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CONTENTS<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong><br />
Advent<br />
Nativity Plays<br />
Festivities<br />
Carol Services and Worship<br />
2<br />
3<br />
7<br />
19<br />
29
1
CHRISTMAS<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> is a wonderful, joyful time of year. A<br />
festival and holiday celebrated across the world.<br />
The traditions around <strong>Christmas</strong> have evolved<br />
over centuries focussing on the core historic<br />
event, the birth of Jesus Christ over 2000 years<br />
ago. This is why <strong>Christmas</strong> holds such deep<br />
significance for Christians around the world.<br />
In this beautifully illustrated <strong>book</strong>, we will<br />
explore various <strong>Christmas</strong> traditions as we<br />
prepare to celebrate the extraordinary birth<br />
of Jesus Christ, God’s son. Jesus is called<br />
‘Emmanuel’ or God with us. Christians believe<br />
that Jesus Christ is God; God himself who came<br />
to live on Earth and to rescue all people through<br />
his birth, his death, and his resurrection.<br />
Matthew 1:21<br />
She is going to have a<br />
son. You must give him<br />
the name Jesus. That’s<br />
because he will save his<br />
people from their sins.<br />
2
ADVENT<br />
Isaiah 7:14<br />
The Lord himself will give you a sign.<br />
The virgin is going to have a baby.<br />
She will give birth to a son. And he<br />
will be called Emmanuel.<br />
3
The season of Advent, which begins four weeks before<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong>, is a time of preparation and anticipation for the<br />
birth of Jesus. There are many prophecies in the Bible about<br />
Jesus’ birth, written years and years before it came to pass.<br />
They spoke to the people of Israel, about the birth of the<br />
Messiah, Jesus, before anyone knew when he would be born<br />
or exactly how God would bring this about. God’s people<br />
then were waiting for their Messiah, and now he is everyone’s<br />
Messiah or Saviour or Rescuer. During the <strong>Christmas</strong> season,<br />
the waiting of Advent prepares current followers of Jesus to<br />
receive Christ into their hearts again. Advent wreaths, with<br />
their four candles representing hope, peace, joy, and love,<br />
are commonly used to mark the progression of this period.<br />
The lighting of each candle during Advent underscores the<br />
growing anticipation of Jesus’ arrival.<br />
4
9<br />
Isaiah 9:6<br />
A child will be born to us.<br />
A son will be given to us.<br />
He will rule over us.<br />
And he will be called<br />
Wonderful Adviser and<br />
Mighty God.<br />
He will also be called Father<br />
Who Lives Forever<br />
and Prince Who Brings Peace.<br />
6<br />
11 23<br />
5
Today, Advent is often marked with<br />
chocolate treats received each day<br />
from a simple advent calendar. Advent<br />
calendars would have traditionally held<br />
depictions of the nativity scene: Mary and<br />
Joseph, the baby Jesus, and the animals<br />
in the stable. Now, with the growing<br />
commercialisation and secularisation<br />
of <strong>Christmas</strong>, Advent calendars come<br />
with very different illustrations. Yet,<br />
the simple exercise of counting the<br />
days to <strong>Christmas</strong> is still core, and this<br />
anticipation can help us all reflect on the<br />
true meaning of <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
6
NATIVITY PLAYS<br />
One of the most memorable <strong>Christmas</strong> traditions is school<br />
nativity plays. These retellings of the <strong>Christmas</strong> story<br />
portray the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and help us pass<br />
on the centrality of this important historic event to the<br />
next generation. These plays often involve simple scripts,<br />
shepherds in tea towel headdresses, and competition over<br />
who gets to play the central part of Mary, or who gets left<br />
playing the donkey! Children enjoy them, and as adults watch,<br />
they are poignant reminders of childhood. Yet, even in the fun<br />
and chaos of small children and amateur acting, the emphasis<br />
remains on the message of God’s love and redemption for<br />
humanity. The memorable story and central characters, like<br />
the shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in<br />
the manger, remind us each year of how a seemingly ordinary<br />
couple were in the middle of the most important moment in<br />
history, the divine purpose of Jesus’ birth.<br />
7
Luke 2:4-7<br />
So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth<br />
in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of<br />
David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to<br />
the family line of David. He went there with Mary to be<br />
taxed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a<br />
