B is for the town of Bethlehem, where Jesus is born. Bethlehem was a bustling place, filled with travelers and merchants.

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1 The ABCs of Christmas as told by Mary and Hope Koon Oak Grove Presbyterian Church December 24, 2014, Family Worship Inspired by/adapted from Erin Klassen, Fidelia s Sister a publication of the Young Clergy Women Project. A is for Angels! There are so many in the Christmas story! We begin with the Angel Gabriel, who went to Mary, a young woman engaged to Joseph. Gabriel says, Good morning! You re beautiful with God s beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you! Luke 1.28, The Message B is for the town of Bethlehem, where Jesus is born. Bethlehem was a bustling place, filled with travelers and merchants. C is for census -- that s a counting of all the people that was ordered by the Roman authorities. The census was the reason so many people filled the city of Bethlehem. D is for the donkey that carried Mary on her long journey to Bethlehem to be counted. E is for Emmanuel, a fancy word that means God with us. In Jesus, God is with us as a person.

2 F is for family: Mary and Joseph and their new baby Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem. G is for the Good News that the angel proclaimed to the shepherds that holy night. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people, to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace, among those whom God favors! Luke 2 10b - 14 H is for herd -- a large group of animals so many were present with the shepherds on the hills when they saw the angels and more were with Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the place where the baby was born, keeping them warm. I is for our imaginations that transport us back to Bethlehem the night Jesus was born.

3 J is for Jesus, our friend, brother, and savior. Jesus shows us how to be truly human and alive with joy and love. K is for kindness, shown by the innkeeper that night, allowing a tired family to stay in the stable when there was no room in the inn. L is for the light and love made known to us in Jesus Christ. M is for Mary, Jesus mother, and for the manger Mary placed Jesus in, for he had no crib. N is for Noel, a French word for Christmas. It means the birthday of our Lord Jesus. O is for overjoyed! Overjoyed by the good news, the shepherds took off to see the Christ child.

4 P is for peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Q is for quiet, the deep peace that Christmas brings. R is for reveal, which means to show. The bright, shiny star in the sky revealed where Jesus was born and Jesus, himself, reveals who God is. S is for the shepherds who were visited by a heavenly host. Luke 2:15-20 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. T is for truth. The story of Jesus tells the truth of God s love for everyone.

5 U is for unity, all different people brought together tonight to celebrate God s love! V is for visit. The Magi, astronomers from the east, who studied the stars, paid a visit to Jesus and gave him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. W is for wonder hold on to the wonder of this night its mystery and love. X is for Xmas, the X is the symbol for Christ it is the first letter of the Greek word for Christmas. Y is for year. The story of Jesus birth is so important we tell it year after year. Z is for zeal, may we pray for the passion to share God s love this night and forever more.