Conference yukon::christian_v7

Christmas, Christ-Mass, is the official birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Church's selection of the date, December 25, appears to have originated
in Rome during the early fourth century in order to pre-empt the pagan
festival of "Natalis Solis Invicti".  The beginning of the daylight's
lengthening at the Winter Solstice provided a tribute to the commencement
of the Light of God's grace in the Birth of the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus
Christ our Lord.

The date is not only fitting, but the era of its first selection is also
highly significant.  In the same period in history the Nicene Creed was
set forth to clarify the Deity of Jesus Christ as God's eternal Word and
Son: "begotten of His Father before all worlds... very God of very God...
being of one substance with the Father ... who for us men and for our
salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of
the Virgin Mary and was made man."

Christmas is celebrated in the Western Catholic rites, of which classical
Anglicanism is an example, by three Masses: of the night, of the dawn, and
of the day.  These Masses have been held to symbolize the three-fold Birth
of Christ: eternally from the bosom of the Father, temporally from the womb
of the Virgin Mary His Mother, and mystically in the soul of the Christian
believer.

					-- Fr. Andrew C. Mead
					   Rector, The Church of the Advent

    One way to handle the question of Christmas is to distinguish between
    the authority of the church to set up holy days which are not given in
    the word of the Son, and the freedom that individual Christians have to
    esteem one day more highly than another.  Again, the key distinction
    here is between the role of the CHURCH and the role of the Christian as
    an INDIVIDUAL, something that is not considered enough today.
    
    The Church has only one law giver, Christ.  She is not free to define
    what she is or what she does.  This has been given to her by her head
    and King, Jesus Christ.
    
    The Christian individual may find profit in considering the incarnation
    at a time when the culture is thinking about the birth of Christ, and
    the individual is free to do this.
    
    I have found this to be a very liberating distinction to make.  God has
    not ordained the Christmas season to be a time of special spiritual
    significance for the church.  Every Lord's Day, we celebrate the birth,
    death and resurrection of Christ for His people.  As an individual I am
    free to celebrate "Christmas" with the culture (tree, presents, etc)
    or to use it as a special time to consider the wonderful truth that the
    Son of God was "made a little lower than the angels", in order that he
    might die for his "brethren".  His humiliation was for our salvation. 
    I just preached today on Hebrews 2:5-3:1, where I believe that his
    humiliation (brith, life under the law, death, suffering the pains of
    hell) is wonderfully displayed for the comfort of His people, who
    themselves are facing suffering.
    
    May the Lord bless you in the use of the Christian freedom he has given
    you, and may God cause His church to limit herself to the Word of
    Christ, the only law-giver in Zion.
    
    Peace,  Steve

    I find myself continually having to defend Christmas customs and
    festivals to non-Christians. 
    
    I don't think dates matter at all. A mere date on a calendar may mean
    many things to different people. After all, my birthday is shared with
    the late Sid Vicious (ex punk rocker) and Denis Thatcher (husband of
    our last Prime Minister). I don't celebrate their birthdays on that
    date - I celebrate only my own.
    
    Hallowe'en again - many Christians do not celebrate it. Many have an
    All Saints Day festival instead the following day.
    
    It doesn't matter WHEN Our Lord was born - we are simply celebrating
    the fact that He WAS born. We may decorate our homes with Christmas
    trees and decorations, but it isn't the article which is pagan - it is
    the belief - they can be as Christian as you want them to be. I can
    think of at least one beautiful Christian legend associated with the
    Christmas tree.
    
    I am told that we can't be sure exactly when He rose again either - we
    use another pagan date to celebrate it: turning a pagan festival into a
    festival which glorifies God. 
    
    Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by these (mainly atheist)
    arguments. They are irrelevant. I doubt very much whether God minds
    that we aren't sure of the date as long as we celebrate the fact.
                 

I have heard (via a Bible teacher who resided in Israel for some time) that
the winter weather in Israel is temperate enough for sheep to be out all 
year round.  However, the date of 25th December is generally recognised as 
a political convenience of Constantine, to merge festivals - together with 
many other practices...