baby. While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came<br />
for the child to be born. She gave birth to her first baby. It<br />
was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then<br />
she placed him in a manger. That’s because there was no<br />
guest room where they could stay.<br />
8
MARY<br />
Let’s look at those key characters and what they tell us about the<br />
first <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
Mary was a young Jewish woman living a normal life when God<br />
broke in and changed her future choosing her to be the mother<br />
of God’s son - Jesus. The angel Gabriel appeared to her, which<br />
must have been terrifying enough, but his message would change<br />
Mary’s life and the course of human history. Mary was going to<br />
conceive and give birth to a baby boy who would be God’s Son: one<br />
who would rescue and save all people. Mary must have realised<br />
how difficult this was going to be, explaining her pregnancy to her<br />
fiancé and being an unmarried mother in a culture where that was<br />
unacceptable. She shows extreme faith as she accepts the call to<br />
follow God’s plan for her life and we get to follow her example and<br />
renew our faith in God each <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
9
Luke 1:26-28<br />
In the sixth month after Elizabeth had<br />
become pregnant, God sent the angel<br />
Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He<br />
was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged<br />
to a man named Joseph. He came from<br />
the family line of David. The virgin’s name<br />
was Mary. The angel greeted her and said,<br />
“The Lord has blessed you in a special way.<br />
He is with you.”<br />
10
GABRIEL<br />
The angel Gabriel as we have seen is key to the<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> story. Often in our nativity plays, the<br />
angels are young girls with tinsel around their<br />
heads, but the angel Gabriel would have been a<br />
mighty figure of strength and glory appearing,<br />
as we have seen, to the startled Mary. He is the<br />
divine messenger from God bringing the good<br />
news of God’s plan to rescue the world to the key<br />
people who were to be involved. He is central at<br />
the birth nine months later announcing to the<br />
shepherds on the hillside that the moment has<br />
come where heaven has touched earth in the<br />
birth of the Messiah - the chosen one! Gabriel’s<br />
message resonates through the years and<br />
centuries to us today inviting us to discover this<br />
good news for ourselves.<br />
11
You must call<br />
him Jesus!<br />
Luke 1:30-35<br />
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very<br />
pleased with you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a<br />
son. You must call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called<br />
the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a<br />
king like his father David of long ago. The Son of the Most High<br />
God will rule forever over his people. They are from the family<br />
line of Jacob. That kingdom will never end.”<br />
“How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.”<br />
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The<br />
power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that<br />
is born will be called the Son of God.”<br />
12
JOSEPH<br />
Joseph was a young Jewish man betrothed to Mary:<br />
a carpenter living an unextraordinary life. His world<br />
is turned upside down when he discovers that his<br />
fiancée is pregnant! Though he loves Mary, he plans<br />
to separate from her quietly. But once again, there<br />
is divine intervention. An angel appears to him in a<br />
dream and he too accepts the call of God in his life to<br />
become the earthly father of God’s son. Together with<br />
Mary, he faces the social stigma of her pregnancy<br />
pre-marriage and the wonders of this supernatural<br />
birth. He keeps listening to God and is ready to act<br />
decisively to remove the child and Mary from danger<br />
when King Herod threatens the baby’s life. He and<br />
Mary end up as refugees escaping to Egypt. His was<br />
another life of obedience and trust in God’s plan even<br />
though it meant challenges and change.<br />
13
Matthew 1:19-21<br />
Her husband Joseph was faithful to the law. But he did not<br />
want to put her to shame in public. So, he planned to divorce<br />
her quietly. But as Joseph was thinking about this, an angel of<br />
the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph,<br />
son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.<br />
The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She is going to have<br />
a son. You must give him the name Jesus. That’s because he<br />
will save his people from their sins.”<br />
14
SHEPHERDS<br />
Every nativity play has Shepherds in their<br />
makeshift outfits and we are so used to this<br />
