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24 November 2005 Christmas Joy!
To become like children! The most beautiful childhood memory that comes to my mind is that of celebrating Christmas and the joy of Christmas. A hundred days before each Christmas we children in my family would begin to count the days.
Only a hundred times more I will wake up in the morning, and then, hurrah! it's Christmas Day! When at six o'clock on the eve of the First Sunday of Advent the bells rang in the Advent season, it seemed as though the angels were exulting, and we little earthly children joined in. "O welcome, thou blessed Christmas time!"
>From then on, the joy and eagerness for what was to come mounted with each day. Sometimes in the evening, when I was looking out into the darkness of the still night, I would think I saw God's angels coming down to proclaim the Christmas Message to us. The breath of Christmas peace blew down like a greeting from Heaven; all the sounds that were part of this time turned into Christmas music.
Even though the celebration of Christmas is exploited for business profit and used for selfish purposes; even though the meaning of Christmas is often corrupted; in spite of all this, we all feel the impulse at this time to think of others, to show Love to others, to be there for others. This itself shows what this joy of anticipation is.
It is the feeling of human solidarity, the exulting joy in one another, the certainty of mutual Love. The brightness and fragrance of the living Christmas tree under which Christmas gifts are laid - here is light and warmth, symbolizing Life and Love.
A child, thinking of these Christmas symbols and Christmas gifts, might ask himself, Is all this something that can go away? Can this be just an excitement that soon fades away? No, is the answer within him; for all this is not yet the best, and the best cannot pass.
To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given.
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
Of all gifts there is none so precious as this One. Therefore we ask only for this one Gift: Stay with us, Lord Jesus Christ!
When as a child I stood before the lighted Nativity scene, I often fell into a deep reverie. I saw the Christ Child in His Eternal Light; I felt the same that the shepherds felt when they came to the Manger to worship the little Child. It was there that I first realized what the joy of worship means. God's greatness came in the smallness of the Child in the Manger.
Anyone who as a child has looked into God's loving heart can never despair of his life, however hard it may be. Joy radiates peace. Love brings peace. I proclaim to you great joy that shall come to all peoples -
peace on earth!
The true Christmas experience is to feel that this Christmas peace is the greater power; that even now on earth it overcomes all unpeace. That this Peace shall come to all - that is the expectation and the faith of Christmas!
The Christmas Star in the night sky, the shining of the Christmas light in the night - all this is the Sign that light breaks into the darkness. Though we see about us the darkness of unrest, of family discord, of class struggle, of competitive jealousy and of hatred in this world, the Light shall shine and drive it out. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
Jesus is the Light. Nobody else is the Light; others can only witness to the Light. Wherever the Christmas Child is born in a heart, wherever Jesus begins His earthly life anew - that is where the Life of God's Love and of God's Peace dawns again.
Merry Christmas!
Christian-Charles de Plicque
Christian-Charles de Plicque
Angel House International Missions Ministries
2005
www.deplicque.net
18 November 2005 Do Angels Sing?
Some people believe that angels sing - and I am among those. In looking through traditional hymnbooks I find I am not alone. Fanny Crosby, the beloved American poet wrote:
Why do the holy angels sing?
Why do the heav'nly arches ring
With anthems sweet from seraphs bright,
With glitt'ring crowns and robes of white?
But, say some, there is no Biblical evidence that angels sing. How can we be su
re?
No Biblical evidence? I think there is. Take a look at Job 38:1-7:
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 'Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man: I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
(The word "stars" is The American version of Strong's Concordance and one of its definitions is: "heavenly power (that serve God)." Thus, a star could be an angel. Many theologians agree, stating in commentaries that "morning stars" as used in this verse are indeed angels.
In the wonderful sermon by C.H. Spurgeon, The First Christmas Story, he says of angels. They sang the story out, for they could not stay to tell it in heavy prose. They sang, "Glory to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men."
I think they sang it with gladness in their eyes; with their hearts burning with love, and with souls as full of joy as if the Good News to man had been Good News to themselves."
I love this fictional accounting of how the angels sang on the night of Christ's birth:
"Have you ever heard a really big men's choir? Start with that idea, but imagine them not in choir robes, but girded for battle. Not grim draftees, but soldiers terrible in joy. Not so few you could count them if you tried, but thousands and thousands.
Not bare, four-part harmony, but every voice with a slightly different song and all the voices fitting together like a million pieces of a stained-glass window into the glory of Heaven. Not singing with weak human lungs, but sounding eternal chords like the ones that we used at the creation of the world.
Not a song with a few words and a chorus, but a song that could not be contained even if you knew all the greatest words from all the languages of your earth. And this song, if you tried to sing it, would say: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom the Commander's Grace rests." That is the kind of song the shepherds heard!"
