This we know: everyone decorates for the Christmas holidays with their own family treasures. Even my friend who only tapes a Little Debbie Christmas Tree to her kitchen counter hangs something up to celebrate. Why not add a sacred and fun way to celebrate the hanging of the greens at home for littles and their bigs? Using a Canva template, we prepared a paper guide for Hanging Of The Greens At Home. Along with an Advent pop-up calendar, our families are ready to celebrate! 

Hanging of the Greens is the time we decorate our homes for the season of Advent and Christmas. As you prepare your home spaces for the coming of the holidays, let us prepare our hearts and minds to remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

Christmas tree
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we set up this tree the Holy Spirit reminds us to keep growing in our knowledge of Jesus who came as a baby to save the world.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Wreath
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we hang this wreath the Holy Spirit reminds us that God’s love is ’round about His people.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Candle
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we light this candle the Holy Spirit reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Nativity set
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we see this nativity the Holy Spirit reminds us that God chose ordinary people to do extraordinary things to tell people about Jesus.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Special decoration
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we set up this special Christmas decoration the Holy Spirit reminds us to tell our special family stories of how Jesus has loved us. (Share the story of why this decoration is so special).
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Special snack or beverage
Say: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Read aloud: When we come to the table to eat and drink the Holy Spirit reminds us to taste and see that the Lord is good.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!

Everyone sings: Joy to the World, the Lord has come.
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart prepare Him room.
Let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing,
Let heaven and heaven and nature sing.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

When we sing together of the Lord and His great works, we are reminded of our common dreams, our common trust, our common beliefs that our God is an awesome God, He is mighty to save, and His grace is amazing how sweet the sound. Christians singing reminds us where we came from and to whom we belong. We share our beliefs in our great, creator God, our friend, savior Jesus, and our guide and comforter the Holy Spirit in shared lyrics, in rhythm. We etch these thoughts and beliefs in our memory banks because rhythm and long-term memory are right next to each other in our brains. Thank you, O great and wise Creator!

Our Bibles are filled with the songs of celebration and lament shared by God’s people. Of all the things that made it into Miriam’s backpack when she was told to pack to leave Egypt and head into the desert, she brought a tambourine. A quick evacuation was hardly the time to think of singing and dancing, yet she and a whole bunch of women thought to bring instruments for at some unknown point, they’d be singing before the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. They were right! An evil spirit took over King Saul until the boy David played his harp. The songs of a child kept evil spirits at bay! Acts 16 has Paul and Silas broken, bodies torn, chained, hungry, hurting, thirsty, dark, sore at midnight breaking into song to equip them to persevere. Colossians 3 reminds us to sing to one another of the Lord to teach and grow a heart of gratitude. When we sing, we are praying in rhythm from the depths of our souls and it pleases the Lord.

I know of small gatherings of Christians in this country who gather for worship and shut the blinds, turn off the lights, and pull their children close….just to sing praises to the Lord. They sing acapella because instruments are too loud and they’ll be heard, reported, arrested, fined, and imprisoned. This is not an act of rebellion, but rather a weekly measure of sustaining mental and spiritual health. Just think: entire genres of music have come out of human history of oppression, sorrow, disappointment, and despair to offer hope. Hope is felt when we sing these songs together.

Beth Moore wrote Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy in 2016. She teaches from 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” The word servants here comes from the Greek huperetes with hupo = under, beneath and eretes = a rower. Think of the third-tier rowers, the under-rowers, of those days were men crammed into the bottom of a sailing vessel rowing without knowing where they were headed, backs to the front, all moving in sync to a common destination, moved by the muscles of many in tandem without much light, weary, sweaty, in repetition, but moving onward against the tide, together. The speed and synchronicity of movement was set by song. A song sung at times by one, at times by some, and at times by all of the under-rowing sailors.

Singing in community is a super spreader of the pandemic and who knows what else. I confess it’s terribly awkward to sing in the living room or to a laptop. When I sing, I’m just loud unless I’m in community. Then I sound pretty good. Anyone else sound better in a choir or with others or is that just me?

If we, like Paul, profess to be slaves to Christ, we are under-rowers. I’ve got to sing! Beth Moore says, “Sometimes the song reminds us it’ll be worth the work.”

A dear friend who listens to me wrestle with these tensions said just last week, “My voice has changed because it’s not being used.”

I’m not sure I want to wave the banner of rebellion. I’m a rule follower and I submit to the authority over me. Like everything else, I must find a way to do it differently because that’s what love requires of me. I have committed to sing every day in my home, in my car, and with my family. I will encourage my ministry families to sing each day. I will do my best to do no harm, but I will sing….I must sing. My heart needs to sing, my head needs to hear the music shared with the saints who have gone before me, our children know there is joy in the home when Mama sings.

I’ve brought out my CDs from the 90s and early 2000s of gospel hymns, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Michael W. Smith, 4Him, and Point of Grace. I know all the words and I can sing as loud as I want in my car with tears streaming down my face in ugly cry for these were my helps when I was teaching my own children the language of our shared faith. 

We are about to enter a season which is defined by bright lights, evergreens, the babe in a manger, and seasonal music. These words repeated year after year stick in our minds and hearts with personal memories attached and are filled with the language of our faith. The apostle Paul reminded the young Timothy to remain trained in the words, the language, of our faith. We have always used music as a vehicle to pass along the language of our faith in Jesus to littles. Music makes words and language sticky. Especially for littles. And if it’s good for littles, it’s good for everyone. It’s just going to look different.