that we can overlook how unusual these<br />
visitors would have been to the bedside<br />
of a newborn baby and his mother! The<br />
Shepherds came to Bethlehem because<br />
they too were visited by the angel Gabriel<br />
and vast numbers of heavenly angelic<br />
beings. Imagine how this lit up the dark sky<br />
above them whilst they rested with their<br />
sheep? What a sight and what a memorable<br />
night! They were chosen to be the first to<br />
hear the good news about God’s Son: that<br />
he had come to rescue all people. They<br />
show us that God calls all regardless of their<br />
social status or occupation.<br />
15
Luke 2:8-12<br />
There were shepherds living out in the fields<br />
nearby. It was night, and they were taking care<br />
of their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to<br />
them. And the glory of the Lord shone around<br />
them. They were terrified. But the angel said to<br />
them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news. It<br />
will bring great joy to all the people. Today in the<br />
town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is<br />
the Messiah, the Lord. Here is how you will know<br />
I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby<br />
wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”<br />
16
WISE MEN<br />
The Wise Men were also surprising visitors to the young baby Jesus<br />
because they were learned scholars and astrologers or stargazers<br />
from a faraway land. God sent a brilliant new star into the night sky,<br />
another messenger to speak to a different audience. The Wise Men<br />
followed this star and they knew that there were prophecies about<br />
a new king of the Jewish people and that this star was announcing<br />
his birth. They followed the star, firstly looking for Jesus in King<br />
Herod’s palace, but then finding him in humble surroundings<br />
instead. There they brought him costly gifts of gold, frankincense,<br />
and myrrh, which were significant indicators of his future. Gold<br />
was given to show that Jesus is a King; frankincense was a gift for a<br />
priest, showing Jesus as the high priest; and finally, myrrh used to<br />
embalm the dead speaks of the death that Jesus would die to save<br />
us all. The arrival of The Wise Men must have signified to Mary and<br />
Joseph the importance of the child they had the duty to raise!<br />
17
Matthew 2:1-12<br />
After The Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their<br />
way. The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them.<br />
It finally stopped over the place where the child was. When<br />
they saw the star, they were filled with joy. The Wise Men went<br />
to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary.<br />
They bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their<br />
treasures. They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. But<br />
God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they<br />
returned to their country on a different road.<br />
18
FESTIVITIES<br />
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong>, for many of us, would not be complete without <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
decorations, including a <strong>Christmas</strong> tree covered in lights. While for<br />
some, this includes festooning the whole house in lights and creating a<br />
magical, bright, winter wonderland. All the lights brighten up this dark<br />
time of year and remind us that Jesus was born as the light of the world<br />
bringing light to all. The <strong>Christmas</strong> tree, a German tradition adopted in<br />
the UK, is often completed with a star on top. This star reminds us of the<br />
first miraculous star that guided The Wise Men to Jesus. It encourages<br />
us to follow Jesus the light who is showing us the way for our lives and<br />
leads us on a journey, just like The Wise Men, towards faith and salvation.<br />
Decorations help us mark this time of year as a special celebration,<br />
creating spaces of joy and light in the darkness.<br />
19
Matthew 2:2<br />
They asked, “Where is the child who<br />
has been born to be king of the<br />
Jews? We saw his star when it rose.<br />
Now we have come to worship him.”<br />
20
CHRISTMAS PARTIES,<br />
FOOD, AND DINNER!<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> is a time to rejoice, which translates to<br />
parties, dinners, and feasts! Yet, more important than<br />
how we celebrate is the company we keep – our family<br />
and friends. It’s a <strong>Christmas</strong> tradition for families to<br />
come together and, if living apart, to travel to see<br />
each other. Whether it’s an office <strong>Christmas</strong> party or<br />
a festive dinner with family and friends, food is a focal<br />
point. Turkeys have become a staple of the traditional<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> lunch, dating back to the 16th century when<br />
