7 Ways to Cultivate Worship this Christmas

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I am sharing 7 ways to cultivate worship in the every day of our Christmas Season that slows us down to good tidings of joy and peace.

But how do we capture this season of joy and peace with jam-packed calendars full of shopping, Christmas pageants, baking, and getting ready for family visits?

By intentionally cultivating the worship of Jesus in our daily Christmas activities, we hold on to the mystery of Immanuel. The season of Christmas is an opportunity to revere the birth of Jesus and the wonder of the incarnation. We live a worship lifestyle by bringing Jesus into our homes and hearts.

The season of Christmas is an opportunity to revere the birth of Jesus and the wonder of the incarnation. We live a worship lifestyle by bringing Jesus into our homes and hearts. via @deborahrutherford #worship #christmas #devotional Click To Tweet

7 Ways to Cultivate Worship –

Worship through adornment: 

Hang fragrant evergreen garlands across fireplace mantels and staircases. Decorate a Christmas tree with your favorite ornaments. Add scented potpourri or an essential oil diffuser with classic smells like frankincense, pine, or myrrh. By stringing twinkling lights and arranging seasonal candles, we remind ourselves of the stars that beheld our Savior on the night He was born. Placing a wreath with red and gold ribbons, flowers, and bells on your door ushers in joy. A Nativity set brings the birth of Jesus into your home. As the children look upon baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the animals, and the shepherds, they will better understand Jesus, who was born as a baby just like them.

By stringing twinkling lights and arranging seasonal candles, we remind ourselves of the stars that beheld our Savior on the night He was born. via @deborahrutherford #Advent #Christmas #Worship Click To Tweet

Worship by reading the Story: 

Gather the family together to read the birth story of Jesus in the book of Matthew and Luke (Matthew 1:18-23, Luke 1:26-56, 2:1-38). There is nothing like reciting Scripture with our children. The birth of Jesus is the most remarkable event in all human history. In my last post, Preparing for the Greatest Celebration Ever, I wrote about the Advent season, which helps us focus on the reason for the season – Jesus Christ. As we read Advent devotionals, we experience the greatest Story ever told every day.

Worship through Music: 

Sing traditional Christmas carols like “Silent Night,” “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,” and “Mary, Did You Know?” Get all your Christmas albums, CDs, and movies out because there is never too much Christmas music. Welcome the church choir over to sing like angels for you. Afterward, serve piping hot cider and freshly baked sugar cookies. Pull out the acoustic guitar and hop on the piano to play Christmas carols together. God loves to hear us sing!

Worship through Fellowship: 

Relax with forever friends in intimate and robust conversations around a roaring fire pit. Cozy up as winter chill brings you closer to each other. Invite neighbors over for a lingering meal and fellowship. Welcome family stayovers to build puzzles that take days and play your favorite board games. Also, have a couple of your child’s friends spend the night baking cookies and doing arts and crafts. Curl up on the couch with throw blankets and oversized pillows, snacking on popcorn and roasted pumpkin seeds while watching your favorite Christmas movies, specials, and concerts. Together we “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24 ESV).

Worship through God’s creations: 

Stroll in God’s awe-inspiring wonderland. Skate through snowy ice ponds gazing at endless starscapes. Have a family nearby walk or hike. Listen to a morning dove’s soothing song while spying on graceful cardinals seeking acorns and seeds. Sip creamy hot chocolate during breathtaking sunsets still in quietude. In God’s wonderland, there is an orchestration of exquisite music, even in the silence of nature. Be in the Christmas that never ends. “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16 ESV).

Worship through giving: 

Be humble and kind, for we can be a gift to others as they are to us. As the birth of Jesus is a gift to us, we demonstrate our gratefulness in giving. It can be as simple as baking your favorite cookies for your neighbor or giving a card to the mail carrier. Send out Christmas cards early with a personal note and picture inside. Make handmade presents through crafts, sewing, or baking. This is also the time to be charitable, generous, and of service to those in need and at church. Help the children pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. Give cheerfully and generously because “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV). 

Worship through comfort: 

For those who are hurting at this time of year, you can find comfort in the Book of John. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27 ESV). The peace of Jesus sustains in the valleys and mountains, the struggles, and the challenges of life. Because God comforts us in our suffering, we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). By taking the time to minister to each other, we bring comfort to the brokenhearted, hope to the hopeless, and relief to the suffering. Reach out with fellowship, hospitality, and kindness.

Slow Down to Good Tidings of Joy

We can ensure that our families have good tidings of joy this Christmas as we intentionally cultivate worship in our daily schedule. Although this season can be busy, we find what is essential when we slow down to the good tidings of Christmas. What better way to show our children what Christmas is about? The daily worship of God will sustain us when the schedule gets tight and families are overwhelmed.

As we cultivate worship, we engage our Creator, who gives us supernatural strength and energy when needed, calms our spirits, and soothes our weary bones. While there will be complications, like a package not arriving on time or an unexpected guest, we will roll through with grace sustained by our heavenly Father.

The excitement of Christmas builds with each candle lit, the warmth of an open fire, and the daily reading of Scripture, each one a reminder of the birth of our Lord Jesus.

In the joyful moments of hymns and carols, we reach into the heavens joining the Angels in their Hallelujah. 

In the joyful moments of hymns and carols, we reach into the heavens joining the Angels in their Hallelujah. via @deborahrutherford #Christmas #Christmascarols #Advent Click To Tweet

As we spend precious shared meals and time together, we create lasting memories celebrating each other as we rejoice with Jesus. This is a season we will cherish all year long.

While dwelling in God’s wonderland, gratitude builds in our hearts for His love and the beauty of His creations and blessings.

This Christmas season, hold on to the mystery of Immanuel. Each day worship God in our daily activities, giving Him our full attention and calendar. 

When we intentionally cultivate a season of worship amid the busyness, we develop a profound communion with God that will carry our families through this season into the new year. 

This can be the year when Christmas never ends. For this is the story of Jesus, and the story of Jesus is forever.

This can be the year when Christmas never ends. For this is the story of Jesus, and the story of Jesus is forever. via @deborahrutherford #Christmas #Worship #Devotional Click To Tweet

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