Our Christmas Tradition

Our Christmas Tradition The shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped and the food is prepared. It’s time to gather with your family this Christmas and begin, renew or continue with traditions that will last for generations to come. This Christmas you are invited to share in our family tradition at your home. Invite your guests to bring nativity sets, candles, manger animals, and straw for use for a miniature nativity scene. You may request family and friends to bring a framed picture of a loved one who has passed. Play a beautiful holiday song and lead children in a slow procession into a dim family room and place on a low coffee table offerings and items that have been shared by your guests. Then when a beautiful scene has been created have an adult light the candles and lead your family in prayer while the second song is playing softly. (song suggestions: Who Would Imagine a King – Whitney Houston (during procession) and Silent Night – Christina Aguilera during a slow reading of “A Christmas Prayer”) A Christmas Day (Eve) Prayer Dear God, tonight (today) we offer our Christmas tradition to honor your Son and this special prayer from All Of Us: We are thankful that on this Day (Eve) of Christmas we, along with millions of people around the world, are celebrating together the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We are grateful for our family and friends who have safely traveled near and far to be together on Christmas. Our decorations and beautiful lights serve as gentle reminders of the star filled night of Your son’s birth. The Christmas tree which represents eternal life is in the midst of our homes putting Christ at the center of our lives --and we pray --together --for His presence every day of the year. Tonight (Today) we gather around the tree to share the gift of giving and honor Jesus on this glorious holy night (Day). We thank you Lord for blessing us with food to eat, and acknowledge our gift of abundance while so many others have less or none. We pray that the less fortunate are not forgotten and have received blessings from others who are near them. We pray that we become compassionate people that will serve one another and please you. We offer this (new) tradition tonight (today) as a reminder to ourselves and to our future heirs that we desire to share and will strive to keep alive in our spirits the “true meaning of Christmas” for generations to come. It is through Christ’s birth and resurrection that we have hope of reuniting with all those who have gone before us -- and who will go after us to their rest, especially . . . [name all the departed (show brief slide show if you are able] or ask children to walk around room with framed pictures, and all others who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again. Dear Jesus, We pray that through God’s grace they are in Your midst celebrating the mystery of your birth, for everyday in Heaven is Christmas and that every person who passes from this earth will be in your divine presence. On this Holy night we pray together for the world to be at peace and united in love and that the spirit of Christmas will live on in our daily lives through our acts of kindness, compassion and love. Jesus, we pray in your name, Amen! Originally Posted by Cecilia Holling at 7:13 AM GODINSIGHT4ME.BLOGSPOT.COM Wednesday, December 22, 2010