Celebrate Christmass. The double “S” is not a typo. The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English phrase “Cristes Maesse,” meaning “The Mass of Christ.” “Mass” comes from the Latin verb that means “to send.” In the early church, “Mass” came to refer especially to Holy Communion. After the Lord’s Supper and blessing, God’s people were sent into the world to proclaim the grace and forgiveness they received in that holy meal.

In the 16th century, to distance themselves from false teachings about the Mass prevalent in the Catholic church, many Lutherans stopped using that term. That was wise. However, a potential negative consequence is that the connection between Christmas and the Lord’s Supper was diminished. At Christmas, God wraps himself in human flesh, not only so that he could die for our sin, but also so that he could give us his very body and blood in this most special feast. Christmas culminates in the Mass of Christ.

Just as it is easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas, so also, we can easily lose sight of the significance of Holy Communion. It is easy to approach the table casually, like it’s nothing but a liturgical snack. It is so much more! So, while we won’t bring the term “Mass” back, our prayer for this worship series is that it would change how we come to Christ’s table. In these midweek services, let us prepare our hearts to truly Celebrate Christmass.