by recasting it in familiar terms of love, care, and affection—a challenge, you might say, to
December 9, 2017
(This article originally appeared in the December 19/26, 2010, issue of Christian Standard.) By Larry W. Bailey How”s your holiday going? For many, it”s more stress than celebration. At Christmastime, the laughter of the “Ho, Ho, Ho” may give way to the pressure of the “Go, Go, Go.” Fantasies of a “silent night” turn into the noisy bustle of crowded department stores. For some, the jingling of Christmas bells yields to the jangling of nerves. We may find ourselves moving from holiday dreams to horrible nightmares, from anticipation to aggravation, from sugar plums to sour grapes, from happiness to
December 7, 2017
By Doug Redford “Silent Night” remains one of the most beloved of the traditional Christmas carols. The words, the tune, the message are all so simple yet so unforgettable (which is true of the Christmas message itself). The picture of the Christ child sleeping “in heavenly peace” amid less than ideal surroundings is one that beckons us during a season when crowds and commotion are all too common. “Silent night” also describes an evening that took place, ironically, near the end of Jesus” earthly life. That was the night of his betrayal and so-called trial””the series of events that led
December 20, 2013
By Victor Knowles I believe the music of Christmas is the most beautiful music in the world. Indeed, it may even be the most meaningful music the world will ever know. From “Away in a Manger” to Handel’s “Messiah,” the marvelous message of the true meaning of Christ’s coming to earth is made clear. It is especially appropriate at this time of Communion to ponder the reason Jesus Christ was born.x “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing” (“O Come, All Ye Faithful”). John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
December 22, 2012
By Elaine L. Schulte In early December, my husband and I packed for a small-ship adventure in the South Pacific. I phoned our friends and neighbors, Judy and Andy, who would travel with us. “Will there be a pastor for Christmas on such a small ship?” I asked them. “What if God wants us to conduct the Christmas service?” “I”ll bring songbooks, just in case,” Judy replied. “I could do my Christmas reading. . . .” We were willing. On December 17, we flew to Guam, a United States protectorate. Our bus”s guide said, “Don”t expect too much. Guam is
December 18, 2011
By Linda Mirante What about Christmas? Do we embrace it, ignore it, celebrate it, or protest against it? There are as many opinions as there are people. Just ask them. I think of Christmas as a season rather than a day. A season with the opportunity to share and show Christ to the world. A season of celebrating the birth of Jesus””who would bring us the gifts of peace, hope, joy, forgiveness, and redemption. A season filled with wonderment and anticipation. A season of love. The Christmas story as recorded in Luke 2 has been told through the years via
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