FocusOnTheFamily

Pastor Scrooge: Six tips to get through Christmas with a joyful spirit

Written by Laird Crump

Can I make a confession, just between you and me?

I was a pastor for 25 years. During those years, my least favourite ministry season was Christmas. I know, you are probably quite disappointed in me, but that is the figgy pudding truth.

When I first started ministry as a youth pastor, we ran an annual formal Christmas banquet for the youth of our church. It was a wonderful event and we pulled out all the stops. It certainly got everyone in the Christmas spirit. Usually though, by the time we had cleaned up, I was exhausted and our student ministry team was scoring high in the Grinch factor!

When I became a senior pastor, I was frequently the driving force – and lead singer, I might add – of our annual Christmas drama productions. Although that was a lot of fun, I had lost my “Ho! Ho! Ho!” by the time December 25th arrived.

And, of course, there was always the mandatory Christmas Eve service. Frankly, this really ticked me off because by Christmas Eve, all I wanted was to enjoy my family in the comforts of my own home. Yes, I know, it is a great outreach opportunity and probably needs to continue.

On top of this was the Christmas sermon series. Within a few years of entering into the pastorate, I had taught on all the best Bible passages and had used up all of my favourite Christmas illustrations. How does a pastor preach with creativity on a subject that most Christians know like the back of their hand?

Yes, you may think of me as Pastor Scrooge and I fully admit that I had some attitudinal problems. But at the same time, it is helpful for me to identify and validate those “Bah! Humbug!” feelings I had as a pastor. Now, maybe you are the kind of pastor who really does believe that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Then again, maybe you are in denial!

At the very least, Christmas is a challenging season in which to minister. Here are a few things I learned along the way that kept the jingle in my bells:

•    Make your family a priority. Book their school pageants, shopping sprees and bake sales into your calendar early so those essential family activities don’t get bumped. Clearly communicate your ministry schedule to your spouse and children. Let them know when you are engaged in church activities and don’t expect them to be at every church activity you’re at.
•    Cancel all unnecessary committee or board meetings in December. I found that meetings in December are poorly attended. It’s better to have an extra meeting the end of November or bump it into January than to cram it into the Christmas season.
•    Prepare your sermons early or bring in a guest speaker. Sermon preparations can easily take 20 hours a week. There may even be a few wise men in your congregation who you could ask to deliver a Christmas sermon. Your congregation may even appreciate a new voice on the old story.
•    Cultivate a non-anxious presence. As the festive rush takes over the lives of the congregation, attempt to personify “all is calm”. You may even have to take a mid afternoon “sleep in heavenly peace” on your office couch. If we want to experience spiritual depth we need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry.
•    Don’t worry about being overly creative in your messages. There is great value in simply telling and retelling the Christmas story. One thing I frequently did was find several good Christmas stories. I put a rocking chair, side table and lamp on the platform, dimmed the sanctuary lights, played quiet instrumental Christmas music and simply read Christmas stories to my congregation. And I must confess that, while reading over these stories in my office earlier in that week, I actually shed a few tears because of how touching they were. This was a win-win outcome for both the congregation and me. They loved the stories and I saved a lot of sermon prep time.
•    Think about cancelling the Sunday service between Christmas and New Year’s Day. That is usually a slow Sunday for attendance. Instead, you can provide a family worship service outline to your people. This also gives the Sunday school teachers a much needed break and allows everyone to catch their breath before a new season of ministry begins. Contrary to what you may think, the world will not end if you cancel a service.

But what is really needed in order for clergy to see the star of wonder? In a word: perspective. For clergy to really appreciate the Christmas season, we need to move away from a professional perspective to a personal one. Lay aside the vocational roles and recognize that God sent His son Jesus into this world for you. God entered time, space and history so that you could be reconnected into the right relationship with Him through Christ. It truly is an incredible message.

Don’t forget about Christmas past and Christmas future in your Christmas present. Remember Isaiah 9:6-7: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Right now, as you read this, could you take the next 10 minutes to meditate on the personal implications of advent? Perspective transformed Mr. Scrooge. Maybe it will help Pastor Scrooge, too.

Laird Crump is the director of family ministry at Focus on the Family Canada.

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