Celebration + Worship
By Ben L. Kocher

It seems to me that the whole world seems to stop for Christmas. Somehow on Christmas Eve, the air seems crisper, lights seem bright and the air just feels peaceful.

As Americans, we sure know how to celebrate Christmas. We decorate our homes, inside and outside. Our towns are filled with decorations and special events such as parades and tree lighting ceremonies. Schools have concerts, churches have a multitude of special events. Yes, let's admit it: more people attend church the Sunday before Christmas than at any other time of the year.

We celebrate with office parties and open houses and lots of food, festive food. I love the food at Christmas: the cookies, the shrimp, the clam chowder (a Christmas tradition at our house), the cheese - and did I mention the cookies?

Americans know how to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Daniel Boorstein (one of my favorite historical authors), in his book The Americans: the Democratic Experience, calls Christmas "An American Festival of Consumption!''

I had the thought today that we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and everybody gets a gift except Jesus! Wouldn't it be strange if we had a birthday party for one of our loved ones and everybody got a gift, but the one whose birthday we're celebrating?

The greatest gift we can give to Jesus is worship. If we worship someone, we try to please them.

It's easy to get distracted today. There are so many things that can keep our thoughts about Christmas and not Christ. I have observed and enjoyed more than 60 Christmases, and frankly during most of them - no, all of them - thought more about Christmas than Christ.

Our greatest method to worship Jesus is not only believing in Him, but following Him. There is a huge difference.

I honestly believe if all Christians would follow Jesus, we could change the world. That would be the best gift He could receive. After all, I believe He came to change the world!