Advent Reflection: 14th December

Every day this Advent we will be sharing reflections from Christian authors. Today's is by Claire Musters.

Christmas is a time for families – that’s what we are told. That is true to a certain extent; many of us gather with extended family in a way that we don’t throughout the rest of the year. But statements like that can hurt those who no longer have families for whatever reason. It is so important as Christians to remember that God places us within church families – we are to care and love one another deeply and practically right around the year. And that includes Christmas.

That’s why my family traditions around Christmas have changed. My father is not a Christian, and our local church when I was a child met in a school so we didn’t have a Christmas service. That means we never left my dad on Christmas Day. We had our own traditions, which included opening presents leisurely together straight after breakfast.

When my husband became pastor of our church that tradition stayed, because our church met in a school that closed for the holidays too. But, a few years ago, we purchased our own building and he wanted to start doing a Christmas Day service. I found it hard to begin with, as it disrupted our usual Christmas holiday plans. We could no longer travel to be with our biological families before Christmas Day and, being one of the few musicians around for Christmas, it meant I had an extra job to do in an already exceedingly busy time!

But there is something special about being together to celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Day. We are united in our love for Him – and hopefully for each other too! To be able to greet one another and then worship Him sets us up so well for whatever festivities are lined up afterwards. It gives us a chance to pause and reflect, rather than get swept away in celebratory forgetfulness.

Our Christmas Days are currently organised around visiting my parents, as my mother is too ill to travel. So our church family know that we have to shoot off quickly after the service. Having been open and honest with them about the struggles and difficulties within my own family, it means that they are supportive and caring, helping us to do that by a few volunteers being willing to stay back and lock up the building.

I know that others in our church invite those who would otherwise be on their own to join them for Christmas lunch. In the past, I’ve helped out at churches that provide Christmas lunches for the homeless. It is wonderful to see the heart of those willing to serve in that way year in, year out. Because, while rewarding, it can also be a sacrifice.

It is hard not to be affected by the commercialisation of Christmas. We can get caught up in wanting to buy the latest gadgets for our nearest and dearest, and indulge in far too much food and drink! Let’s remember how Jesus was with people, so that we are intentional about reaching out to others, deepening those relationships we already have and sharing Christ’s love to our community too.

Taking off the Mask by Claire Musters: Too often we hide our true selves from the world behind masks we have carefully constructed, but this is not how God created us to be . Through her own personal story Claire Musters shows how it is possible to take off these masks and live a freer and more authentic life.

Click here to find out more.