Henry VIII first introduced them to the <strong>Christmas</strong> feast.<br />
21
In its earliest forms, the medieval tradition of<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> pudding might seem unfamiliar to us.<br />
Interestingly, <strong>Christmas</strong> pudding has sparked<br />
debates, with Puritan Christians aiming to ban<br />
this rich dessert and transition <strong>Christmas</strong> from a<br />
feast to a fast! Some believe the brandy set alight<br />
on top of the pudding symbolises Jesus Christ’s<br />
passion for the world, while others suggest<br />
the pudding once contained 13 ingredients to<br />
represent Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles.<br />
22
Historically, <strong>Christmas</strong> food has been opulent and<br />
lavish compared to what’s consumed the rest of the<br />
year. It used to be the grandest feast, marking the<br />
most significant time of the year – the celebration of<br />
Jesus Christ’s birth. Nowadays, as many have access<br />
to abundant food, its significance might not seem as<br />
pronounced. However, with growing concerns about<br />
the cost of living crisis, <strong>Christmas</strong> could regain its role<br />
as a time to feast in the face of scarcity. Numerous<br />
churches extend a helping hand to those unable to<br />
afford <strong>Christmas</strong> celebrations or food by providing<br />
special <strong>Christmas</strong> hampers or hosting festive<br />
lunches, inviting all those in need.<br />
23
Luke 14:13-14<br />
But when you give a banquet, invite those<br />
who are poor. Also invite those who can’t<br />
see or walk. Then you will be blessed. Your<br />
guests can’t pay you back. But you will be<br />
paid back when those who are right with<br />
God rise from the dead.<br />
24
CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING<br />
25
One of the most widely practised traditions during<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> is that of gift giving. Although this can be overcommercialised<br />
in our modern consumer world, its origins<br />
are back to The Wise Men we have just looked at as they<br />
gave gifts to the young baby Jesus. Ultimately, the greatest<br />
gift of all that we can receive at <strong>Christmas</strong> is the gift God was<br />
giving to the world of His son Jesus Christ. We give presents<br />
to those we love and God loved us so much that he gave us<br />
the most precious thing he had: his own son. By giving gifts<br />
to one another, we echo God’s love and show our love and<br />
appreciation for family, friends, and neighbours.<br />
26
The true worth of a gift, its real value, isn’t<br />
just in how much it costs, in fact, when a gift<br />
is handmade with love and care it can be<br />
so much more than a quick purchase from<br />
Amazon. When someone knows you really<br />
well and they give you a gift that speaks to<br />
you and is so perfect for you, it shows the<br />
depth of friendship and love between the<br />
giver and receiver. A gift can show you how<br />
well you are known, understood and valued.<br />
It’s the overwhelming, immeasurable value<br />
of Jesus and the realisation of how much we<br />
desperately needed Him that shows us the love<br />
of God for us.<br />
John 3:16<br />
God so loved the world that<br />
he gave his one and only<br />
Son. Anyone who believes<br />
in him will not die but will<br />
have eternal life.<br />
27
CHARITY<br />
Continuing with the theme of giving, <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
is often considered a season for charity. There<br />
is something about the <strong>Christmas</strong> season that<br />
helps everyone to be more generous. Inspired<br />
by God’s example of the first <strong>Christmas</strong> and the<br />
warmth and love of the season, individuals and<br />
communities willingly help others less fortunate<br />
than themselves. From campaigns to raise funds<br />
to actual practical help in feeding or housing<br />
people, there is a burst of sacrifice modelled<br />
on God’s great gift. These traditions go back to<br />
medieval times and the practices of almsgiving<br />
at this time of year. It has become a hallmark of<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong>, and many people, regardless of their<br />
religious beliefs, choose to give or volunteer<br />
during this time of year.<br />
1 Tim 6:18<br />
Command the rich to do what is good.<br />
Tell them to be rich by doing good<br />
things. They must give freely. They must<br />
be willing to share.<br />
28
CAROL SERVICES<br />
AND WORSHIP<br />
CHRISTMAS CAROLS<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> carols become so familiar to us as we get to hear them year after<br />
year. They can be significant in helping us to celebrate <strong>Christmas</strong>. They<br />
focus us on the birth of Jesus and repeat to us each year the news of God’s<br />