As Steve (and Julie) said, we choose to remember a specific event on that
date, in honour of the One Who came as our Saviour.  It is not a part of
our creed or doctrine; it is merely something we do, like celebrating each
other's birthdays (as in note 21...).  A precedent for this is at the end
of the book of Esther, where the deliverance brought to Israel by God is
established as an annual remembrance, not by God's command or decree, but
by man's choice, which continues to this day. 

I believe that the exact day is probably concealed from us in order that we 
should not establish a false veneration.

I have heard calculations of the date of Jesus' coming based upon :

Luke 1:5  - Zechariah of the division of Abijah
Luke 1:8  - Zechariah on duty
	  - John the Baptist conceived very shortly afterwards
Luke 1:26, 39, 56
	  - Immediately after the conception of the LORD Jesus, Mary goes to 
	    Elizabeth, in the 6th month of her pregnancy with John the Baptist,
	    and stays until his birth is imminent.

The turn of duty of Abijah is recorded in 1 Chronicles 24:10, as the 8th of 24.

I do not find recorded the period of the priestly cycle of duties, but have 
heard this as bringing the date to autumn.  Possibly this was linked to it 
being the traditional time that the Jews expected the return of the 
Messiah, but I see it as 'interesting' rather than 'significant'.  Until 
proven.

There are other interesting factors linked with this, such as the feast of
tabernacles (dwelling in palm booths) marking the return of the Messiah,
which was why Peter suggested building booths on the mount of
transfiguration - implying : "Here's the Messiah! - it must be the time for
this festival".  And the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when the crowd had 
palm branches with which they paved the way...

But I seem to be getting onto the wrong time of year now... ;-}

						God bless 
							Andrew

Christians who reject Christmas out of a sense of legalism are IMHO missing
significant graces that come from reliving and meditating on (i.e. 
contemplating) the mystery of the Incarnation and Nativity.

For Christians with liturgical traditions, Advent (i.e. the time before Christ-
mas) is a time to stop and take stock of our lives, to prepare our hearts again
for the coming of Jesus Christ, both spiritually in our hearts and lives and
in the Second Coming.  It is a time to review the Scriptures prophesying
Christ and a time to contemplate the meaning of the Incarnation.  It is a time
to give a little extra push to our spiritual lives: to try to spend a little
more time in prayer, to try to read a little more Scripture, to try to live out
the Gospel a little bit harder.

Shouldn't we be preparing our hearts for the Lord, living out the Gospel, and
contemplating the mysteries of our faith year-round?  Certainly, but we do
this, it tends to become routine and common, and we become comfortable with
it, and we should never be comfortable with the Gospel -- it must always
challenge us, and we must always be striving to live it out more.

Christmas is a time to set aside to remind us of all the truths of the
Incarnation -- to celebrate them as a family and as a church in a way that is
not possible to do constantly throughout the year.  If we celebrated every
Sunday every aspect of the Gospel and Jesus's life and ministry, we'd spend
all Sunday and part of Monday doing it.  Instead, to give the whole Gospel the
treatment it deserves, we focus on a particular aspect of the Gospel in depth
throughout the year.

Imagine having a Bible study, and the leader says, "We're going to be studying
the Book of John for a month, and then the book of Romans, followed by the book 
of Acts."  Someone stands up and objects, "What? We should be studying all
of this books throughout the year! We should be studying the whole Bible
constantly!  Why should we just focus on John right now?"  Obviously such an
argument would not be well received.  For if you try to conduct a Bible study
by studying the whole Bible simultaneously, you'll have to go so fast you'll
never have time to really think about and contemplate what it says! 

Similarly, our faith is so vast and wide, that it is simplistic to say that
we just should be living it all out and thinking about it all every day and 
shouldn't focus on any aspect of it at any one time. Certainly Christ's birth,
death, Resurrection, and glorious coming again are something that should be
on our minds daily, but who has time to plumb the depths of all of these
aspects of our faith each and every day?

