The Sunday after Christmas we will not have in-person or online services. Instead we’re all worshipping from home. We hope this guide helps you have a meaningful time of worship at home. Here are the things you will need:

• A candle and a lighter

• A Bible

• Elements for communion (like bread and juice)

After you’ve gathered those items, look over this post so you will be prepared for what’s coming:

• Video devotion from Jared

• Three worship songs

• A time of communion

• Giving

• Watch either The Nativity Story or The Star

Video Introduction

Worship with song

In the passage from John that Jared read, we see this beautiful collision as Jesus enters our world–the unholy with the Holy, the created with the Creator, the darkness with the Light, the finite with the Infinite, the promise made Flesh. Our Christmas celebration doesn’t end when the last gifts are unwrapped and all the Christmas cookies are eaten. Instead, we continue our celebrating because Jesus’s birth is just the beginning. From John 1:12: “Yet to all who receive Him [who accept Him just as the gifts we received], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Receiving Him is truly the best gift we could ever receive. And so for that reason, we lift our voices in song to praise our loving, generous Father.

– Rachel Cowgur, Worship Arts Director

Communion

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:19-20) 

Jesus promised to spare us eternal death and cover our sins by His own blood. He broke His body and poured Himself out so that, if we believe, we can have a relationship with Him forever. 

We would like to invite you to take communion in your home—by yourself or with your family! We will break it down for you below. You just have to…prepare, pause, pray, partake, and praise! 

If you have kids, this is a great time to introduce them to communion and take time to really explain why we do this. At the bottom of this, you will find some helpful questions and conversation starters. 

– Keith Cabral, Discipleship Pastor

Prepare 

Get your communion elements and plan ready. There should be some type of bread element and some type of juice element. You probably already have these things in your house! Think about what you are going to say or read during this time (look to the next section for some ideas). Know how you’ll pass out the elements. Prepare the atmosphere. Communion may need a little explanation—don’t expect everyone in your home to know what to do. Communion is meant to be a personal, yet shared experience. If it works for you, you may want to sing a song together.

Pause

A big part of communion is remembering and reflecting. Remember the sacrifice and promise that Jesus made. You may want to read a Scripture because we know that the Word of God is living and active - here are some ideas:

• Psalm 22 

• Isaiah 53 

• John 19 

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 

• Ephesians 2:1-10 

• Philippians 2:1-11 

Communion should also involve personal reflection. It’s a time to examine our relationship with the Lord and with others. 

Pray

Thank God for what He has done and His promises to us with prayers of gratefulness, joy, and hope. It’s great to pray quietly, but there is something special about praying aloud by yourself or with your family! 

Partake

Give instructions on what to do and when. Don’t leave people guessing. Following the example in Scripture, we eat the bread, followed by the cup. Feel free to offer prayers of praise in between. 

Praise 

Communion should lead to praise. Jesus has made a way for us to receive forgiveness and life! Often communion is a joyous celebration - a fun reminder of our great God. We don’t have communion because of obligation. We have communion as a proclamation of Jesus’ promise of salvation!

Talk About Communion With Your Kids

Communion was Jesus’s idea!

Jesus had this idea when He was having a special dinner with His disciples. The dinner was to remember something called Passover which had happened a long time before Jesus was born. It was a miraculous event where an angel of the Lord passed over the land and protected the Israelites from being killed by a mean king. Every year, the people would celebrate the Passover to remember how God had saved them. That’s what Jesus and the disciples were celebrating at the time of the first communion. 

This meal was important for another reason. It was the last meal Jesus would have with His disciples. Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him. He was going to go to the cross to die for the sins of the people. But the disciples didn’t know that yet. So, Jesus used this last supper to explain what He was about to do for them.

Communion is a way to remember what Jesus did on the cross.

That’s why Christians still take communion to this day. It’s about being reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross and it’s a time to celebrate how He has saved us. When you do communion, the bread and juice symbolize what Jesus did for us. The bread is a symbol of His body that was broken for us. The juice symbolizes His blood that was spilled to pay for our sins.

Giving

“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:7-9

Giving is an act of worship that moves our heart towards God. Jesus gave up everything for us. When we choose to give, we thank God who has so abundantly provided for us, and we show that we put our trust in Him and not in the treasures that we can store up for ourselves here on Earth. Visit our Giving Page if you would like to make a gift. If you automate your giving online, take a moment to pray and re-dedicate your time, efforts and gifts to God.

Watch a movie

In keeping with the theme of our series Coming Attraction, we invite you to watch a movie that tells the story of the birth Jesus. Here are two movies that we recommend:

1. The Nativity Story— Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.

2. The Star—A small but brave donkey and his animal friends become the unsung heroes of the greatest story ever told, the first Christmas.

Take time to reflect with these questions after watching the movie: 

• How did this movie help you think differently about the birth of Jesus?

• What did you notice about the people first impacted by the arrival of Jesus? 

• How did this story help you understand what is Good News about the birth of Jesus?

Thanks for worshiping at home with us this morning. Enjoy the rest of this Christmas season, and we’ll see you next Sunday, January 2nd, as we kick off the New Year together!

– BP Staff Team