Day 7 - The Twelve Creches of Christmas

This Crèche stands in front of our parish church – St. Christopher’s Burlington – which we joined when we moved from Toronto nearly five years ago.

The Magi or astrologers are travelling from stage left and will eventually arrive to present their gifts, but I focused my photo here so we could concentrate on the shepherds.  

The shepherds, who heard the angels’ message and responded, seem to always represent the commonality of humanity – those who feel they have no place in the more rigid, highly regulated structures of organized religious institutions.

The presence of the shepherds at the first Christmas is a powerful message… to them, and to likeminded individuals that they were not forgotten by their creator. We need to compare God sending Moses to God’s people in Egypt  to assure them that God had heard their years of praying and soon they would be freed from their slavery in that foreign land.

The cross, towering above St. Christopher’s physical building (similar to most if not all Christian churches) acts as a constant reminder that God loved us so much that Jesus came into this world to die on a cross and rise from the dead so we might receive forgiveness of all our sins. That shows the power of God’s love for each of us.

I included the flag to show that wherever we are in the universe we are standing on our “holy land” – created by God. Canada is our Holy Land.

Today, think of all the shepherds who care for us in our daily lives. Pray for them.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

     Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

Day 6 -The Twelve Creches of Christmas

As we travel the globe for business or pleasure and come across a familiar scene or someone we know, we feel more at home and more secure.

Perhaps Nancy felt that way when she went on vacation to Cozumel, Mexico and discovered this Crèche in the lobby of the resort where she was staying.

All the characters associated with the first Christmas are present in this scene. Nancy sent me a second photo which shows a Caribbean stable (slate roof and no walls), maybe not dissimilar to the one where Jesus was born.

There they are – the animals, the shepherds, the astrologers, the parents and the angel – all focusing on the baby Jesus – the Incarnation of God (God becoming a human being in Jesus Christ).

But the reason I selected this photo, rather than the other one, is someone you can see, if you look closely, peeking out from the tree in the left upper quadrant –  a young boy is looking at the Crèche to see what is happening.

No doubt curious children, probably awakened from their sound sleep when they heard the commotion in the little town of Bethlehem, outran their parents and other elders and came first to the stable. They most likely climbed into the rafters to have a better viewing advantage. The child in Mexico is just as inquisitive as his counterpart in any other culture or generation. That is good.

But the young boy also symbolizes a curious world on the outside looking in to see what the excitement is all about. They are seeking answers to the perennial question, “what is Christmas all about?”

The 12 days following Christmas Day enable us to spend more quiet and alone time to reflect upon that question and what it means in our individual lives.

Today, take a few minutes to reflect upon your answer to that question, and when you encounter a curious seeker, invite them in so they can know what it is like to be in the presence of the living God. Pray for this to happen.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

    

Day 5 - The Twelve Creches of Christmas

On quiet Spruce Street in Burlington, Ontario, the owners of this house must spend thousands of hours and dollars planning and decorating for Christmas.

Each year, they come from far and wide – families, couples and individuals – to bask in the electrical glow of this magnificent masterpiece.

Not only are the house and front lawn aglow in neon lighted figures, so is the back yard – adorned with colourful displays and appropriate music to heighten one’s emotions and awe on a cold winter night. There is constant movement as the lights rotate from brightness to darkness and skip around.

There is so much going on that one could easily get lost in the chaos and fervent activity. In some ways it mirrors life in our hectic and uncertain world. And yet, in the midst of it all is a Crèche, where Mary and Joseph are tenderly and protectively caring for their infant boy, as the rest of the world skips merrily by.

The baby – the one who later would call himself ‘the prince of peace” - is bringing  God’s peace to all people of good will.

In a prominent place on the front lawn is a motorcycle with the name – Cam – inscribed in lights. I don’t really know the story behind this display, but I have heard that Cam died in a motorcycle accident. If that is true, then his legacy lives on in a splendour of flashing lights, which is an annual tribute to him and his contribution to life on this earth. 

It also jogs our memory, reminding us that tragedies are never far from the Crèche, and the Crèche is there to console, soothe and bring peace to  troubled persons, households, communities, countries or nations.

Today, think about those who grieve this Christmas and to whom the Crèche can bring comfort and relief. Pray for them.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

     Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

Day 4 - The Twelve Creches of Christmas

I turned the corner, heading to the street address where I had to deliver a package, and my eyes and heart did a somersault!

When I saw this Charlie Brown Nativity Set for the first time … on a lawn ... in front of a private dwelling, my first reaction was, “where can I buy one?” and my second was, “my family must see this”.

I could not find one to buy, but some family members came to view it.

Being an avid Peanuts fan, watching the television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a valued annual tradition. In fact, I decided this year to read the book accounting its making as part of my Advent preparation for Christmas. It debuted in 1965, and places the birth of Jesus Christ in the midst of a commercialized and secularized society. Today our society needs to hear the real story of Christmas more than in 1965.

