The Children's Christmas Program

We had the kids Christmas programs in Onida and Gettysburg last Sunday.  I don’t know how long churches have done children’s Christmas programs, but it’s a long time.  It’s a tradition that goes back at least to when I was a kid, which is more years ago than it seems like it should be.  It probably goes back a lot longer than that, I don’t know.  I googled it, but I couldn’t find anything.

Traditions are fine, of course, and I’m not opposed to them.  But sometimes, it’s interesting to ask the question:  why?  Why does almost every mainstream Christian church have a children’s Christmas program?  What’s the reason for it?  I mean, we all like it.  We all enjoy seeing the kids up there, looking cute in their costumes, hopefully remembering most of their lines and not misbehaving too much.  But is that it?  Or is there another reason for it?

I think there’s another reason.  At least, I hope there is.  It seems to me that the Christmas story is one that many of us, at least those of who have are part of a church, have heard many, many times.  And like any other story that we’ve heard many times, it can stop meaning as much to us as it used to.  We stop thinking about it.  We still like hearing it, but it does not make an impact on us any more.

What the children’s Christmas program can do for us is help us hear the Christmas story in a different way.  We hear it in a different voice.  We see it through different eyes.  The point of having a children’s Christmas program is to encourage us to really think about the Christmas story.  The point is for us to realize what an incredible thing it was that God did for us by sending the divine Son to earth.

Whether you make it to a children’s Christmas program this year or not, I hope you’ll find a way to really think about the Christmas story.  I hope you’ll be able to realize what an incredible thing God did for us.  May the meaning of the Christmas story become real to all of us this year.

Have a wonderful Christmas!