Devotional

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Pastor Kip Tyler

- 4 - O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree The HowChristmas lovely are thy branches Tree O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree How lovely are thy branches

Your boughs so green in summertime Stay bravely green in wintertime O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree How lovely are thy branches

What is Christmas without a Christmas tree?

What does that song have to do with the birth of Christ?

Why trees in our living rooms? Why? Why? Why?

The origin of the Christmas tree is complicated and probably dates to influences from cultures around the world where a green branch was a sign of life, fruitfulness, and even eternal life. Thus, the song lifts up the fact the evergreen tree defies what other trees do, where they “die” in the winter, and it stays green all the time.

It is not unusual in Christianity to take prior traditions or secular objects and use them to point to the redemptive act of Christ. Jesus did this himself when he used the Passover meal which talked about the act of saving people from slavery in Egypt. He reinterpreted the bread and wine to point to God’s saving action on the cross. From the innocent death of Jesus people are saved from the slavery to sin.

So, as Christians how can we use the Christmas tree to point the next generation to the reality of Christmas?

- 5 - The reality is, of course, found in the Son of God being born with one mission and that mission is to redeem the entire world.

Here are some ideas: • You could talk about the “evergreen” nature of the tree and lead into a conversation about eternal life and what it means. John 3:16 would be a great verse to use to talk about it.

• You could talk about trees in the life of Jesus. A great resource to do this is The Tale of Three Trees. It is a timeless folktale printed in book form by numerous publishers and several postings on YouTube have readings of the story. It will generate discussion I am sure.

• The decorations you choose could help tell the story of Jesus. Take a walk around the tree and point out the ornaments and how they depict certain elements of the story. An or star on top the tree could stimulate the retelling of the birth. A stable or animals could be used. Shepherds and wise men decorations could be hung. If your children have heard the story, have them retell it by using the ornaments. Repetition creates deeper memory. It could be fun hearing their retelling!

• One of the powerful ornaments we use is a spike with a red ribbon which we hang deep in our tree. The description of the hanging of the nail is as follows:

“This is the Christmas nail. It is to be hung on a sturdy branch, a branch near the trunk, a branch that will hold such a spike without being noticed by well-wishers dropping by to admire ones tinseled tree. The nail is known only to the home that hangs it. Understood only

- 6 - by the heart that knows its significance. It is hung with a thought: The Christmas tree but foreshadows the Christ tree which only He could decorate for us, ornamented with nails as this.”

• Sing Christmas carols around the tree. This can reinforce the Christmas message, create memories as a family and tie the image of the tree with the truth of Christmas. Some of my favorites to use are “Oh Little Town of ,” “The First Noel” and “Away in a Manger.”

______NOTES: ______

- 7 - The Christmas Gift

Pastor Kip Tyler

- 8 - We three kings of orient are TheBearing Christmas gifts we traverse afar Gift Field and fountain Moor and mountain Following yonder star

[Chorus]

O star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain Gold I bring to crown Him again King forever, ceasing never Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I Incense owns a Deity nigh Prayer and praising, all men raising Worship Him, God most high

[Chorus]

Myrrh is mine Its bitter perfume breathes A life of gathering gloom Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

[Chorus]

- 9 - Glorious now behold Him arise King and God and Sacrifice! Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia Heaven to earth replies

[Chorus]

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Gift giving has been a part of Christmas since its beginning (as the carol and Scripture points out).

Matthew 2:10-12 “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

The gifts of course were given to the Christ child rather than being shared with each other. Those gifts are significant as we will see later.

But Christmas is really about a significant Gift God gave the world in His Son Jesus, our Lord and Savior! His coming fulfilled centuries of Old Testament prophecies.

Gift giving is in the DNA of Christmas!

But sometimes our gift giving can turn into self- centeredness or guilty obligation. Neither of these really reflect the Spirit of Christmas. So how might we put Christ back into the gift giving?

