Often lost in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is the real meaning of Christmas: not only that God sent His Only-Begotten Son to be born into human flesh but also that God sent His Son to be born into human flesh in order for Him to redeem us from our sins, so that we might be adopted as God’s children and inherit His Kingdom (Galatians 4:4-5). The Newborn in the manger is nothing for us without the Man on the cross out of the tomb! Yet we do not find Him now wrapped either in swaddling cloths in the manger (Luke 2:12) or in grave cloths in the tomb (Luke 24:12), but we find Him–and the forgiveness of sins that He freely gives those who repent and believe–swathed in Word, water, touch, and bread and wine at faithful churches such as Pilgrim.

Pilgrim’s celebration of God’s sending His Son to redeem us runs the full Twelve Days of the Christmas Season, beginning with a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of Readings and Hymns and a Christmas Day Divine Service. You are invited and welcome to join us for any and all of the following services (listed with their liturgical and calendar dates and, in most cases, descriptions and citations of their appointed Gospel Readings,according to Lutheran Service Book’s 3‑year Series C).

  • Christmas Eve (12/24 at 6:00 p.m.): Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in the New Testament
  • Christmas Day (12/25 at 10:00 a.m.): The Word of God is made flesh (John 1:1-18)
  • First Sunday after Christmas (12/26 at 10:45 a.m.): The infant Jesus goes to the Temple (Luke 2:22-40)
  • Second Sunday after Christmas (01/02 at 10:45 a.m.): The child Jesus goes to the Temple (Luke 2:40-52)

If you cannot attend in person, you can usually read and hear sermons preached at Pilgrim during Christmas and every other season of the Church Year here.

For the entire season of Christmas, the paraments (colored cloths on the pastor and chancel furnishings) are white, a color most-frequently associated with festivals of Christ. White symbolizes joy, celebration, gladness, light, purity, and innocence—all of which meanings are appropriate for Christmas.

The banner graphic at the top of this page and the corresponding slider graphic on the front page were adapted from an uncredited image found here.