Hence Christmas is a time in particular to focus on the mystery of Christ's
birth.  Unfortunately Christmas is odd in that it is one of the few holy days
(the other is Easter) which is celebrated by nearly all Christian churches.
It comes as a tradition from the Catholic and Orthodox faiths, but for these
faiths, Christmas is just one of a large number of holy days, all of which
focus on one aspect of Christ's life or one aspect of faith throughout the
year: Christmas for Christ's birth, Epiphany for Christ's baptism, Lent for
Christ's forty days in the desert, Palm Sunday for his triumphant entrance,
Holy Week including Maundy Thursday focusing on the Last Supper, the 
Institution of the Eucharist, and the washing of Christ's feet; Good Friday,
when Christ suffered and died; and Holy Saturday, when the church mourns the
absence of the Savior; Easter, when we triumphantly celebrate His Resurrection
in a glorious way, Pentecost for the celebration of the coming of the Holy
Spirit, Triumph of the Cross when we celebrate the full meaning of Christ's
victory on the cross, the Feast of the Annunciation for his conception, the 
Feast of the Circumcision, the Feast of the Ascension, all the way up to the
Feast of Christ the King, at the end of the liturgical year (just before
Advent, the beginning of the year), where Christ's Kingship and authority,
Second Coming and judgment are celebrated.  In this way, the whole and complete
Gospel is preached each and every year, and no preacher can avoid certain
topics he doesn't like, and no churchgoer can forget or ignore part of the
Gospel.  It provides variety and keeps church from being the same thing week
in and week out.   

So Christmas as a focus on Christ's birth makes a lot more sense in traditions
where each aspect of the Gospel is focused on throughout the whole year in
succession.  In a culture where many Christians celebrate only two holy days,
celebrating Christmas seems more unbalanced than in a culture where the whole
Christian Gospel is expounded, point by point, throughout the year, beginning
with Christ's first coming and ending with Christ's second coming and the end
of the world.

Eric

[I downloaded the following from Catholic Resources Network.]

DATE OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST     

(Summarized from E. L. Martin, "The Star that Astonished the World," ASK 
Publications, Box 25000, Portland Or. 1991)

(1) The date of the birth of Christ hinges on just one thing, the statement 
of Josephus (Antiquities 17.6-8) that Herod died shortly after an eclipse 
of the moon. Astronomers supply the dates for such eclipses around those 
years: None in 7 or 6 BC. In 5 BC, March 23, 29 days to Passover. Also in 5 
BC. Sept. 15,7 months to Passover. In 4 B.C. March 13, 29 days to Passover. 
3 and 2 B.C. no eclipses. In 1 BC. January 10, 12 1/2 weeks to Passover.

(2) Josephus also tells what events happened between the Eclipse and the 
Passover (cf. Martin pp. 85-87).They would occupy probably about 12 weeks. 
Martin also, pp. 99-101 shows that the eclipse of Sept. 15,5 BC could not 
fit with known data, especially the fact that Herod was seriously ill in 
Jericho (over 800 feet below sea level) when the eclipse happened - but 
Jericho was a furnace of heat at that time, Sept. 15. Herod would not have 
stayed there when he could have had the much better climate of Jerusalem. 
But if the eclipse was in midwinter - Jan. 10--Herod would find Jericho 
comfortable.

(3) We know from an inscription from Paphlagonia in Asia Minor - cf. 
Lewis and Reinhold, Roman Civilization, Source Book II, pp. 34-35 - that in 
3 BC all the people took an oath of allegiance to Augustus. The same oath 
is also reported by the Armenian historian Moses of Khorene, and by the 
later historian Orosius.

(4) Augustus was to receive the great title of Pater Patriae on Feb. 5, 
2 BC. So the actual governor of Palestine, probably Varus, would have had 
to go to Rome for the festivities, and since sailing on the Mediterranean 
stopped about Nov. 1, and did not resume until Spring, he must have gone in 
the early fall of 3 BC. But Quirinius was nearby, had just finished a 
successful war against the Homonadenses. So he was left as acting Governor. 
Luke does not use the noun governor, but the participle, "governing".

