What I’d really like to give you for Christmas
is a star …
Brilliance in a package,
something you could keep in the pocket of your jeans
or in the pocket of your being.
Something to take out in times of darkness,
something that would never snuff out nor tarnish,
something you could hold in your hand,
something for wonderment,
something for pondering,
something that would remind you of
what Christmas has always meant:
God’s Advent Light into the darkness of this world.
But stars are only God’s for giving,
and I must be content to give you words and wishes and
packages without stars.
But I can wish you life
as radiant as the Star
that announced the Christ Child’s coming,
and as filled with awe as the shepherds who stood
beneath its light.
And I can pass on to you the love
that has been given to me,
ignited countless times by others
who have knelt in Bethlehem’s light.
Perhaps, if you ask, God will give you a star.
Ann Weems
Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC, marked Christmas Eve, which fell on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, with services at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The shorter early service was designed to be especially family friendly, and the later service featured string players Jess Amidon, violin; Chloe Wang, violin; and Katie Chuang, cello; along with organist Yevgenia Semeina; soloists Eamon Arthur, Amanda Ketchpaw Palés, Ted Palés, and Jan Zimmerman; and the church choir. The later service also included candle lighting.
In his message at the evening service, the Reverend Ken Baily stated, “The Christmas story is not a story to please us; it is a story to inspire us and to change us.”
