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Of course, we all know that the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus was superimposed on the earlier Pagan celebration of the winter solstice; it also co-insides with the Jewish festival of lights - Hanukah. The fact that all of these festivals are held at the darkest time of the year is no coincidence; they were set at this time because this is when we humans need them. When we lived closer to nature, before electricity, central heating and the welfare state, we needed to celebrate the sun’s return. If the sun failed to return, humans knew that they could not survive. However we regard these mid-winter celebrations, and whether or not we join in them, please, please don’t get bogged down in analysing the theology associated with them! Children love Christmas; when we speak of the magic of Christmas we envision children believing whole heartedly in wonder and magic. They are so excited that they can’t sit still and, as parents know, will be far too excited to even sleep on the night of the 24th. Over the years, while we may not become quite as bad tempered as Scrooge, we may notice that we begin to regard the Christmas celebrations as being a bit excessive and a bit jaded. Tasks like decorating the house, sending cards and preparing special meals become a chore rather than a pleasure to be savoured. I don’t think that Christmas is only for children; I believe it is as a reminder to us adults that we need to recover the child in ourselves. Children see magic every day, so adults are far more in need of Christmas than children. Rediscovering the child within us means discarding cynicism; it means that we instinctively love and reach out to our fellow humans; it means that we live our lives in expectation of miracles and the expectation that life will bring us good things. Childhood is a time when sharing orange juice and a rice crispy bun with a friend is a party. It means being less serious. Be prepared to wear the hat from the Christmas cracker, and feel like a prince or princess rather than a silly plonker. It means having fun as part of life. It means seriously asking ourselves why adults on a good day will smile and laugh about 5 times while, when we were children, we laughed about three hundred times each day. The Christmas cards we exchange are covered with powerful symbols. They encourage us to regard the world from an optimistic, childlike perspective. When we open a card received from a friend we read the name of the sender and put it on the mantle piece; we should really look at it and try to take on board the message it brings to us. Let’s look at some popular icons. Christmas stars and the story of the Magi, tell us that we each have our own star to seek and that we should follow it with commitment, confidence and hope. It may disappear from time to time, but we know in due course it will reappear and when we follow it we know that we will discover treasures. The journey of the Magi reminds us not to cling on to the familiar; to be willing to take risks, to get out there and discover the world. The dreams of the Magi remind us that sometimes we should disregard logic, to follow our dreams, pay attention to our instincts, cultivate our creative talents, forget the safe rut. The Magi and the shepherds brought gifts to the Child. We too should be openhearted and generous to those we meet on the journey of life. Candles lighting in windows. In life there will be times when our light goes out, and these candles are a symbol of hope in times of darkness, a sign of warmth and community; they represent seeking, and the light of wisdom. We decorate our cards and homes with evergreen Christmas trees, a reminder that even when other trees are bare-branched, there is still life and growth in the earth. They remind us that spring will return again. Evergreens remind us of the consistent generosity of the world. Our beautiful planet is capable of sustaining six billion humans, plus the most amazing variety of animals and plants. The bounty of our world is nothing short of miraculous. Carol Singers. Carols always sound better when sung by a crowd; and the act of singing will invariably lift our spirits. When humans join together with a common purpose it is amazing what they can achieve. Our carol Service last Sunday was a truly uplifting experience. Nativity scenes are, of course, very popular but they are also very powerful, since Christmas is very much about families. It is about family reunions and celebrations, and this is where things can be very difficult. Sometimes families cannot be to be together at Christmas time, and certain family absences will be a source of pain and sorrow, which we must acknowledge. But we know that those we love wish us to be happy. All families are a mixture of heaven and hell; the trick is to know this and not to have unrealistic expectations that Christmas will turn us all into the Walton Family overnight. There is a cartoon that has a valuable message. The cartoon shows a very large but completely empty auditorium. A banner reads “Reunion for Normal Completely Happy Families” .. none of us have the perfect family, none of us is perfect; but we can all try to make our Christmas gathering a happy occasion. The image of the infant on a Christmas card is a message of hope. The birth of every child brings with it hope for the future. The Baptism service we use puts this beautifully: “It is in the children that the hope of the world is forever renewed”. So to-day let us all resolve to make this a happy Christmas. We will not need a setting that is decorated with sophisticated, colour co-ordinated ornaments; we don’t need this season’s must have gifts. We need to have fun, to laugh, to enjoy ourselves. Rediscovering the child in yourself means not being afraid to show your vulnerability, to risk loving, to risk letting yourself be seen as you really are without an adult mask. It is to shine like the child of God that we are born to be. So, I say to you all: ‘Long live Christmas. Let us rediscover the blessings it can bring to our life. Let us do what we can to spread its blessings to one and all, and let us try to keep its blessings alive long into the New Year. I wish each one of you a joyful, peaceful and a happy Christmas.
Rev.Bridget Spain |