I’m packing my tambourine….

“Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Through eternal ages let His praises ring; Glory in the highest I will shout and sing. Standing on the promises of God.”

“He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.” Psalm 96:1-2

We started teaching the Christmas story last Sunday…in November…in the Sunday school discipleship hour….with power tools, a virus kit, six boxes of Legos, slime, stickers, gold beads, and money.

The research from Lifeway, The Barna Group, and in my own personal experiences continue to report that one of the most impactful and equipping opportunities offered by the local church community for students who never left their faith as teens or young adults was to give young people experiences in vocational discipleship….robust conversation with Titus 2 men and women who love Jesus and are living out their calling in the world.

“Vocational discipleship involves being aware of the career aspirations of teens and young adults in our communities, and helping them to connect those goals with how God designed work.” (Faith For Exiles by Kinnaman and Matlock, pg. 156)

This is how we will teach the Christmas story this season through these experiences.

Families registered their students for their top two preferences of small groups for the seven weeks of November and December. They will remain in these small groups, in these specific spaces, with this leader for all of November and December.

K5-2^nd grade – Knowing God through Sticker Art, Science, Lego building, and Games led by a musician, a scout leader, a dentist, and an evangelist. All are living out their calling to love the Lord and their neighbor in their chosen, skilled vocation.

3^rd grade – We have a rite of passage/ tradition of this age level learning and making Chrismons in November then will become part of a class of K5-5^th graders for Nativity worship art in December, as well as any students who begin attending after the November 8^th  led by an art teacher of the year who loves the Lord and her neighbor.

4^th & 5^th grade – Knowing God through Nursing Science, Power Tools, Money Matters, and Worship Art led by a nurse, a general contractor, an accountant, and another art teacher of the year. All who are living out the great commandment and great commission in their daily line of work.

Each week they’ll lead their small group in learning about the major players in the Christmas story: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Gabriel, Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, the posse of animals and angels, Jesus, and the Wisemen.

The weekly online classroom will be set up each week to learn more about each major player which will also serve as the background for each of the leaders and our families with curated online content. The leads will teach the who (basic facts of the major player), the where (find it in the Bible), and the WOW! (why it matters) along with a discussion question. Then they are off to learn the focused skill for the remaining time.

With the goals of vocational discipleship, dedicated time spent with Titus 2 men and women (the best way for kids to learn to love Jesus is to spend time with people who love Jesus), and a call to families to “come on home,” I can’t wait to see how God will continue to grow kids’ hearts and minds, hands and feet, to the One and Only who loves them best: Jesus!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Colossians 3:23

Thirty years ago, our country shut down. My last day of elementary school that year was Friday the 13th of March. Just the weekend before I was arguing with Mom for more screen time. Little did we know that we’d be spending more time in front of that screen to learn, to connect with family and friends, and not just play.

I loved it! We stayed home. We played games. If we needed something, our church gave us stuff, our school gave us stuff, our neighbors gave us stuff, and we shared our stuff with other people. We wore our pajamas every day, baked bread and cookies, and didn’t worry about cleaning up so much. Dance parties in the kitchen! Some people had a lot of toilet paper, so they shared with those who didn’t. We left bags of stuff at my grandparents, but I didn’t get to hug them. The news said it wasn’t safe. I was bummed. 

We drove by our church for surprises in goodie bags of toys, books, snacks, crayons, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk. We raised our hands and talked to God before heading home to find out what was in the bags. So much sidewalk chalk! We drew on our drive way, the neighbor’s driveway, and the sidewalks in our neighborhood. Every now and then there would be lines and lines of cars honking horns in our subdivision with signs and balloons. Like a parade!

Once it was really summer for real, we had church in our parking lot. Sometimes we drove through the drive-thru and picked up dinner to eat in the back of the car for supper. It was like Vacation Bible School, but in our car. With Mom. With Dad. Sometimes my grandma came! We heard a story about Jesus, popped balloons, prayed, played games, and danced. Even in the rain!

As much as Mom and Dad wanted us to watch church on TV, we just wanted to play. We started wearing masks everywhere we went. We went camping and made forts in the living room with flashlights and sheets.

Before 2020 I went to church with other kids and had some great church teachers, but after COVID I got to meet so many more people at my church and all over town. I met people of all ages in my church and lots of other kid’s parents. We kept camp chairs and bicycles in the back of the car so we’d always be ready to meet up with people at the church, the park, and the ball fields.

We didn’t get to visit our grandparents, but we talked on the phone and zoomed with them often. It felt good to see them. I missed them. They must have missed me, too, because they wrote me letters and mailed postcards to me. I especially remember the animal fun facts postcards about eagles and national parks. They sent postcards to my sister about princesses and famous women in science. I miss my grandparents, but I know we will see each other in Heaven one day because they talked to me about Jesus and prayed for me to love Him for my whole life. I have their Bibles all written in and read from them often, especially when I want to feel close to them or I’m going through a tough time.

My family’s traditions around the holidays came from my parents and grandparents so we’d have fun and be reminded who we belonged to. They told us over and over that God is good, God created us, Jesus loves us, and we are better together however together looks. We talked with each other. We talked to God in prayer. together We played together. We laughed together. We cooked together. We took walks and adventures together. They loved me to Jesus and showed me how to love my own kids to Jesus.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.” 3 John 4