How we celebrate Christ(mas)

For about 20 years the F's and the B's have been celebrating Christmas together by each member of the family expressing what Christ has meant to him / her that particular year. To create a lasting impression each of us brings a symbol to put on or under a bare Christmas tree which then becomes the symbol Christmas tree (or table). For example if you are lead to confess that Jesus is your Saviour, your symbol might be a cross... or an eraser because he erases all sin or if Jesus has been your source of power, the symbol might be a battery. Throughout the years we have had arrows, rocks, lights, horses, shepherd crooks, etc. etc. My mother usually chose a stethoscope or a plaster because God had healed her once more. (She was quite an active person and used to fall quite often - even in her nineties! This will be the first Christmas without her).

To go with the symbol each member of the two families (or whoever is with us the particular Christmas) chooses a Bible verse to illustrate his "message" and a song of his/ her choice. It is usually a struggle to get everyone to SMS or email or phone through their pieces of scripture because everyone is so busy before Christmas! However, because of the programme everyone is forced to reflect on his relationship with Christ: what is it that I particularly need to share with the rest of the family on Christmas Eve? What aspect of my relationship with Christ was highlighted this year?

Before Christmas Eve we type a programme with all the symbols, Bible verses and songs. This makes it easy for everyone to follow and is a record of a family's faith. In the early years, one would just say "Jesus is my light" or "Jesus is my King" or "Jesus is my Saviour." As the children (and adults) grew spiritually, the symbols got more intricate and the confessions and explanations longer and more personal. In my minds eye, I still see the children sitting and reading their Bibles before Christmas and preparing symbols, rather than worrying about food or gifts.

When the children were younger we also used to all dress up as Wise Men or what have you and go up to the stable to perform the nativity there. For this a programme was typed out as well to include guests or new boyfriends or whoever joined us that year. The last couple of years, however, we resorted to a programme of more scripture reading - not only the nativity. We used a similar programme for the community get together last Sunday and I'll post it on my other blog. (Didn't work - can't get it published? Will ask Frans to help.) However, as the grandchildren grow up, I am sure that we will once again do the stable thing! We might even do it with the local community next year!

I remember the first time we did it, the cow stable was scrubbed the afternoon before, but when we all kneeled in the stable, the hem of my dress got wet and it was quite smelly!! If you are in a stable, you can only begin to imagine what Mary and Jesus went through! My brother in law and his son were on top of the stable roof and when we got to where the angels appeared to the shepherds, they suddenly lit a LOT of sparklers! Did I get a fright! I still remember it very well and that was more than 26 years ago! (Jopie was still little and he is now 29 years old!) We'll definitely do it again!!

The highlight of our Christmas celebration, however, remains the 2nd part i.e. the symbol programme. This has brought us as a family closer together and through the years we have either laughed with someone or shed tears in empathy with hardship or joy. We have gone through exam anxieties, lone travels all over the world, hardships at work, jubilation over engagements, weddings and pregnancies, problems with depression and joys over spiritual victories!

This Christmas some members of the two families are visiting the "in-laws". Because our symbol event is so special to all of us, we have decided to postpone the symbol thing to New Year's Eve. We will do the scripture and carol singing programme and Hendrik will lead us in communion tomorrow evening - we have enough time, seeing that we will not be doing the symbol thingy. We have all Christmas to reflect on what we want to share about Jesus on the 31st. I believe it will be a wonderful way with which to end the year and to celebrate Gert's birthday as well!

To anyone who might be reading this:

MAY YOU HAVE A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND EXPERIENCE IMMANUEL!