He, the eternal Word, the one who spoke the galaxies into existence, was willing to become a little baby boy who could do nothing with words except jabber, and in that jabbering, make glad his mother and earthly father. He, the source of all life and all nourishment for that life, was willing to be breastfed. He, the same one who had separated the night from the day, and had shaped the sun to rule the day, and the moon to rule the night, was willing to have his diapers changed for a year or so. It is not disrespectful to speak this way; for Christians, it is disrespectful not to. We believe in the Incarnation, in the Word made flesh. This is our glory; this is our salvation. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 48)

As we continue to meditate on the meaning of Advent, we are not as much resisting attempts to make Christmas meaningless as we are fighting with alternative meanings.  There is no such thing (in the last analysis) as a vacuum holiday, a celebration without a point.  Attempts to neutralize Christmas are simply an intermediate step – and the alternative meanings are waiting in the wings. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 31)

This Christmas, remember you are learning how to open God’s gifts to us.  And because He really knows how to shop for us, when we get the wrapping paper off, we are always surprised. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 21)

It’s easy to become sceptical of the build up to Christmas within our secular society.  We know stores carry Christmas stock in September in order to make as much money as possible.  But as Christians we need to be sure we’re planning far enough ahead if we want out own celebrations to be as Christ-centred as they should be.  With that in mind, here are two lists from The Good Book Company to help.

8 ways to make the least of Christmas

1. Be more excited about presents than Jesus.

2. Leave the Carol and Christmas morning services straight away.

3. Leave it too late to invite someone to an event.

4. Make Christmas dinner the most important element in the day.

5. Send a Christian book to someone you didn’t make time to speak to throughout 2012.

6. Keep your family happy at all costs.

7. Don’t risk asking someone who comes to an event what they made of the message.

8. Don’t bother to make sure your church has some free evangelistic resources ready to give away

3 ways to make the most of Christmas

1. It’s Good News…

• Make Jesus part of Christmas conversations.
• Read, tell, and remember the Christmas story.
• Invite others to hear the Good News.

2. It’s for All people… invite, meet, gather …

3. It’s great joy! – Rejoice