salvation in Jesus. There are so many carols from “Silent Night”, that were<br />
sung in the trenches of World War 1 or “Away in a Manger” that the majority<br />
of children learn and sing at school nativity plays.<br />
Carols resonate through the streets, played by street musicians and<br />
Salvation Army bands, or sung door to door by charity carol singers.<br />
These familiar melodies also find their place in local pubs and serve<br />
as accompaniments to our <strong>Christmas</strong> shopping. Regardless of one’s<br />
perspective on Jesus’ birth, many people have a favourite carol. Even today,<br />
these timeless songs continue to be sung and enjoyed at Christian events.<br />
In churches nationwide, thousands gather, joining their voices in concerts<br />
and <strong>Christmas</strong> services. Together, our voices echo the wonder of the first<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong>, expressing gratitude to God for the incredible gift of Jesus. Our<br />
united songs recall the angelic verses that once filled the Bethlehem skies.<br />
29
Luke 2:14<br />
May glory be given to God<br />
in the highest heaven!<br />
And may peace be given<br />
to those he is pleased with<br />
on earth!<br />
30
CANDLELIGHT SERVICES<br />
Candlelight services are a beautiful tradition in churches<br />
up and down the country. They feature the carols<br />
we have just discussed. They take place in the weeks<br />
leading up to <strong>Christmas</strong> and especially on <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
Eve. The candles remind us again that Jesus brings<br />
light to the world. As the light is shared from person to<br />
person and candle to candle, the darkness disappears<br />
and this points again to the hope and light that Jesus<br />
brings. The carols are sung, the events of the first<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> are read from the Bible for all to hear and<br />
prayers are said as we enter into God’s presence to<br />
celebrate <strong>Christmas</strong> together.<br />
Jesus arrived to defeat our greatest enemy: the<br />
deepest darkness of death. This is celebrated during<br />
the other great Christian festival of Easter when<br />
we commemorate Jesus’ death and rejoice in his<br />
resurrection. Through the sacrifice of His Son, God<br />
has given us His light, granting us the choice to follow<br />
His path and dwell with Him for eternity. The flame<br />
we share with the candles at <strong>Christmas</strong> serves as a<br />
poignant reminder that Jesus is the ultimate source of<br />
light and life both now and forever.<br />
31
John 8:12<br />
Jesus spoke to the people again.<br />
He said, “I am the light of the world.<br />
Anyone who follows me will never<br />
walk in darkness. They will have that<br />
light. They will have life.”<br />
32
CHRISTINGLES<br />
Christingles constitute a cherished <strong>Christmas</strong> tradition<br />
that helps children better enjoy <strong>Christmas</strong> worship. In<br />
fact, the Christingle was fashioned by a German pastor<br />
in the 1700s who aimed to help children grasp the<br />
meaning of <strong>Christmas</strong>. Evolving from a simple candle<br />
to an adorned orange. The orange of the Christingle<br />
symbolises the world, while the pivotal element is the<br />
candle inserted in the orange which represents Jesus,<br />
the light of the world. A red ribbon is fastened around<br />
the circumference of the orange, signifying Christ’s love<br />
and sacrifice. Four small sticks, filled with sweets and<br />
fruits, stand for the four seasons; the sweets and fruits<br />
symbolise God’s gifts to us, his people, and are soon<br />
eaten by the children!<br />
Jesus himself, during his time on earth, was keen to<br />
encourage children’s faith and the Christingle helps<br />
them understand this special time of year.<br />
33
Mark 10:13-16<br />
People were bringing little children<br />
to Jesus. They wanted him to place<br />
his hands on them to bless them.<br />
But the disciples told them to stop.<br />
When Jesus saw this, he was angry.<br />
He said to his disciples, “Let the<br />
little children come to me. Don’t<br />
keep them away. God’s kingdom<br />
belongs to people like them. What<br />
I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone<br />
who will not receive God’s kingdom<br />
like a little child will never enter<br />
it.” Then he took the children in his<br />
arms. He placed his hands on them<br />
to bless them.<br />
34
MIDNIGHT MASS<br />
Attending midnight mass on <strong>Christmas</strong> Eve is a deeply<br />
meaningful custom for many people. This solemn and aweinspiring<br />
service the night before <strong>Christmas</strong> Day encourages us<br />
to pause and contemplate the profound moment of Jesus’ birth.<br />
For many of us, the holiday season often becomes a bustling<br />
