Northview Blog Ways to Make an Online Christmas Eve Service Feel Special December 8, 2020 When I was a kid, every year on Christmas Eve, my parents allowed me to pick one present from under the tree to open a day early. I was always excited at the prospect of having something before I was “supposed to.” It would give me a whole extra day to play with it, wear it or listen to it. The sky was limitless with my expectations! I would pick up each wrapped package, giving it a little squeeze and shake, to see if I could guess what was inside before I selected “the one.” Since the gifts were all wrapped, the item I chose was completely hidden, and I never really knew what was inside, despite my best efforts. Some years, it was the best gift ever, not to be topped in the history of gifts. Other times, it was a big disappointment (socks inside a shoe box, for crying out loud). I would beg to open another one and mope around wishing I had chosen better.Fast forward to having my own kids, we keep the tradition of opening a gift on Christmas Eve, but they know it will always and forever be pajamas! Yes, this takes away from the surprise, but it also never disappoints because they know what to expect.Each and every day, God gives us something far better than any package wrapped under a Christmas tree. He gives us the free gift of Jesus. This gift brings us the ability to have a relationship with Him and the knowledge that there is a heavenly home waiting for us when this life on Earth is over. Thankfully, the gift of Jesus is not hidden beneath wrapping paper and is not a letdown like receiving socks as a present can be! Jesus wants us to be like little kids, anticipating His return and being excited to be in His presence in the meantime. We know what the gift is from our heavenly father, we just don’t know when it will come, so we should be excitedly waiting.You can have the opportunity to open the gift of Jesus a day early by tuning in to one of the many Christmas Eve services at northviewchurch.us. Instead of being on the receiving end of the service, consider making the online Christmas Eve service special by turning it into a time of celebration. Here are a few ways you can do that:• Commit to setting aside the time to enjoy an online service and mark it on your calendar now. Invite friends and family near and far to join you physically or virtually. Afterwards, plan to talk about the service and have a time of fellowship.• Set the mood in your house to prepare for the service. Get dressed up like you would if you were attending the service in person, and snap a photo of yourself to send to friends and family. • To fully immerse yourself in the experience, tap into your senses by lighting a scented candle, plugging in Christmas lights and playing music in the background before the service starts. • Take communion after the service to continue in your time of worship and connection with God. Don’t forget to have grape juice and crackers ready to go!Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3) by Heather Goble-Sorrells Relationships Spiritual Growth