As a pastor I always looked forward to Christmas.
One of the things I enjoyed was reading some Advent and Christmas materials to get my imagination in gear for our outreach and services running up to Christmas.
I found that after the October half-term I would begin to crack on with Advent and Christmas preparation. One task was to identify a good Christmas booklet to give away at our carol services.
1. An 'imaginative and engaging' booklet
A good candidate for 2024 is Andrew to Look a Lot like Wilson’s It’s Beginning Christmas: Joys that Make the Season Special. (The Good Book Company. 58 pages. £2.99 ISBN 978 1 802 541 113).
It is an imaginative introduction to the gospel using the themes of putting up Christmas lights, spending time with the family, watching Christmas TV and making memories. This is an engaging booklet that maintains the reader’s interest, is not preachy, but does deliver a message. Andrew Wilson exudes an air of joy in living and amidst the joys of the Christmas season points to the source of all joy in the first Christmas story.
2. An 'attractive and simple' book
Talking about joy, en columnist Josh Moody has produced an attractive and simple book: The Joy of Jesus, 25 Devotional Readings for Christmas (Christian Focus. 104 pages. £9.99 ISBN 978 1 527 111 301).
This book is based on the Advent readings that the Moody family uses each year to prepare them for Christmas. It breathes the air of devotion as each segment of the Christmas story is prayerfully rooted in meditation on Scripture, concluding with a fragment of a Christmas carol.
3. 'One of the best Advent books I've ever read'
Then there is what I think is one of the best Advent books I have ever read: John Hayward Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas: An Advent Adventure from Genesis to Revelation (IVP. 178 pages. £14.99 ISBN 978 1 789 745 146 ).
This book explores the ‘magic’ of Christmas, by which the author means the astonishing ‘awe-inspiring wonder of Christmas’. The heart of this wonder is how Scripture from Genesis to Revelation weaves an elaborate tapestry that reveals the unfolding story of the one who was promised as our Saviour and king.
This adventurous journey through Scripture includes some of the usual suspects, but also surprises by weaving in some of the less familiar Old Testament passages that point to the coming of Christ. Along the way there are some fascinating explorations that include why the incarnation informs the importance of in-person gatherings, and why we need to have a dragon in our Nativity scenes! It has been a delight to read these Advent readings that sparkle with imaginative Biblical reflections, make illuminating connections and lead to thoughtful applications. All Christians would benefit from this Advent tour de force. Preachers will find stimulus here to consider preaching this Christmas on more than the shepherds and the wise men! My advice is to read the book now to prime the pump for Christmas then read it as a daily Advent meditation so that you can savour it at a slower pace.
4. Turning ordinary subjects to the gospel
The final book in the bran tub is J. John’s Celebrating Christmas: Traditions, Tales and Truths (Philo Trust. 115 pages. £12.99 ISBN 978 1 912 326 297)
This is the type of book that could be left on a coffee table or a waiting room for someone to randomly pick up and dip into. The book takes an A-to-Z approach to all things Christmas, Biblical, traditional and secular. J. John is an excellent communicator, who skilfully manages to turn most of these subjects to the gospel.
Yet he does admit that he struggles to do so with Brussels sprouts! I guess he might not be alone in that.
One good example of his ability to turn an ordinary subject to the gospel can be seen in his section on Christmas films, which he suggests have common themes:
A longing for excitement – that seeks to recreate an enchanting child-like sense of magic concerning the season.
A longing for rescue – getting out, breaking free, and being released.
A longing for home – a place beyond our cold, grey, and unfriendly world.
It would not take too long to turn that into a Christmas message.