(5) There is an obscure decade in history, 6 BC to 4 AD, as Classicists 
readily recognize. Yet this period is important, including the time when 
Tiberius was absent from political life at Rome, being at Capri. It is hard 
to fit the events of this period into place if we make the birth of Christ 
early as is commonly done. But if we put it in 3 BC the difficulties are 
over. For example, we know Augustus received his 15th acclamation for a 
major victory, won by one of his generals, around this time. If we pick 4 
BC for the death of Herod, we cannot find a victory to warrant the 
acclamation, which came in 1 AD. But if we put the birth of Christ in 3 BC, 
then the war would be running at about the needed time, and finished in 1 
AD.
                                                               
Objection: a) Josephus says Herod had a reign of 37 years after being 
proclaimed king by Romans, and had 34 yrs. after death of Antigonus, which 
came soon after Herod took Jerusalem. b) Further, his 3 successors, 
Archelaus, Antipas and Philip started to reign in 4 BC. So Herod died in 4 
BC.

Reply: a) That calculation would make death of Herod actually in 3 BC, 
not in 4 BC - scholars have to stretch the date to 4 BC, since no eclipse 
of moon happened in 3 BC. - But, Herod took Jerusalem late in 36 BC (on Yom 
Kippur in a sabbatical year, so well remembered - and Josephus says Pompey 
had taken Jerusalem in 63 which was 27 yrs. to the day of Herod's capture 
of Jerusalem). Using the common accession year dating, we see Herod started 
his 34 years on Nisan 1 in 35 BC, and those years would end on Nisan 1 BC. 
So 34 years after 35 BC yields 1 BC for death of Herod after eclipse of 
Jan. 10.--b) As to the 3 successors, Herod lost favor of Augustus in 4 BC, 
on a false report, was no longer "Friend of Caesar", but "Subject". 
Antedating of reigns was common - reason here was to make the three seem to 
connect with the two "royal" sons, of Hasmonean descent, Alexander and 
Aristobulus, whom Herod executed on false reports from Antipater (do not 
confuse with Antipas).

The Star: In the evening of June 17, 2 BC, there was a spectacular 
astronomical event in the western sky. Venus moved eastward seemingly going 
to collide with Jupiter. They appeared as one star, not two, dominating the 
twilight of the western sky in the direction of Palestine. This conjunction 
had not happened for centuries, would not happen again for more centuries. 
Jupiter was considered the Father, Venus the Mother. Ten 19 days later, on 
August 31st. Venus came within .36 degrees of Mercury. On Sept. 11 came the 
New Moon, the Jewish New Year. This happened when Jupiter, the Kin planed 
was approaching Regulus, the King star. Further, there were three 
conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus within the constellation of Leo, the 
lion which was considered the head of the Zodiac. Now Gen. 49:10 had 
foretold there would always be a ruler from Judah, whom Jacob called the 
lion, until the time of the Messiah. Leo was dominated by the star Regulus, 
which astronomers called the King Star. The Magi, being astronomers and 
astrologers, would surely read these signs. (The three conjunctions with 
Regulus were Aug. 12, 3 BC; Feb. 17, 2 BC, and May 8/9 2 BC).

Also, on Dec. 25 of 2 B.C., Jupiter stopped for 6 days over Bethlehem. 
This is a normal motion for Jupiter, it stops twice, and reverses its 
seeming movement. This may have been the very time the Magi came with their 
gifts. This was also the time of the Hanukkah festival, during which it was 
customary for Jewish Fathers to give gifts to their children.

Martin thinks the birth of Jesus was in September 3 BC, and the 
probable date of the Magi was Dec. 25, 2 BC.

More than 600 planetariums here and in Europe have revised their 
Christmas star show to match this work of E. L. Martin.

    
    
    	
    		A few more thoughts on when Jesus may have been born.
    
    
    
    The Learning Channel has a special on last night about the Star of
    Bethlehem.  
    
    It went thru a lot of possiblities and dismissed them and told why,
    but the best fit was surmised to be a triple conjunction of Jupiter and 
    Saturn over a five month period from about May to October (sorry, I
    forgot what year they said).  In this, Jupiter catches up to Saturn
    for one conjunction, both have retrograde motion and have a second
    conjunction, and then a third one back in normal motion direction.
    
    Since the Babylonians were big into astrology, and the wise men were
    thought to be from there, the program looked into what they might have
    thought of this.
    