- 10 - Here are some ideas: • Talk about the original three gifts of the magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gold pointing to the Kingship of Christ. The frankincense which was used in the temple in worship proclaims Christ’s divinity. The myrrh, used to anoint dead bodies, reminds us of why He came, to die and save us from our sins by taking our sins to the cross as His own. If you really want to drive home the point, you could order a kit with gold (probably fake gold), frankincense and myrrh and use them as an object lesson.

• You could discuss the gift God gave us through His Son and the gracious sacrifice He made. This could lead into discussions in how we might share that same grace and mercy to others through acts of service, prayer or witness to our neighbors. This could be as simple a start as sharing some Christmas cookies with your neighbor.

• When presents are being shared during the gift opening you can teach the art of giving thanks to the one giving the gift and to God. You can discuss how we didn’t deserve any of these gifts and how they were shared in love. This could lead into a discussion about the graciousness of God, how all we have is a gift from God.

• As you share your list with others, perhaps one or more of your gift requests might be something you feel led to support, like a ministry or mission, rather than a gift for you. As you receive that gift notification you could share with the family why that ministry or mission is so important to you. You could talk about how Christ might be able to use this gift through that effort and the impact it could make.

- 11 - • Watch a Christmas movie and discuss it afterward about the giving or lack of giving depicted in the movie. You might want to preview it ahead of time if it is one unfamiliar to you, just in case it might not be appropriate for your family setting. There are plenty to choose from!

• Try to personalize your Christmas cards. I know you might find that overwhelming. Then maybe personalize a few to those you sense an opening to share the Gospel message with.

- 12 - ______NOTES: ______

- 13 - The Christmas Santa

Chris Andersen

- 14 - The SantaChristmas Claus is Coming To TownSanta

You better watch out You better not cry You better not pout I’m telling you why is coming to town

He’s making a list, He’s checking it twice, He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you’re sleeping And he knows when you’re awake He knows if you’ve been bad or good So be good for goodness sake

You better watch out! You better not cry You better not pout, I’m telling you why ‘Cause Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you’re sleeping And he knows when you’re awake He knows if you’ve been bad or good So be good for goodness sake

- 15 - I remember as a little kid my mom would always let me know that if I messed up or misbehaved, Santa was going to know. This typically started right after Halloween and would last all the way up through . On top of that, the local news station on Christmas Eve would have Santa on during the weather segment and would encourage us to go to bed, stay in bed, and sleep tight because Santa was in Omaha. This would always strike fear in me as a kid. Then Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town would play on the radio and I would hear these lyrics, “He sees you when you’re sleeping, and knows when you’re awake, He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” This song reinforced both what the weatherman and my mom have been saying, so I better be good or Santa will not come…

However, the origin of Santa Claus does not strike fear or the law in us like the song does. Santa Claus is based off who lived in the 3rd and 4th Century in modern day Turkey. His parents were well off financially, but died in an epidemic while he was a young man. Instead of holding on to his inheritance and using it for himself, Saint Nicholas decided to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. There are numerous stories that surround Saint Nicholas, but one of them, I find fascinating. There were these three impoverished girls who were provided dowries by Saint Nicholas so that they would not have to become prostitutes. Three different times there were bags of gold which had been tossed into an open window and had landed into stockings. This not only led to the custom of Santa Claus coming, but also led to the custom of hanging stockings or shoes up waiting for those to be filled by good ‘ole Saint Nicholas!

- 16 - You see, the law, which is prevalent in the song, was not part of the original Saint Nicholas. Nor is it part of the God we believe in and celebrate the birth of Christmas morning. God sent His Son into this world to be with us and to save us. We see in Matthew 1:22-23, “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” This is truly an eternal gift to all of us. We are reminded in Scripture that while we were still sinners, God loved us and that shows His grace towards all of us. His grace, in one way, comes through the birth of His Son for the entire world.

Remember – it is not because we act in a certain or conditional way, but it is by the unconditional love and grace of God – we get to enjoy the gift of Jesus!

1. When you hear the song, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, even though it is catchy and fun to sing, do some more research into the original Saint Nicholas and help spread the Christmas cheer in an unconditional way with someone and do it with not expecting anything in return.

2. Invite someone to an service or Christmas service either online or in-person, so that they may hear the story of love and grace that comes through the eternal gift of Jesus Christ, who was born on Christmas morning!

