Tag: christmas-eve

Christmas Eve Eve (aka…the Night before the Preacher’s Super Bowl)

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

It’s Christmas Eve Eve. 

In the sentence above, the red squiggly line on my computer screen under the second “Eve” indicates it should not be there. The computer wants to delete the repetitive word. But that’s the point, it’s Eve’s Eve. Today is the day before Christmas Eve. It’s the day for getting last minute things done. It’s a day like no other. 

Today is the frazzled day of last minute shopping. Need anything from Wal-Mart? Count the presents. Make sure everyone is fairly gifted. Volunteer to battle the crowds for the good of the family; grab a last minute stocking stuffer and a gallon of milk. It’s the day to wrap the last few items. The family begins to gather from faraway places. What’s for dinner? Order a pizza. It’s Christmas Eve Eve.

When you are a believer but not the preacher on Christmas Eve, today is the day to remind your friends and family of the Christmas Eve service time. It’s the day to give that last minute invite to non-churched friends. It’s the day to make sure your row is packed with people who are ready to celebrate the Object of all our gatherings—Jesus.

When you are the preacher, Christmas Eve Eve is the night before the Super Bowl. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service has the highest percentage of non-church goers than any other service of the year. More than Easter. More than Mother’s Day. Christmas Eve is the big day. Tomorrow is it. Which means, with all of the Christmas joy and carols and lighting of candles, still the Gospel must be preached. It’s not for nostalgia sake that we are gathering, but for Jesus. Folks need to know that there is an answer to their deepest needs. Jesus is the One who proclaimed, I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). So on this Silent Night, the preacher can’t be quiet about the Good News. It’s too important.

Dear Christmas Eve preacher, no pressure, but it’s game time! The Super Bowl is tomorrow. Get plenty of sleep. Be ready. Be excited. Preach well and let Jesus do the rest. Go tell it on the mountain (or from the pulpit): Jesus Christ is born and that Good News makes all the difference. 

Dear Potential Christmas Eve Worshipper!

On By Rob Prince

Merry Christmas! 

I’m not sure what led you to contemplate coming to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service…

  • Maybe your grandma invited you to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Central Church. Who can say, “no” to grandma?
  • Maybe Central Church is your church, you just aren’t here much these days. Life has become busy and Sunday mornings are a challenge for you.
  • Maybe you saw on social media a picture of last year’s candlelight service and you’ve thought, “That looks pretty neat, I’m going.”
  • Maybe you’ve been thinking about trying out a church service and Christmas Eve seems like a good time to try it (FYI… You’re not wrong).
  • Maybe it’s none of those reasons, still you are planning to join the Christmas Eve Service at Central Church this Sunday at 5PM.

Yahoo! I’m so glad you will be at Central Church. 

I’m biased, super biased, so take this with a grain of salt, but I love our traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Except for Easter (duh!) it’s my favorite service of the year. 

What to Expect: 

  • A super warm welcome at the door. We’ve got great greeters.
  • A photo booth in the lobby. If you and your family want to take a Christmas picture, say “Cheese.”
  • Another warm welcome by an usher who will hand you an order of the service and ask you to take a candle. Don’t be surprised if you think, “There are nice people at this church.” I think that too.
  • A cozy pew or a balcony comfy seat. They aren’t Lazy boys but still comfortable
  • Friendly worshippers in your aisle Please note: the worshippers in your aisle might be new too, so pretend you are not new and greet them with a smile and “Merry Christmas!”
  • An orchestra rendition of a Trans-Siberian Orchestra song. You’ll love it. Trust me.
  • A lot of carols (join in singing or simply listen. Warning: You’ll probably start singing too. It’s hard not to join in. To quote Buddy the Elf,  “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”)
  • Some brief scripture passages read from Luke 2. The Christmas story, of course. We won’t be reading from the Book of Lamentations on Christmas Eve. 
  • A choir and orchestra with a powerful Christmas song. Be prepared for a jaw dropping “Wow!” to come out of your mouth. 
  • A cute kids’ Christmas video. Hey, who doesn’t love a cute kids’ Christmas videos?
  • A brief message by yours truly. The common misnomer –ahem– is that “brief” and “sermon” can’t be used in the same sentence, I’ll do my best to change that narrative.
  • Lighting a candle and sing Silent night (see the above Buddy the Elf quote) with a 1200+ of your newest friends. The warm glow in the sanctuary will be one of the most beautiful moments you will experience. No joke, it’s awesome!

Best of all what to expect:

God Almighty (that’s right the Creator of the universe, who came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem, grew to be a man, was arrested, beaten, crucified and buried, then rose on third day, and later ascended to heaven—that God Almighty) will very probably speak to you. Somewhere in the service—maybe in the singing, scripture reading, brief message from your truly (yes, brief) or when you’re singing Silent night—God Almighty will speak to you. Probably not in an audible voice, more likely in a deep-in-your-bones reality. You’ll get a sense that God loves you and wants the very best for you. You’ll get the impression that if God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. It’s a Divine Appointment, God has you on His calendar!

What to do next: 

Be receptive. Be open. Be honest. Be real. Be ready to receive the best Christmas gift ever—Jesus himself! 

Can’t wait to see you on December 24th at 5PM!

I’ll be the guy wearing a jacket, holding a Bible and doing my best to remember the K.I.S.S. Sermon method (Keep It Short, Silly). 

See you soon!

Pastor Rob

P.S. We have an “unplugged” service on Christmas Eve morning at 11AM. No Drums, no candles (except for in the advent wreathe) just a “chill-lax” service led by Pastor Joel Close (and a couple of other Close family members), singing carols and Pastor Jon Gildner keeping us focused on the Prince of Peace. I think you’ll love that service too.