An Introduction To The Worship Of The Christmas Season

The Christmas season extends from December 25 to January 5 and includes at least one Sunday and sometimes two. Christmas day is the most widely celebrated day of the Christian year. Customarily more people attend the midnight Christmas Eve service than any other celebration of the church. The shape of worship during the Christmas season will follow the general order of worship (Entrance, Word, Table, Dismissal). However each of these parts will be filled with the words, symbols, sounds, and sights of Christmas joy. It is in these parts of worship, carefully planned and played out by the congregation, that worship will form within the people the true spirit of Christmas joy. In Christmas worship the Entrance sets the tone of worship. Because Christmas is a joyous and festive occasion, use music, processions, dance, choirs, and instruments to lead the people in a joyous entrance. Many churches drop the confession from the Entrance because Christmas is not a time for penitence. In t…