Let Go of the Pressure to Create “Magic”
Every December, the expectations climb for church leaders. The lights, the extra services, the big crowds; it gets to us. It becomes a sneaky voice whispering that you need to “top” last year. But wonder doesn’t come from perfectly timed lighting cues or stacked harmonies. Magic cannot be manufactured, and it certainly isn’t born out of stress. When we try to control the outcome and how people feel or what they experience, we carry a burden we were never meant to carry. Your job isn’t to make people feel something magical. Your job is to point them toward Someone wonderful.
So take a breath. Ask the Lord to quiet your heart. Let the weight of expectation roll off your shoulders. You don’t have to manufacture moments; you just have to make space for them. God can do more with one still, sincere song than we can with a month of overworked planning. And when the pressure builds, pray Psalm 46:10 over your week: “Be still, and know that I am God.” The world doesn’t need another production. It needs to be reminded of the most astonishing moment in history: the birth of Jesus. And that, you can certainly do.
Remember Where the Real Wonder Comes From
Christmas was the beginning of humanity’s redemption. The Creator of a billion galaxies arrived on our planet. Angels filled the sky and declared His arrival: “Glory to God in the highest!” Humanity has continued that song through carols for two thousand years. Is that the kind of story that needs embellishment? When we feel pressure to reintroduce the wonder in a “fresh” way, it’s like a Hollywood writer taking a beloved book and deciding to retell (ruin) it in their own way. No, that story didn’t need reimagining. And, no, God’s greatest achievement needs no help. The magic of Christmas isn’t something we build; it’s something we remember.
You don’t need clever transitions or cinematic moments to create wonder. The gospel itself is wondrous. Lean into that. Read the Christmas passages slowly. Let the words hit you again: angels singing, a virgin giving birth, the Word made flesh. That’s the story you get to tell. It’s already filled with all the wonder and magic you could ever need.
