The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
John 1:14
The Crowd Has Come and Gone
Christmas has passed.
The once-a-year crowd showed up.
The candles were lit.
The songs were sung.
The opportunity — real and meaningful — came and went.
Traditions are traditions. And they matter.
When I worked in the institutional church world, this was crunch week. The busiest stretch of the year. Services stacked. Details tight. Emotions high.
It was holy — and exhausting.
So exhausting, in fact, that staff usually took the following week off just to recover.
If you’ve lived that life, you know exactly what I mean.
Now That the Holy Moment Has Passed
Here’s the question that won’t leave me alone:
Now what?
Now that the biggest church moment of the year is behind us…
Now that the crowds have thinned…
Now that the calendar finally loosens its grip…
What are we going to do differently — if anything?
Or are we content with the direction things are already heading?
A Quiet Observation
People are still hungry for meaningful connection.
Still lonely.
Still searching.
Still open — sometimes more open now than they were last week.
But our rhythms often snap back to normal.
Overscheduled.
Insular.
Programmed.
We treat Christmas like the mission moment —
instead of a reminder of the mission.
Jesus Didn’t Stay in the Manger
Jesus didn’t come to be visited once a year.
He came to move into the neighborhood.
After the angels left and the crowds dispersed, Jesus grew up, walked dusty roads, noticed outsiders, and carried the Kingdom wherever He went.
The gospel didn’t advance through seasonal attendance spikes. It moved from person to person — ordinary people carrying extraordinarily good news.
That hasn’t changed.
A Post-Christmas Mirror
So let me gently ask:
- What did you see this Christmas season?
- Who showed up hungry — for hope, for meaning, for love?
- And now that the moment has passed…what happens next?
Are we waiting for Easter?
For the next big event?
For people to come back when they’re ready?
Or are we willing to go?
Because most people aren’t knocking on church doors today. But they are present — in homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, coffee shops, and conversations.
People need Jesus now.
December 26 counts too.
We Are Still on Mission
The Kingdom of God isn’t something we attend — it’s something we carry. We are the Church sent, not the Church seasonal.
You don’t need Christmas lights to shine the gospel.
You don’t need a crowd to love well.
You don’t need a program to follow the Spirit.
You are already on mission with God.
Right where you are.
Right now.
A Simple Post-Christmas Prayer
Father, thank You for Christmas.
Thank You for the reminder that You came near — not just once a year, but forever.
We confess that it’s easy to pour ourselves out for a season and then retreat back into routine.
Forgive us.
Give us Your heart for the people still far from You today. Open our eyes beyond the big moments to the ordinary ones. Teach us to follow Your Spirit when the calendar is quiet.
Move powerfully in our cities through Your people.
Let the incarnation continue — through us.
Send us again.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
“As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
Igniter Ministries 