    1. They were learned of astronomy and also knew of Jewish Scriptures,
    since the Jews were living in Babylon at the time (since the
    destruction of the first temple). They would have known of the Messiah
    prophecies.
    
    2. According to Babylonian understanding, Jupiter (the king) is pursuing 
    Saturn (linked to Palestine in the book of Amos), and the conjunction 
    happened in Pisces (the constellation of the Jews).  And it happened
    three times (emphasis).  It happens in Pisces only every 800 years.
    
    3. The first time could have notified the wise men and allowed them to 
    begin their journey.  The second conjunction (four months later) could 
    have taken place as they approached Jerusalem, and the third one (which 
    happened soon after the second) could have been as they approached
    Bethlehem.
    
    September 15 was also a date mentioned in the program....
    
    Interesting thoughts--- fun, but not very proveable nor reason to
    argue.
    
    
    
    	Bob

However low and bright a star, it would be very difficult for it to
precisely pin-point a single residence, as in Matthew 2:9.  There are
difficulties with a comet also...  I favour the interpretation which Arnold
Fructenbaum (amongst others) suggests, that the luminescence was the
shekinah glory of God. 

The reason the magi could identify this with the birth of a Jewish king is
because of Numbers 24:17, where an astrologer from the same place (Babylon)
was given inspiration from God to bless instead of cursing. 

The promotion of Daniel to be in charge of the magi in Daniel 2:48 would
also have had its influence in an awareness of the Hebrew scriptures in
Babylon... 

As you say, Bob, interesting to discuss...

								Andrew

	Light from light, the Word of the Father comes to his own
	image, in the human race.  For the sake of my flesh he takes
	flesh; for the sake of my soul he is united to a rational
	soul, purifying like by like.  In every way he becomes
	human, except for sin.  O strange conjunction!  The Self
	existent comes into being; the Uncreated is created.  He
	shares in the poverty of my flesh, that I may share in the
	riches of his Godhead.

		-- Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople [389]

              SERMON PREACHED BY THE REVEREND ANDREW C. MEAD
               AT THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT - CHRISTMAS 1993

Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which shall
be to all people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour who is Christ the Lord.  St. Luke 2:1-20

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

A hearty welcome to all of you, especially our visitors and guests.  We
wish you a blessed and joyous Christmas.  "Behold we bring good news of a
great joy."  In this world of ours, how very much we all want and need to
hear good news, not just temporary good news, but permanent, abiding good
news.  And here it is.  Here is good news which is a tonic for the human
heart, deep down inside, a tonic for what ails us, no matter what our
circumstances, within ourselves, between people, between the whole human
race and its destiny.  It is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Why is the birth of Jesus a great joy to all people?  In order to
understand that, let us look at Him through Holy Scripture, through
the eyes of those who first encountered Jesus.

The first disciples were moved by Jesus' teaching.  They saw him heal and
work miracles (they called these "signs").  Then they saw him arrested and
tried and condemned; they saw him crucified and killed.  Three days later
when they came to embalm him, they found an empty tomb, and then they saw
the risen Lord.

Lest you think I am confusing Christmas with Easter, let me say that it
took the perspective of the _end_ for the disciples to understand the
_beginning_ (and all the rest, for that matter).  It is significant that
it was Doubting Thomas who at the end made the fullest statement of faith.
When he saw the risen Jesus, he fell down and exclaimed, "My Lord and my
God!"  This summarizes the Church's faith about Jesus, and why the message
of his birth is good news for all people.  "My Lord and my God."

Let me speak personally on this point very briefly.  I was brought up in
the church, and I have always been attracted to the figure of Jesus.  But I
was not always a believing Christian.  Because it was not until, in college,
I realized for myself what the Gospel says about Jesus and what it means,
not until then did my heart "warm up."  I remember thinking at the time,
"This is so good, it has to be shared."  I couldn't believe how good the
good news was.  And is.

The Good News is that our very Creator has "come down" and _joined_ us, his
creatures.  Specifically it means that God has become a human being, a
flesh-and-blood Man.  He has made himself _knowable_, _reachable_.  He has
also taken upon himself the burden of our sin and suffering, even of death.
And he has come through it, victorious, on the other side.  God loves us
so much that He has done all this for us, for each of us, for all of us
together from the first disciples till now.  This is Jesus Christ our Lord
and God.

