Baking Up Christmas
Julia Bettencourt

"...for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. ."   Matthew 2:2

When I make Christmas sugar cookies with my kids, I always try to explain to them why a certain cookie shape is something we use to celebrate Christmas. I especially like to make sure they understand the shapes of the things from the Christmas story like the star and the angels. With all the commercialization of Christmas I think it's important to remind our kids of the true meaning of the Christmas story. I just think that baking with your kids during the holidays is a great way to add in some tidbits to remind them of the reason we worship Christ.

Since it's already close to that time of year that we'll start our holiday baking, I began thinking about making cookies with my kids again and those cookie shapes, and I was impressed that we could all do with a little reminding to worship Christ. We talk about it so much around Christmas and how Jesus was worshiped as a baby, but what are we doing in our lives to worship Christ all year long? I guess we could all do with a little baking up of Christmas long after the holiday ends.

Here are some cookie shapes to help us do that baking.

1. Star Shape.
   In order to worship Christ fully, we need to let Him be the 'Star' of our lives. We've got to give Him full control and not our flesh. Let Him Shine the brightest.
   
   "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
   Romans 8:8-10



2. Candle Shape.
   To really bake up Christmas we need to remember that others need Christ too. Our lives have got to shine their brightest in order to be the witness that we need to be for Christ.
   
   "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
   Matthew 5:16



3. Christmas Tree Shape.
   
   We need to be reminded of the Old Rugged Tree. Having a heart of gratitude for what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary can really help us bake up Christmas. Reflecting on how Christ suffered for our sin can give you a new attitude of worship.
   
   "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
   Isaiah 53:3-6



4. Stocking Shape.
   We've got to remember Who fills our stockings. Christ is the one who places those blessings in our lives. We don't have to write him a letter like Santa Claus. We can just bow our heads for a prayer. He's there with us. He knows what we need.
   
   "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
   James 1:17



5. Wreath Shape.
   We have to be growing in Christ in order to worship Him fully. We need to be in church, study our bibles, and have a strong prayer life in order to show that green growth.
   
   "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..."
   2 Peter 3:18



6. Sleigh Shape.
   Baking up Christmas requires getting on board! Get active for Christ. Get behind your pastor. Be involved in your local church events. Don't get stagnant. Be a part of the work of Christ.
   
   "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only..."
   James 1:22
   
   "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
   Hebrews 12:1,2



7. Gingerbread Boy/Girl Shape
   When we realize that Christ makes us a whole woman, we can really bake up Christmas. We have to realize that the things of the world and other people cannot make us happy or whole. Only Christ can do that.
   
   "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power"
   Colossians 2:10

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Conclusion:
Some of us have been baking up the wrong things in our lives. We bake up bitterness, selfishness, and things that don't reflect that we are worshiping the Christ of Christmas. Jesus Christ came to be our Savior and was born on that first Christmas long ago. We who've accepted Him as Lord should live in a way that we serve Him and worship Him. We need to bake up Christmas in our hearts and lives every day so others may know that there is a babe who was born to take our sins and that they may come and worship Him too.

So, what are you baking up?

Copyright ©2001-2007 Julia Bettencourt
Scripture References are from the King James Version.
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