By: Christine Berglund

TRADITION. Does the word bring to mind things such as old, stifling, stuffy, or outdated? Or does it give you a feeling of familiarity, history, memory, or connection? It probably depends on the context. Sometimes we think of something traditional in a negative light. Where’s the progress and change and movement forward? Why are they stuck in the past?

When it comes to the holidays; however, many traditions are beloved rituals of the church or family. Traditions can give us a sense of where we have come from and remind us of the meaning of people and things who have gone before us. The Christmas season brings many important traditions for our Holy Cross family.

The Giving Tree. Holy Cross members have been faithfully supporting a giving tree that provides help at the holidays for approximately 25 years. In the late ‘90s, we began by supporting a ministry of Prison Fellowship called Angel Tree. Church members bought Christmas gifts for children who had a parent in prison. For the past 20 years or so, we have been providing gifts for mentally challenged adults and for needy children in our neighborhood schools. Many families have their children pick a tag for a similarly aged child and go together to shop for the perfect gift. Holy Cross has a beautiful tradition of giving.

Caroling. In years past, members gathered in Hiller Hall to enjoy a warm bowl of chili and then boarded trailers for a hayride through the neighboring streets singing songs of Christmas and spreading joy. The details have changed, but the tradition lives on as members now gather at Winslow Court on an evening in December to bring blessings and joy to the residents there.

The Christmas Program. What is Christmas without a church pageant? Whether it was halos made of garland for the miniature angel choir or the boys dressed in robes to portray shepherds, Holy Cross kids have been telling the story of Jesus’ birth for the past 50 years. Again, the details have sometimes changed from the familiar Bethlehem and stable setting to a Falafel House to a story set in a modern mall department store or at Jingle Bell Beach in recent years. However it is set, the tradition of sharing the miraculous and saving story of Jesus’ birth binds us together and gives us hope.

The Decorations. Trees have come and gone here at Holy Cross. We used to have one giant tree that could only be decorated with tall ladders and careful balance. We had a singles home group that took on the task of decorating for several years. They’d have a potluck meal and then spend a few hours fluffing bows, stringing lights, and discreetly duct taping broken branches. Currently, we have four trees that the staff and other volunteers decorate one morning at the start of Advent.

Though the trees may be different now, some of the special decorations remain. One member shared the story behind the cross-stitched Chrismons that adorn two of the trees in the sanctuary. When Tom Mroch was the pastor here, his wife faithfully served the church behind the scenes with her seemingly boundless energy. When she and her husband arrived at Holy Cross, she was concerned about the somewhat motley collection of ornaments she found. She conducted research on traditional symbols of the church and learned about Chrismons.

Chrismons are Christmas decorations with Christian symbols on them to remind us that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

The word Chrismon comes from the combination of Christ and monogram (meaning symbol). The decorations are traditionally white and gold because white is the liturgical color for Christmas and symbolizes Jesus’ purity and perfection while gold symbolizes His majesty and glory. The ornaments on our trees were a special project made by Holy Cross families. Mrs. Mroch made up cross stitch craft kits with instructions that each family took home to work on and then return. One of our members recalls the special bonding that happened as every family member took turns adding stitches (though they had never cross-stitched before!) and the pride of adding their ornament to the tree to be displayed for years to come. The project brought families and members of the church together then and knowing the story behind the ornaments that we still hang, can unite us with the people from that time and our history in general.

The most important tradition of Christmas, of course, is our celebration of the baby Jesus born in a manger, sent to save us from our sins. As we once again gather to sing “Silent Night” by candlelight on Christmas Eve, may you remember and be comforted by our shared faith, history, and hope.

By: Marcy Serby

When I was a child my father was an alcoholic, so things were rather chaotic in my home. We didn’t experience much love or kindness. God was certainly never a part of our young lives. My brothers and I loved Sunday mornings though, because on Sundays our family did something fun like bowling or putter golf. My Lutheran friend Christi didn’t get to do anything fun because she had to go to church – every Sunday!

When I was 8 or 9 years old Christi brought me to Vacation Bible School at her church. I cannot tell you one thing that we talked about, one craft we made, or one song that we sang; but I remember feeling “different” and “safe” when I was with this group of Christians, and I remember loving to hear stories about Jesus. I was so disappointed when the week was over because VBS was like a flashlight in my dark world.

“I was the kid VBS was made for.”

Fall came and Christi invited me to Pioneer Girls at her church on Wednesday nights. Yes, over 50 years ago a Lutheran church had Wednesday night programs. I guess some things never change. I was excited to hear the Bible stories and again felt different when I was at church.

Fast forward another year or two, and I asked my parents if they would drive me to church on Sundays. They enrolled me in a Sunday School at a church I had never been to, and I went to church and Sunday School by myself. They never walked inside that church.

Vacation Bible School and Pioneer Clubs played a major role in introducing me to Jesus – and for that I will forever be grateful. I will also always be grateful to Christi, whose initials are on the Ripple Effect banner in our sanctuary. 

“I am a life that was changed by the grace of God through prayer, VBS and Pioneer Clubs; and I am so thankful there were people to shine their light on Jesus so I could see Him.”

By: Jeff Cluver

Last Friday I had the sincere pleasure of sitting in on the Affirmation conversations here at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Listening to these young people talking about their faith journeys took me back to when I was a young man, and I couldn’t help but compare their statements to what I would have said when I was their age. You see, back then I was just checking off the boxes. I grew up in the LCMS. I got baptized (check), I went to Sunday school and church (check), I went to Saturday school and VBS in the summers (check), and I completed Confirmation (check). All my boxes got checked; I was done. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe; it just took me until I was in my early twenties to finally acknowledged Jesus in my heart as my Savior.

Like me at that age, some of these young people were timid and shy, never looking up from their papers and only answering questions when directly asked. Unlike me at that age, some of them were bold in their statements and confident in the love that their Savior has for them. Some were honest with us and themselves that they are still struggling with what it is that they believe exactly. But all of them confessed with their lips that Jesus is the Lord of their life and the one to whom they turn to in times of trouble.

These are some examples of statements that touched me deeply:

“When I am sad, my tears are His.”

“Being confirmed will help me thrive in my journey with God.”

“Jesus needs me and I need Him.”

“I know that my faith will blossom into something great.”

and my favorite is, “He is crazy in love with us.”

These examples clearly showed me that these Confirmands understand that they aren’t “done,” that learning about Jesus is a life-long journey and that there is more to it; that we respond to His love for us. They understand that He has plans for us to spread His love to a world that desperately needs Him. Most of all, it shows me that they understand just how much Jesus loves them, that He is crazy in love with us and holds our tears in His hands.

I invite you all to pray with me for these young people, that they continue to grow in their faith journey, that they would trust in God’s plans for their lives, and that they fearlessly spread the love of Christ to those around them all to the glory of God. Amen.