Worship. 

The word immediately brings to mind singing. Praying. Lifting up hands. The image of Saturday evening or Sunday morning services.

But now, in this season of Christmas, in the year that unexpectedly fell apart, it’s time to extend worship beyond our normal ideas. Because this year has been anything but normal.

How can we worship our Savior this Christmas even better, even during a pandemic? Is it even possible to be “masked up and merry”?

When I think back to that first Christmas night when the Savior of the world was born, I find that I tend to identify with the shepherds. What were those shepherds doing up so late? They were doing their jobs. Luke 2:8 says that they were “keeping watch over their flocks.” This task was necessary, nightly, and most certainly exhausting. For them, it was just another night. Until it wasn’t.

2020 has been a bit that way. It was just another year. Until it wasn’t. And now we have finally made it to the time of the year when we most expect to feel some joy. But perhaps some of us don’t. Perhaps for some of us the events of 2020 have stolen away the joy of the season. Lost jobs, sick loved ones, disrupted schedules, and uncertainty about the future. 

The sudden appearance of angels and the announcement from heaven that Christ had been born was what changed the shepherds’ night and arguably, the rest of their lives. They paused their daily lives. They paused their nightly job and went to worship the King. When they went away after seeing Jesus, Luke 2:17 says that “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” An encounter with Jesus changed the trajectory of their lives in one night.

We still have that same opportunity today. And not just during Saturday evening or Sunday morning services. We have the opportunity to pause even in the midst of our daily schedule, our nightly lives, even in the midst of COVID stress, to worship the King and recognize him as Lord. 

How can we worship Him daily? During this season, we can make each part of Christmas an actual reminder of Christ. When you place the star at the top of your tree, remember the Lord who rules over it all. When you place that bow on a neatly wrapped package, we can thank God for giving us the greatest gift of all — His Son.  

1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Inviting Jesus into our thoughts on a daily basis, multiple times throughout our day, is a wonderful way to commune with and worship the God of Christmas.

After all, what is worship? It is taking our eyes off ourselves — our lives, our situations, our struggles — and giving our time, adoration, and focus to the God of our lives. To the one who matters. To the one who knew what 2020 would be like long before it happened. 

This Christmas, how will you expand your worship of the King beyond Saturday evening or Sunday morning singing? How can you invite Christ into your daily activities? After all, He’s the One Who brings meaning to Christmas.

This post was written by a group of volunteer writers who strive to share God's truth through an online platform, but may not reflect the views of The Vineyard Church as a whole. To learn how you can get involved, email us at .

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