I love Christmas music. So much so that this year I broke my rule about never listening to it before Thanksgiving and started November 1^st… no regrets. I did make the mistake of announcing on Facebook that I don’t like “The Little Drummer Boy” because it’s not an actual drum sound but rather a human annoyingly impersonating a drum over and over again: “puh rum pum pum pum” (shudder). Never have I been so quickly inundated with comments from people ready to go to bat for this kid and his drum who, for the record, are NOT mentioned in Luke 2. People also got up in arms when I said “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” is the best – and most underrated – Christmas song. But it isss. Click here and allow Julie Andrews to serenade you with this lullaby-like number that I’m certain would have gotten Baby Jesus to sleep a whole lot faster than the puh rum pum pumming of a human who thinks he’s a drum.

But I digress. What I love most about Christmas music is its unerring ability to put me in the true Christmas spirit. When I listen to it, particularly the biblical songs, I’m able to just be in the moment and stop stressing about everything that needs to be done by December 24^th – the shopping, the planning, and the decorating…  the cookie baking, the present wrapping, and the Christmas movie marathons – all of those activities and traditions that, while meaningful in their own way, can cause us to become very busy very quickly and take our focus off of the reason we celebrate in the first place.

That’s why I’m so excited that this Sunday, December 22^nd, we are having a special Scripture and Carols service to commemorate the season. You can join us at either of our regular service times (9 or 10:30am) as we reflect on the gift of Jesus with gospel readings interspersed with some classic Christmas carols (not “The Little Drummer Boy”; I checked).

This is a chance to take a break from all the to-dos of the holiday and spend some time alongside our church community to remember the meaning behind it all. Please note this service is separate from our Christmas Eve services on December 23^rd and 24^th. The one on Sunday the 22^nd will not feature a sermon – it is simply a time to worship and reflect on the birth of our Savior together. And then, yes, we hope to see you again on the 23^rd or 24^th for one of our Christmas Eve services! Christmas Eve will be a great opportunity to gather and celebrate as well, with some more singing and a message from Pastor Rob. You may even get a Christmas candle.

So please join us on December 22^nd as well as December 23^rd or 24^th – and be thinking about who you could invite to come with you. That neighbor, that friend, that distant family member, or that coworker who doesn’t know the Lord or simply doesn’t have someone to sit with at church. In our “Home for Christmas” sermon series this month, we’ve been focusing on how, as followers of Jesus, we have a spiritual family made up of the fellow believers around us. And all those who aren’t yet part of that family are potential brothers and sisters in Christ. So take a chance and invite them to one of these services!

Maybe you’re worried it will be awkward to start the conversation. But think of the awkwardness Mary must have felt when her town looked at her with so much scorn and contempt. She knew it was a small price to pay for accepting God’s call on her life to carry the Savior of the world. That’s an attitude we all can learn from – being more concerned with doing God’s will and bringing people to Him than any judgment we may receive from those around us. And the truth is, if you invite someone to church this Christmas, the worst they can really say is “no, thank you.” And even if they do, they will probably still appreciate that you thought of them and be reminded that they are welcome in a church, even if they haven’t been to one in ten years.

To learn more about our upcoming services, and to RSVP for the Christmas Eve service you plan to attend, click the button below. Registration is not required, but we’d love to know roughly how many are coming so we can plan for spacing. We anticipate large numbers of both regular Browncroft attendees and guests on the 23^rd and 24^th – which is a wonderful thing! The more the merrier.

Again, Christmas can be an incredibly busy time of year with all the special traditions and festivities we want to make space for. There is nothing at all wrong with these things, and they too present an excellent opportunity to invite new people in. They’re also a lot of fun – just ask the Whos down in Whoville. But remember that they were still singing Christmas morning after the Grinch took away their pantookas and dafflers and wuzzles. And when he heard them singing and saw their joy without the packages, boxes, and bags, his heart grew three sizes. And what did the Whos do next? They invited him to the Who Christmas Feast.

So enjoy all your Christmas activities to the fullest! I surely intend to. This year I’m making gingerbread cookies. But don’t forget to slow down and remember what – and whom – Christmas is for: everyone! And that’s why we should share it with everyone. Everyone except the little drummer boy.