This is the heart and soul of the gospel, the good news of great joy for
all people.  This is what the angels proclaimed to the shepherds in the
fields outside Bethlehem.  So let us receive Christ as well, just as we
receive Him in Christmas Communion, into our hearts, where He can cheer
us, and give us power to live and bring this joy and power to others.

Once again, I wish you all a holy, joyous Christmas.  And remember, Jesus
is in church not only on Christmas, but every Sunday, even in February!
God the Father bless you with His grace.  Christ Jesus His Son give you
the peace which passes understanding.  And may the Spirit of the living
God fill you with faith, hope, and love.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

    Well, I didn't want to start a new topic - I'll I guess we'll
    start this one up again.
    
    The Christmas season is upon us.  On Dec. 1 our family will begin
    celebrating the with our advent wreath and devotions, we will set
    out our creche and start Mary and Joseph on their journey from
    one side of the house toward the creche.  On the first Sunday of
    the Advent, we will invite Nathan's friends over and discuss
    the Light.  We will turn off all of the lights and Nathan will 
    enter the room with a candle.  We will demonstrate that the
    light overcomes the darkness and the darkness can never overcome
    the light.  We will explain that Jesus is the Light of the world
    who has overcome the darkess for us.  When we except Jesus, we have
    the light within us and can overcome darkness.  We will sing carols
    and read a devotional by Dr. Dobson.  This has become a special 
    time for Nathan and his friends, christian and not.
    
    This is just one of our traditions.  What are some of the things
    that your family does to celebrate the birth of our Lord?
    
    Pam 

    This year is the rare occasion that both the Advent and Hannukah
    celebrations start on Sunday.  

    Mike

    Hi all, I can't remember if I asked this in a previous version of this
    conference or not so I'll ask it just in case I didn't!

    Does anyone know the significance of putting candles in the windows of
    our houses at Christmas time?  Is it simply tradition, or was there
    something else behind it?

    Ron

 Sure is pretty, that's for sure...I've never seen it done anywhere but
 New England.



 Jim

� ...the significance of putting candles in the windows of our houses at 
� Christmas time?  Is it simply tradition, or was there something else 
� behind it?

I would presume that it is inherited from a Jewish [Chanukah] custom,
welcoming Elijah as the forerunner of the Messiah. 

Not done much here, though in the last few years I've seen a few 7-candle 
arrangements for window displays, both in windows and on shop shelves.  I 
believe it's also done more in Germany.

							Andrew

    Re: Note 351.13 by AMWS06::THELLEN
    
>   Does anyone know the significance of putting candles in the windows of
>   our houses at Christmas time?  Is it simply tradition, or was there
>   something else behind it?
    
    Surely it is because your windows over there get all frosted up
    otherwise?  ;-)
    
    Nobody would do this here in Australia, you're more likely to have a
    call from the fire brigade... very risky having open flame at this time
    of year.
    
    James

    	Candles (electric) in the windows are common in the Baltimore
    	area.  My parents were raised there, and from my memory of 
    	visiting relatives there, it seemed that if there was ANYTHING 
    	decorative in someone's window, a candle (or candle set) was 
    	part of it.
    
    	I was raised in New Jersey, and we continued that tradition
    	there.  Others did that there too (as best as I can remember -- at 
    	least I never felt out-of-place because we were the only ones 
    	with candles in our windows...)
    
    	I'll have to look this year here in Colorado.  We've done 6
    	Christmases here now, and for the life of me I can't recall
    	if anyone else does candles or not.  (We do.)

>    Surely it is because your windows over there get all frosted up
>    otherwise?  ;-)

Who knows, there may be more truth to this than you think.  I'm speculating,
but we only know the electric candles in the windows.  Most tasteful New
Englanders place ONE candle in the center of each window and the color
must be white.  You can always tell the transplants.

Now let's back up a few years.  I remember the pictures of a frosted window
with a ring "melted" into it.  Maybe "back when" ...  nah, I was going to say
for counteracting the cold from drafty windows...  how about lighting the
way home for people out ("we'll leave the light on for you") only moreso
at Christmastime to light the way for Santa?