It’s true that the real meaning of Christmas may get smothered under the clouds of commercialism or political correctiveness or multiculturalism,  or even sedated religiosity, but as long as the “Linuses” of the world courageously step forward, and read Luke’s (2:8-20) account – or another Gospel writer’s description - of the true meaning of Christmas, then we can be hopeful and optimistic that Christmas and its message of God’s love, peace, hope and joy for all people will continue to shine brightly in our world and beyond.  

“That” said Linus to Charlie Brown, “is what Christmas is all about.”

Today think about how we can use technology, social media, front lawns, etc to keep the birth of Jesus in Christmas, and pray for courage to bring it about.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

     Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

Day 3 - The Twelve Chreches of Christmas

 

One Christmas Eve in a sermon I suggested that every Christian home should have a Nativity Set or Crèche, since it is the best symbol of Christmas.

After the service, one young family tirelessly searched Toronto until they found a store still open and purchased a Crèche for their family Christmas.

Imagine my pleasure when I saw the above Crèche on the lawn of this house on Guelph Line, where thousands of travellers whiz by in their vehicles daily.

This Crèche is eye catching in its simplicity, and catches the attention of passersby, regardless of their driving speed.

Carved from a piece of plywood and painted white, it enables the viewer to take in the whole picture, in one quick glance. Sometimes in life, we are presented with an opportunity, which if not grasped immediately, is gone forever. Christmas is not like that; the benefits of Jesus/God coming into this world are available to people every day of the year... all we need to do is respond.

Each time I passed this Crèche on my way to minister in Rockwood, I thought about what its public presence portrayed for others, and then I would reflect on what tremendous gifts God had loaned to me in my personal and professional life. Perhaps, as the shepherds returned to caring for their sheep and the astrologers journeyed back to their homeland to continue their studies of the stars, they too realized anew what God had given to them in their encounter with the new born messiah or saviour.

Today think about what gifts God has presented to you in your life – give thanks for them and pray that you will have an opportunity to share them with others. 

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

    Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

Day 2 - the Twelve Creches of Christmas

Susan, an accomplished artist, among her other artistic endeavours, creates altar frontals. Last year, while she was working on an altar frontal depicting the Church season of Epiphany, she also found time to read my blog on the “Twelve days of Christmas” (see earlier blogs).

The above Crèche was a painting Susan did for the Reed family in Rockwood. The three Reed children are wearing costumes Susan made for her children. The costumes have been used in Christmas productions at St. John’s Church, Rockwood. This painting became the cover for Susan’s Christmas card in 2005.

The donkey is Hillary, who lives at Sunrise Equestrian Centre for the Disabled.

The doll, representing the Christ child, has outstretched arms, indicating the love of God reaching out to all people.

A donkey carried Jesus - in Mary’s womb - from Nazareth to Bethlehem; another donkey transported the infant Jesus from there to Egypt and back to Nazareth. Later, Jesus would choose a donkey for his triumphant entry into the holy city of Jerusalem ( Palm Sunday), and, I think given the choice, Jesus would have ridden on a donkey to the cross on Good Friday and to the Resurrected Life on Easter Day.

The donkey – the beast of burden and the symbol of peace – carried the “Prince of Peace” to proclaim a message of peace and hope to troubled people then and throughout the ages.

Think today of those weighed down by their “burdens of life”, and who still convey a message of hope and peace to the individuals they meet along the way. Thank God for their contribution to  humanity.

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During the 12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

     Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.

Christmas Day - The Twelve Creches of Christmas

Margery wanted to leave a legacy to the parish where she served her Lord for nearly a half a century. She thought a Crèche or Nativity Set would be a fitting gift.She commissioned her friend Diana, a wood carver, to bring her idea to fruition. Diana invited her young relatives to be models for Mary and Joseph. She wanted to portray Mary and Joseph as young and vibrant people. She succeeded.

Later Allison commissioned another woodcarver to fashion an angel - tall enough to symbolize the angel watching over the holy family, close enough to be the personal conveyor of messages from God to individuals and strong enough to be the protector and guide of  all God’s people as well as God’s son – the  ‘new born Saviour’.

This Crèche, displayed annually at St. John’s York Mills Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, reminds us of the place of angels in the events of history, as well as their presence to care for, guide and protect us as we encounter the daily situations of life.

On this Christmas day, think about the place of angels in the universe, and particularly in your own life – give thanks for God’s gifts and legacy, including angels and especially the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ.                            

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The Crèche is a nativity set depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Since St. Francis built the first Crèche in the 13^th century, the idea has expanded around the world. Even though people frame their Crèches to reflect their local customs, traditions, cultures and materials, yet the central focus is always the same – the birth of the Saviour. During12 days of Christmas, I will share 12 Crèches and their messages. Hope you enjoy them.  

Love to hear your thoughts on the Creches in COMMENTS below.