Archive for December, 2013
Christmas Memories and Traditions | Matt Slaughter
This week on RonnieFloyd.com, Pastor and several Cross Church staff members are sharing their Christmas memories and traditions. Today, we hear from Matt Slaughter, Millennial Pastor at the Springdale campus. You can read more from Pastor and other Cross Church staff members about their Christmas traditions at RonnieFloyd.com now thru December 24.
As the son of a Tyson man, I grew up all over—Colcord, OK, Fayetteville, Berryville, and DeQueen, AR. But no matter where we were living at the time, we always spent Christmas Eve night at my grandparents’ house in Prairie Grove, AR. Probably the tradition I treasure the most involved my Grandpa John and how he would gather all the kids around his chair (as many of us that would fit piled onto his lap), and he would read us The Night Before Christmas. As a kid, every word captured our imaginations, and even though we had heard the story year after year, we all seemed to be sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see how it would end.
As I grew up and had a family of my own, it was my children and my sister’s children who fought for a place on Grandpa’s lap as he read The Night Before Christmas from the very same book he read to us. And every year, our children were just as captivated by the story as we were way back then.
In August of 2012, my Grandpa John went to be with the Lord, and not a day passes that we don’t miss him. Now on Christmas Eve, my sister and I meet with our families at my mom and dad’s house, gather the children together, and I read The Night Before Christmas from Grandpa John’s book. The kids aren’t nearly as excited to listen to me read as they were Grandpa, and they let me know I’m not doing the voices right. But it’s an extraordinarily special time for our family. It’s a time to honor a longstanding family tradition, but most of all, a time to honor and remember a man we loved so much.
Now, every Christmas Eve, after the reading of The Night Before Christmas, we open a Bible to the Gospel of Luke and read about the birth of Jesus. My prayer is that the story of His birth—the idea of Emmanuel, God with us—captivates the hearts of our children like nothing else. I want them going to sleep on Christmas Eve with excitement like every child should, but also, with an understanding of what the excitement is all about…WHO the excitement is all about. I want my kids to understand that though we miss Grandpa John every day, it’s that little Baby who is our every hope. It’s that Baby we read about in Luke every Christmas Eve, who left Heaven for Earth, and made it possible for us to see Grandpa’s face again. I know that I for one cannot wait.
Matt Slaughter
Millennial Pastor, Springdale campus
@mattLslaughter
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
My Family’s Christmas
Mom and Dad are now in heaven. When I was a child, Christmas was a big deal in our home. Mom and Dad loved Christmas. Therefore, I loved Christmas and still love it today.
My Christmas experience growing up
I can still remember coming down the stairs as a child to see Santa Claus had brought our presents. Even as I write this, I can still see it. As time went on, our tradition was comprised of: Always having lights inside and outside, having a big, real Christmas tree, and opening our presents on Christmas Eve.
Mom and Dad were very generous at Christmas, not only to us, but to others. Once we grew up and began having children, and then our children began having children, Mom and Dad kept on insuring that everyone had presents. In fact, even after Dad died, Mom continued working and she always stated, “I continue working so I can give my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren birthday gifts and Christmas gifts.”
As we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and celebrated as a family, we always knew that Christmas Day, we would leave my hometown and drive twenty-five miles to Gonzales, Texas. In Gonzales, we would celebrate Christmas Day with my Dad’s family.
Our Christmas Day celebration with my Dad’s family was like clockwork. We would arrive around 11 a.m. and eat lunch with family, followed by opening of gifts. Then, we would take a drive with the men, visiting the various chicken houses my uncles and others had. Imagine me as a child, sitting in the very back of a Suburban, riding around looking at chicken houses! We would return to the house for dessert, and leave for home before dark.
Our Christmas today
Today, our family Christmas has a few of the same things I had growing up. We have lots of lights both inside and outside, beautiful trees, and yes, we give gifts to one another. So how does all that go down?
We started having Christmas Eve services many years ago. I love Christmas Eve services and usually conduct two to three each year. Yes, they do challenge the day, but they are worth it. There is something about insuring the Lord gets His rightful worship on Christmas Eve. I especially love it when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday.
Following Christmas Eve services, our family all meets at our home. We begin by reading the Christmas story. Then we pray together, thanking God for sending Jesus to this earth. We exchange gifts, eat, and then organized chaos ensues. Let’s face it: when we have six adults (and this year we will have seven adults, counting Jeana’s Mom), plus six grandchildren, all under eight years of age, chaos will happen. Wow! But it is fun and very LOUD!
On Christmas Day this year, Nick and Meredith will fly to Florida to enjoy spending time with Meredith’s family. Josh, Kate, and their boys will spend the day with Kate’s parents. Jeana, her Mom, and I will enjoy calm after the storm; however, in the late afternoon, Josh’s crew will come by for a while.
Oh, we are so blessed. So blessed.
No personal gifts from family for Gigi and me this year…but it will be exciting…
One morning in May, while running along the Atlantic coast of Florida, listening to a podcast by Ron Blue, I got an idea we are trying this year. Let me share it with you.
Jeana and I have been so blessed, we need very little to nothing. Therefore, this year at the end of Thanksgiving Day, I called our children and grandchildren together. We informed them that this year, they are not going to give Gigi and me a present at all.
Jeana and I gave each of them, including the grandchildren, some cash. I told them I wanted them to each take the cash we gave them, and give it away to someone with a need, a missionary family, or some other proper cause; but it must be used to help people and/or expand the gospel of Jesus in some way. Then, I asked each one of them to write us a note, telling us about what they did with the cash, and why they chose that particular person or cause. Before we open any gifts on Christmas Eve, we will read their letters to us.
Through generosity, we will learn about the needs of people and gospel advancement, all being blessed through giving. It will be exciting to read those stories. That really kind of fires me up more than another shirt! We are trying it for one year, and next year they can give us a gift.
Over the next few days on my blog
Over the next few days on my blog, I have asked several of our staff members to share with you their personal family traditions at Christmas. It should be fun and interesting to read. Merry Christmas!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.