Interesting.  I hope someone knows the origins.

    The single candle in the window stems from a well known New England
    candle entrepenauer, who got a windfall of 12 tons of beeswax, which he
    converted into 12,345,543 candles in early October of 1856 and in an
    effort to stay out of Chapter 11, started the slogan, "For every window
    there's a candle".  He credits Thomas Edison with the demise of his
    candle company. - NOT!

    I'd continue the tradition out here but we don't have windowsills.

   Does anybody have a brief description of the significance of Christmas
   to Christians?  This would be less than 1 page long - perhaps 3-4
   paragraphs...
   
   The reason I ask is this... someone on our cafeteria staff went to the
   trouble of putting up Hanukkah decorations and even made available a
   handout that described the significance of the celebration - the oil
   and all that.  I found out that they got a copy of this from a local
   supermarket and simply made copies for the table.  
   
   Now that Christmas decorations (albeit secular) are up, I thought it
   would be appropriate to make available a similar hand-out for
   Christmas.  I could probably write one, but I'm not really comfortable
   doing this and would rather use one that was already done if possible.
   
   Thanks,

   - Tom

    Bing,
    
    Thanks for sending the Christmas mail - which dropped into my ALL-IN-1
    account, and won't display on my humble VT340 terminal. Unfortunately I
    can't get it to print either! Tried all sorts of methods which normally
    work on postscript type documents, but all that gets printed is:
    
    "FOREIGN document type cannot be displayed"
    
    help!
    
    Paul

    Anyone who got it A1, send me a message with your site and I'll resend
    it.  I sent it to the regulars (there were a couple that didn't go
    through because of system connectivity or quota problems).  Its our
    family Christmas letter.  If anyone else is interested in getting it,
    send me mail.
    
    Bing

There wasn't any real need to send it as a foreign document; .PS is just
ASCII text.

/john

    I've just had problems in the past that the postscript code prints out,
    instead of the document.
    
    Bing
    

	Bing, I got lucky, it printed. Thanks! I really appreciate it! :-) Have
a good Christmas!


Glen

    Can you share in here some of your holiday memories that were special
    or significant to you?  What is the holiday tradition in your family? 
    When did you being to celebrate Christ in a way that changed you
    personally?
    
    Let's begin to celebrate the reason for the season!

This is old, and I've posted it in previous versions, but here it is again,
sentiments untarnished by the years:

It is night.
It is quiet.
I am alone,
except for the dog
curled at my feet
sleeping and sighing heavily.
Steam from my tea
curls up in wisps
as my spirit
sighs in reverie.

Outside is cold.
Snow dusts the ground.
Stars shimmer and shine.
One star arcs
out of the sky__
disappears.
Inside is warm.
It's Christmas month.
The evergreen shines with
stars tossed in its branches.

A busy month,
the Christmas month.
Full of hustle bustle.
Buying sprees.
Parties and functions.
Trips to the Post,
wrapping and mailing,
writing and sending.
Lists to be checked
of things to be done.

But tonight is quiet.
Time for contemplation.
Across the room,
on the bookshelf
Advent candles flicker
by porcelain figures__
illustrating the nativity
of Jesus, the Christ.
It's Christmas month,
And heaven and earth join.

Stars shine in the sky
and through neighbors' windows,
and in branches of the evergreen,
and in my heart.
Because its Christmas month,
And a star was the sign,
of Heaven's peace come to earth.
The sign of a Son born,
The Prince of Peace,
The Light of the World.

Presents wrapped in green and gold,
waiting under the tree.
Symbols of my esteem and love
for friends and family,
small reminders
of Heaven's gift to earth,
of God's great love for us.
Our offerings are tokens,
His offering __ life !
Celebrate life this Christmas month.

Celebrate life and light.
Feel the peace and joy.
For the God of Heaven
has come among the people.
Therefore, dry your tears,
and comfort others.
Share the abundance
Of your heart and wealth.
Answer the hustle bustle
With the song of Christmas month.

It is night.
It is quiet.
I am alone.
But not alone.
The barriers are gone,
People can meet with one heart,
Join their hands and lift them high,
Join in praise and celebration,
With the angels and all creation.
Because God has come down to comfort earth.