- 17 - 3. The movie, Elf says it perfectly, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Encourage others by putting your favorite Christmas hymn on your Facebook timeline, sharing your favorite rendition of a hymn with a friend, or send a Christmas hymn CD or playlist to someone who needs to hear the Christmas story of love and grace.

4. Pray for your loved ones. Spend time praying for those who only believe in what the song says of having to be good to experience a great Christmas. Pray that they might be touched by the Holy Spirit in order to receive the full and true meaning of this season. Jesus is the reason for the season!

- 18 - ______NOTES: ______

- 19 - The Christmas Elf

Chris Andersen

- 20 - The ChristmasElf on the Shelf Elf How does Santa know if you’re good or bad, Does he call or text your mom or dad? Is he watching you both day and night? Does he follow close to not let you out of sight?

No, Santa has a helper to keep an eye on you. He assigns an elf to stick to you like glue. Every morning when you wake, try and spy, From what hiding place I’ll be keeping an eye.

I’ll watch to see if you follow and obey, the rules and things your parents say. I’ll gather the info and make my reports, then each night to the North Pole via the airport.

I tell Santa the things that you’ve done, I won’t forget any, not a single one. Some things make him happy, some things make him cry, Then I’m back to your house before the sun hits the sky.

So there you have it, that’s how it’s done. It’s the that help the North Pole run. Before we get started there are two rules to know, First if you touch me I lose my magic and must go.

Second, I need a name and it must come from you, So get started thinking on your favorite on or two. Remember to be good and spread holiday cheer. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year!

- 21 - By now, you’ve probably seen the Elf on a Shelf either on shelves at the store, funny Facebook pictures, or at your own home. It is fairly new, as are concerned.

It originated from a mother and daughter back in 2005 when they published the book that was based on some of their own Scandinavian traditions. Growing up they had an elf in their house and every night he would report to Santa Claus on how they acted or what the kids wanted for Christmas. From the book being published in 2005 till 2018, 13 million elves have been sold. Parents have had and continue to have a lot of fun with moving the elf every night after he returns from his trip to deliver his report to Santa.

For many people, the Elf on a Shelf has become more of a nuisance due to the constant need to come up with ideas on what to do for the elf. Many fun things have been done with Elf on Shelf from its arrival to their departure, parents have come up with clever ideas like baking to creating messes and so on.

Can there be an even better purpose for the Elf on Shelf?

A lot of earthly idols and traditions come alive when the season begins. Paul, in the New Testament on his journeys found a lot of places that had idols or traditions that did not always reflect Jesus. In the book of Acts, Paul’s journey took him to Athens and it says “his spirit was provoked when he saw that city was full of idols.” Paul goes to the Areopagus in Athens and looks at the idols and finds one that has this inscription below it, “To the unknown God.” As Paul begins to speak, he leads people into a conversation about who God is and points them to Jesus. You can find this story in Acts 17 and I believe it correlates to how we can use the Elf on a Shelf to point others to Jesus this Advent and Christmas season.

- 22 - 1. Still have fun with your Elf on a Shelf, but have your elf spend sometime in Scripture. Have your elf highlight sections of Luke 2 every night and then read the nativity story together over a few mornings.

2. Have your Elf on a Shelf, hang out around the in your house with an explanation of who each of the people are and then share that with your family.

3. Take pictures of your Elf on a Shelf in the first two listed suggestions and share them with your friends on social media, your family, and others to help share the great news about the Birth of Jesus.

4. Pray for your friends and family who use the Elf on a Shelf. Pray that they can use the elf as a tool or instrument to be transformed by this story and to look at Christmas in a whole new and fun way!

______NOTES: ______

- 23 - 12 Days of Christmas

DecemberScripture: “Father 25 – The God, First it is byDay Your of Christmasgrace we have (Faith) been saved, and through our faith - this is not from ourselves, but a gift from you - not by our works.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Idea: Look through your Christmas cards and spend time in prayer for each of the families or individuals who sent them to you.

