The German theologian Martin Luther was walking in the woods on a cold, Christmas Eve night in 1535. The sky was full of bright stars, which caused Luther to contemplate the wonder and beauty of the evening and wished he could somehow capture the moment to share with his children. An image of a tall evergreen tree sparkling with candlelight popped into his mind, and on his way home he found a tree just the right size. He cut it down, carried it home, and decorated it with candles. So church history teaches us that Martin Luther is not only to be the presumed writer of “Away in a Manger” but he also gave us Christmas tree lights in the form of candles.
Luther’s quest to provide his children joy began with his own in worshipping the Lord’s coming to earth. And that is exactly what Christmas at the very root is-worship.
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