period filled with parties, gatherings, visits from relatives, and<br />
extensive planning and hospitality. Midnight mass offers a<br />
reflective and wonder-filled moment to pause and reflect before<br />
the lively festivities of <strong>Christmas</strong> Day.<br />
The Mass, Eucharist or Communion has its origins in the<br />
Passover, a significant Jewish festival, marking their rescue by<br />
God from slavery thousands of years before Jesus. It was the last<br />
meal that Jesus ate with his Disciples before he was arrested<br />
and then crucified. He asked his followers to use the meal to<br />
remember him as the ultimate rescuer of all people from the<br />
slavery of sin and death. The bread, being like the body of Jesus<br />
broken for us, and the wine, like his blood poured out, for our<br />
forgiveness. It serves as a visual representation of the death of<br />
Jesus; His offered life the ultimate atonement for our sins. It is<br />
particularly poignant to take Communion on <strong>Christmas</strong> Eve as<br />
Communion points again to the incarnation: God as Emmanuel<br />
coming to save his people.<br />
35
Luke 22:15<br />
He said to them, “I have<br />
really looked forward<br />
to eating this Passover<br />
meal with you. I wanted<br />
to do this before I suffer.<br />
I tell you I will not eat<br />
the Passover meal again<br />
until it is celebrated in<br />
God’s kingdom.”<br />
36
Romans 15:13<br />
May the God who gives hope<br />
fill you with great joy. May you<br />
have perfect peace as you trust<br />
in him. May the power of the<br />
Holy Spirit fill you with hope.<br />
CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP<br />
This is why we celebrate so much, especially on <strong>Christmas</strong> Day<br />
itself. On this day, all the church bells chime to announce the birth<br />
of the Saviour. Everyone wants to join in, to worship and rejoice,<br />
marking this extraordinary day in history – the birth of the Son<br />
of God. Once again, we come together to sing carols, revisit the<br />
passages from the Bible that explain the history of Jesus Christ’s<br />
birth, offer our prayers, and partake in Communion, Mass or the<br />
Eucharist. Here, as a unified body, the Christian church can gather<br />
in awe and wonder around the central message of our faith –<br />
Emmanuel, God with us. He was born among us, bringing light,<br />
love, hope, forgiveness, and salvation to our broken world.<br />
37
The significance of this message is more profound<br />
than ever in our current world. So, let’s celebrate<br />
with all that we have and share this wonderful<br />
message of light and hope with everyone we meet.<br />
38
If you are celebrating this year, remember that<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> encompasses more than just the<br />
festivities; it’s about the wonder of God’s love, made<br />
tangible and real to all of us through Jesus Christ.<br />
May the <strong>Christmas</strong> season continue as a time for<br />
contemplation, appreciation, and celebration of<br />
the gift of God’s son, who came to bestow light and<br />
salvation upon the world.<br />
If you’re interested in delving deeper into the life<br />
events of Jesus Christ – why He came to Earth, how<br />
His death and resurrection can bring you abundant<br />
life now and eternal life forever – you can visit<br />
www.christianity.org.uk and pose any questions<br />
you might have. You could also have a chat with the<br />
person who gave you this <strong>book</strong> or consider attending<br />
one of the many <strong>Christmas</strong> services in your local area.<br />
39
“Father God in Heaven,<br />
Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to be<br />
born on that first <strong>Christmas</strong>. I want to know and<br />
experience your love, forgiveness, hope, and joy<br />
this <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
Help me, to worship like the Angels and discover<br />
the awe of knowing you, the living God.<br />
To listen to you like Mary and Joseph and follow<br />
your purpose for my life.<br />
Guide me, like the shepherds and wise men,<br />
towards the places where I can find<br />
Your truth and peace<br />
Forgive me for not following you in the past,<br />
I want to be a part of the family of God<br />
and understand the true meaning of <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
for now and eternity.<br />
Amen.”<br />
40
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:<br />
Written by: Dr Rachel Jordan Wolf<br />
Design and illustration by: Imogen Hunter<br />
Printed by: Halcyon Print Management<br />
This <strong>book</strong> is created and produced in<br />
partnership by <strong>Hope</strong> Publishing and Biblica.<br />
Read Luke’s<br />
iwitness account of<br />
the <strong>Christmas</strong> Story<br />
hopeforall.org.uk/<br />
christmasstory<br />
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