Have a Cross Centered Christmas

When you went to church this last weekend for Christmas worship, did sin and the cross play a central part of the message?  We have heard about a "Purpose Driven Christmas" but I believe that the true meaning of Christmas is the cross.  St. Paul stated this best in Phil 2:5-8

    "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,who, although He existed in the
    form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,but emptied Himself, taking     the form of a bond-servant, and  being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance         as a man,  He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
    cross."

If your pastor didn't place our sin as the cause of Christ's birth, then Christmas means nothing.  We cannot celebrate Christmas without including Good Friday or Easter. 

Please share how your Christmas worship was both Christ centered and cross focused.

Comments

[Bob W.]

The Christmas service that I attended clearly identified the God myself and my fellow parishioners serve. Here is a creed from the cross centered service:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

[Bob W.]

Sorry, I hit the wrong button.
The creed is continued:

and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

[Steve]

Bob,

I have found that when we confess one of the three creeds as part of our worship is a great way to focus our attention on our sin and Christ's reason for coming. Another thing about the three Creeds is that it places the focus on the Christ and not us. Thanks for sharing.