DecemberScripture:“May 26 –the The God Second of Hope Day fill of you Christmas with all joy (Hope) and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope.” Romans 15:4

Idea: Rather than returning “the ugly sweater” you'll never wear or the kitchen gadget you'll never use, give it away! Many places and individuals will benefit from those unwanted items. The sweater will keep someone warm, and the gadget will be sold in a secondhand store to generate funds for a ministry.

DecemberScripture: “Help 27 – usThe to Thirdlove because Day of YouChristmas first loved (Love) us.“ 1 John 4:19

Idea: Have a family movie night watching it together, Facetiming or Zooming. Have everyone put their favorite Christmas movie suggestion into the proverbial “hat” and pull one out. That will be the movie for the night. Order a pizza to make it extra fun or have a pizza delivered to the home of those who will be watching remotely.

- 24 - December 28 – The Fourth Day of Christmas (Forgiveness)Scripture: “Thank you for being faithful and just in forgiving us our sins and thus purifying us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Idea: Go to the Dollar Store and fill your cart for the One14 Food Pantry, a local women's shelter, homeless shelter or... you get the idea!

DecemberScripture: “Let 29 us – Thebe merciful, Fifth Day just of as Christmas our Father (Mercy)is merciful.” Luke 6:36

Idea: Keep saying Merry Christmas! A friendly Merry Christmas to a clerk or friend or stranger or whoever; goes a long way in not only preserving the joy of Christmas and sharing the message of Christ's love but shifting the 'over and done with' mentality of a secular understanding of Christmas.

DecemberScripture: “Let 30 us – Thebe kind Sixth and Day compassionate of Christmas to (Kindness)one another, forgiving each other, just as through Jesus, You forgave us.” Ephesians 4:32

Idea: Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or shelter.

December 31 – The Seventh Day of Christmas (Generosity)Scripture: “Let us be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, and to give the glory and thanks to the Lord!” 2 Corinthians 9:11

- 25 - Idea: Put Together "Blessing Bags" to keep in your car for someone in need. You've probably seen the idea. Keep a large Ziploc bag filled with small items which can be easily handed out if you come upon someone who is homeless or begging. Inside the bag might be items like warm socks, granola bars, gift cards for a local restaurant, a toothbrush, soap, a Bible, or anything else you might think could be helpful

January 1 – The Eighth Day of Christmas Scripture(Compassion): “Let us live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic and compassionate, love as brothers, and be humble.” 1 Peter 3:8

Idea: Start the new year by signing on as a participant to BlessEveryHome.com and select Lutheran Church of the Master as your home church. It’s free and confidential. It gives you the tools to become a Light for Christ in your neighborhood through praying for, caring for, sharing the Gospel with, and discipling your neighbors. You will be provided tools to be able to know your neighbors by name so you can begin to build relationships with them. You will receive optional daily reminders with a prayer prompt and 5 neighbors to pray for that day.

JanuaryScripture: 2 “Let – The us be Ninth joyful Day in hope, of Christmas patient in (Joy) affliction, faithful in prayer.“ Romans 12:12

Idea: Those of us privileged to live in places where we are free to pursue our faith sometimes forget there are people in other places whose celebrations of Christmas could come at the cost of their freedom or lives. Go to www.persecution.com and read about Christians being persecuted throughout the world. Then take some special time to pray for them.

- 26 - ScriptureJanuary: 3 “Thank – The youTenth for providingDay of Christmas Jesus who (Salvation) is the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to You.” John 14:6

Idea: Spend 20 minutes or so online, either alone or as a household, researching poverty issues in your area. Make a commitment to volunteer or donate more during the coming year to serve the poor.

January 4th – The Eleventh Day of Christmas (Obedience)Scripture: “Help us to not merely listen to Your Word, and so deceive ourselves. Help us do what it says.” James 1:22-25

Idea: Spend an hour or so going through your closets and drawers to find clothing you seldom wear and donate it.

JanuaryScripture: 5th “Thank – The you Twelfth for coming Day that of Christmaswe may have (Life) life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Idea: Do something nice for medical staff at a local hospital, education staff at a local school, firefighters at a local station, and/or etc. You get the idea!

- 27 - Advent 2020