Pastors offer ways to spread Christmas joy throughout year

Santa may come and go, and every Christmas day there's dinner to cook and lots to clean up.

Although historians disagree on the actual day Jesus was born, Christians celebrate on Dec. 25. But how many people remember the reason for the season in the midst of all the holiday revelry?

Five Bay area pastors offer some easy ways to honor Christ's birth all year long.

The Rev. Kathy Conner
First Presbyterian Church, Tampa

1. Place the Christmas cards in a basket and pull out one each day to pray for the sender and his or her family.

2. At a gathering of family or close friends, choose one person at a time and say what your Christmas prayer is for them this year.

3. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness by forgiving those with whom you are estranged and making apologies to those owed them. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

4. As an expression of your love for Christ, honor friends and family with the gift of sending a child in Africa to school, providing a meal to someone in need, or doing something else that addresses a hurt or need locally or beyond.

5. Spend time each morning reading through all of the accounts of the birth of Christ in the Gospels one chapter at a time. Then continue to stay within earshot of the Lord's voice by reading a chapter a day in one Gospel at a time throughout the year.

The Rev. Kenneth Stewart
Tabernacle of Hope, Tampa

1. It doesn't matter where you start (Luke 2:7). Christ began His mission in a manger and was never defined by his environment or what others thought about him. God designed you for a mission and purpose, and your present or past situation does not define your future.

2. It doesn't matter what you look like (Isaiah 53:2).Christ had no physical beauty or form that would appeal to the human eye or psyche. Your race, size, gender or looks should not define you. You must learn to love yourself before you can love your neighbor.

3. Just give of what you can (Luke 2:15). We focus too much on what we want instead of what we have. God holds us accountable only for what we have and what we do with what we have. Count your blessings and be thankful for what you have and give to others what you can.

4. One person can make a difference (Luke 22:42). Christ's birth and life can be summed up by his decision to follow not his will, but the will of his father. We live in a world that is increasingly narcissist, with many on a futile search for self-fulfillment within themselves. If each one of us would follow Christ's selfless example, we could make a tremendous difference in our world.

5. Remember God always has a plan (Luke 2:7). As Joseph began that long journey to Bethlehem with a very pregnant Mary, he had no idea they would be homeless. He must have felt like a failure when his wife was forced to deliver her first child in a stable. Remember in life, as long as you head in the right direction, God will meet you and make a way for you. The path to greatness is never a straight line but is full of detours and perceived setbacks as you fulfill your true destiny.

The Rev. Jim Harnish
Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa

1. Read the story. It's that simple. Read the opening chapters of Luke and Matthew, then go back to read the prophetic passages in the Old Testament.

2. Listen to the music. The Christmas story has produced some of the world's greatest music. Don't settle for "Frosty the Snowman" when you could be listening to wonderful arrangements of the great carols or classics, such as Handel's "Messiah." Listen to the words. Let the music lead you to Jesus.

3. Be in worship. Second only to Easter, the Advent and Christmas seasons are great times to worship with a congregation.

4. Be quiet. Find quiet times and places to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, either alone or with close friends or family.

5. Serve people in need. Jesus said he came not to be served, but to serve. We'll often find him when we serve others, particularly people in need. You're more likely to find Jesus at the Salvation Army than at the country club Christmas party.

The Rev. Susan Sherwood
Good Samaritan Church, Pinellas Park

1. Be grateful. Sing!

2. It isn't Santa's birth but the birth of Jesus. Read, remember, tell the story - and teach it to your children - how ordinary people like us (shepherds in a field, an unwed couple, strangers following a dream) were surprised by God with hope and the birth of new life.

3. Help someone in need. Make room in your heart to see beyond the malls and the busyness. Visit a neighbor, an assisted living facility or a homeless shelter - carolers visit such places for weeks, but often Christmas Day is silent and lonely. Give "alternative gifts" to charities in someone's name.

4. Keep it simple - and "green." Honor the creation and future generations. Put gifts in cloth bags or wrap them in newspaper or magazine pages. Buy someone a Green Wash laundry ball (replaces detergent, is anti-bacterial, and lasts three years).

5. Be the gift. Listen. Encourage. Forgive. Comfort. Laugh. Breathe. Express love. Bring peace. And at the end of the day ask yourself: Where did I find God today? When did I see the Christ?

The Rev. Mark Quattrochi
Grace Family Church, Lutz

1. Add a joyful greeting or salutation to your conversations. Compliment people on the way they look, or just give a simple greeting such as "Good morning." Add spice to your conversation and leave people smiling.

2. Continue the tradition of giving all year long. A simple, inexpensive gift speaks more about you than the amount of money you spend. Continue to give all year long, and you may change someone's life.

3. Live more outside of yourself. Think along the lines: "What do others need or want?" and make it happen. Keep others on the forefront of your mind instead of yourself.

4. At Christmas, we tend to get involved with organizations such as Metropolitan Ministries or Habitat for Humanity because this is the season that softens our hearts. Don't stop in the coming year! Plan your calendar now to serve others at a local soup kitchen or with a charitable organization. You just may be the answer to someone's prayers.

5. This is a good time to set aside differences with others. Forgive and move on. If someone treated you wrong in the past, don't let that weigh you down. The longer you carry that anger, the heavier it gets. Remember that God gave us his Son so that we could be forgiven for all the wrong things we've done, and so that we could live a better life.