Christmas Traditions

Amidst this holiday season we have been able to get back to some of our old traditions! One of which is our Ornament Fundraiser to support camp scholarships. We sold 100 ornaments which were made and donated by the Everson family who own Custom Den. Because of your generous support, we raised $845 for scholarships. We were also finally able to bring back the beloved Christmas UnPageant to our live service.

Carley Walker

Thank-you to all the families who brought their children to participate! Another thank-you goes to our very own Brandie and Amber who took on the roles of Joseph and Mary. A huge thank-you to the amazing volunteer support we had; what a great team! Finally, I have to thank the members of the Children and Family Team who are incredibly supportive and truly have a heart for the kids of our church. 
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Of course, bringing back this tradition got me thinking about all of the other traditions we have surrounding Christmas. I have taken an excerpt from a blog written by Dr. John Barnett from crosswalk.com to share some of these 

ancient traditions, I hope you learn something new!

The Christian Meaning of Ancient Traditions:

• December 25th was the Saturnalia Festival of emancipation, gift giving and the triumph of light after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in (Luke 1:78-79).
• Evergreen Trees were the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles (Isaiah 60:13). 
• Candles are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world (John 8). 
• Holly speaks of the thorns in His crown (Matthew 27:29). 
• Red is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ's blood and death. 
• Gifts are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus. Each of them speak to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as God’s Perfect gift to us (Matthew 2). 
• The Yule Log was a symbol by which all the men in the family would carry a log large enough to burn for 12 days into the house. They were identifying with Christ and His Cross. The fire was started with a fragment from the previous years [this refers to the eternal existence of Christ before His birth] log. It speaks of warmth, unity, joy and the security of endless life. 
• Mistletoe was an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under Mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendship were restored.  So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us Peace with God (Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1). 
• Bells are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all. 
• Christmas Eve is a time when we remember that Christ came in the darkest night of Earth's need to be the Light of the World. 
• Shepherds who were watching lambs for use as sacrifices in the Temple, were the first to hear the great news that the Lamb to end all sacrifices had appeared. 
• Christmas Pie is an old tradition that uses a Mince pie with various spices to remember the spices of the Magi. For centuries it was made in a manger shape. 

Read the Full Article Here

Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Carley