Leslie Johnson
December 1988

    .28
    
    Amen!!! Leslie, I believe you've captured the heart of many in your
    poem.  
    
    

Gave me quite a lump in the throat... thanks Leslie!

� holiday memories that were special or significant to you?  

Carol singing round the village in the deep snow, some 30 years ago, with 
the band...  
	Why were there so many houses where people didn't come to church?
	how could they bear to live lives which must be so empty without God?

� What is the holiday tradition in your family? 

As a child - Christmas stockings when we first got up (I was sent back to
bed one Christmas when I started workning on it at 6.00 a.m.  When our kids
were small I felt more like waking them up to see them open theirs... ;-)
Breakfast/morning prayers, Church, Dinner, giving each other gifts,
listening to the Queen's speech on the radio, and the rest of the day got
lost in a blur somehow.  Oh yes - the evening would probably be spent 
playing games as a family.  Including grandparents.

Now I've almost grown up, it's changed a little, but not a lot!  
Now the family has grown up, the stockings have been archived ... :-(

� When did you begin to celebrate Christ in a way that changed you personally?
[shifted the 'g' up two places, to where I think it's meant to be, to 'begin'!]

I think that for me, Christmas was always focussed on Jesus, in spite of 
the family / gift predominance.  Any purely 'celebration' feature which 
omits the LORD seems empty.  Like those advent calendars, which you would 
think heralded the advent of Santa Claus!  Makes me feel as if I'm sitting 
down ready at the table with an appetite, cutlery, crockery, all being 
admired - but no food!

I usually manage to find some sort of Advent calendar, and this year have
an embroidered tree from a charity, which has small pockets for each day.
In each, I have put a slip of paper with the (usually...;-) brief breakfast
reading, a chocolate, and a small wrapped gift.  The gift is more a trivial 
amusement than anything to materially enrich the recipient ... ;-)

							Andrew

    
    We have so many family traditions for Christmas time that sometimes
    it is hard to remember them all.  Some of my favorites are:
    Setting up the nativity scene with Mary and Joseph in Nathan's
    bedroom (slowly making there way to 'Bethlehem' on Christmas
    Eve), setting up a small tree on Christmas ever and having the
    children color pictures of the nativity story (starting with the
    angel appearing to Mary and ending with the flight to Egypt) and
    having the children decorate the tree with the appropriate 
    decoration as we read the story from the Bible, having a 
    Happy Birthday cake for Baby Jesus, and the Advent Calendar
    and Advent Wreath which help us focus on Christ each day.
    
    Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
    
    Pam

    Wishing you all a very bright, very merry Christmas. May the light
    of the World, Yeshua haMoshiach flood your lives with light, peace,
    joy, the love of God Almighty, and the wonder of life this Christmas 
    and every coming day.

    Leslie

 Amen!


 And the same to you, Leslie!




 Jim

 Sunday morning as I was driving a van load of kids to church (these 
 are kids who all go to public schools) I suggested we sing some
 Christmas songs.."Yeah!" they screamed.."how about Silent Night" I said.
 The kids responded "we don't know that one" (they ranged in age from six
 to ten)..How about "Joy to the World".." We don't know that one either"..
 but, they did know "Jingle Bell Rock" and many variations of "rudolph"
 and Jingle Bells, many of which were not so nice.

 
 I can't believe how much schools have changed..



 Jim

    
    Jim,
    
    Just a light of hope, Nathan's school had their Christmas
    program last week and they had at least 3 songs that
    actually mentioned the name Jesus!
    
    Pam

 Great!

    Pastor told this story in church on Sunday.  I assume its true.
    
    A candy maker in Indiana wanted to create a special candy for
    Christmas which had true significance.  He made a white hard candy in
    the shape of a J for Jesus.  It was hard to represent the firm
    foundation and white to represent His purity.  Then he added three red
    stripes close together to represent the caning that Jesus got before
    being crucified.  Then he added the one wide red stripe which
    intertwines with the white to represent His blood.  If you turn it
    over it looks like a shepherd's hook.
    
    
    Jill2

 I've heard that as well.




 Jim