Wow! If that doesn't enlarge your thinking about angels, nothing will. Some will say it far-fetched of me to believe that when the angels go into battle against the enemy's evil forces, they swing their swords and attack with a joyful song of victory as their battle cry. I think it is not far-fetched, but a Biblical theory. Historically, when the Chosen People of God (The Israelites) went into battle, the singers were often sent out in advance of the warriors. Wonder where they learned that secret of victory?
Do angels sing?
I am convinced they do. Not in the sweet, child-like music of fairy tales and children's stories. Rather, I think they sing joyfully, forcefully, with a crescendo of sound that will climax when our Lord returns to earth with the greatest of battle cries: Behold He comes! Prepare the way of the Lord!
Hallelujah!!! And Merry Christmas!!!!
Christian-Charles de Plicque
Angel House International Missions Ministries
2005
www.deplicque.net
18 November 2005 What Do You Expect?
Watch your expectations this Christmas Season! The holidays can seldom deliver all the happiness and love we’ve come to expect from them. The advertising images of romantic couples and laughing families may sell a lot of merchandise, but they often mock the heartache felt by so many people in this time of year.
What should we do? Shove our expectations deep down like cold hands in a winter coat? Pretend we don’t really care?
Instead of trying to temper our expectations, why not let them soar toward the highest desires kindled by this season? No holiday or human can deliver what we long for, but we can find it in Christ Himself.
When Simeon saw Jesus, he prayed: My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples.
(Lk. 2:30-31) This Christmas, watch your expectations and see them wonderfully fulfilled in Christ!
Christian-Charles Milton de Plicque,
Angel House International Missions Ministries Association r.f.
Karleby Finland 2005
18 November 2005 The Baby Grew Up
Even Christians can miss the point of the Christmas story if we aren't careful. Halford E. Luccock warned of that that danger in a thought-provoking essay. He wrote: “We can become so charmed with the story of a baby that we grow sentimental about it. It does not ask that we do anything about it; it does not demand any vital change in our way of thinking and living.
The great question for us is this: Is our Christmas still only a story about a baby, or is it more, a story about a Person into whom the baby grew, who redeemed the world from it's sins, and who calls us into partnership with His great and mighty purposes?”
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he said: You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
It is only as we see the Birth of Jesus in the light of His Crucifixion and Resurrection that we are able to grasp the full meaning of Christ's coming.
With your eyes wide open this Christmas, respond to God with Love and commitment for the gift of His Son. Focus your thoughts and actions and motivations toward honoring the Baby who grew up and died for all our sins. Christ the Saviour is born! This Mission of the Cross is hidden in the Message of the cradle.
Christian-Charles Milton de Plicque, Evangelist
Angel House International Association rf.
Karleby Finland
December 2005
www.deplicque.net
(available in Finnish, Swedish and French
18 November 2005 The Christ of Christmas
A discouraged Christian said to me one Christmas: Christ's coming to earth has made little difference in my life. I still have so many trials.
That made me think about the difference Jesus' life has made. I reflected on these four truths: Jesus didn't remain a baby. He grew up to be “strong in Spirit” and had an effective ministry of teaching and healing.
Our Crucified Lord didn't remain in the grave. He arose to be our living Savior. Our risen Savior didn't remain on earth. He ascended to Heaven to prepare a place for us and to send the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Our ascended Lord won't remain in Heaven. He will come back to take us Home to be with Him.
The Birth of Christ has made a difference, but it doesn't mean we will have a trouble-free life. Jesus said: In the world you will have tribulation.
But then He added: Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Because Christ's presence and power is within us, we can triumph over trials. That's grounds for good cheer and a very Merry Christmas!
Instead of being overwhelmed by trials, we can face them confidently because Christ does make a difference. We will not be defeated by anything, if we depend on Christ for everything.
Joyeuse Noël à vous tous!
(Merry Christmas to you all!)
Christian-Charles Milton de Plicque, Evangelist
Angel House International Association rf.
Karleby Finland
December 2005
www.deplicque.net
(available in Finnish, Swedish and French)
18 November 2005 The Gold Slippers De gamla tofflorna (first published in 1988!)
It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season hadn't yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking lot of our local discount store. Inside the store, it was worse. Shopping carts and last minute shoppers jammed the aisles. Why did I come today? I wondered. My feet ached almost as much as my head. My list contained names of several people who claimed they wanted nothing, but I knew their feelings would be hurt if I didn't buy them anything.
Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost of items, I considered gift-buying anything but fun. Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last minute items and proceeded to the long checkout lines. I picked the shortest, but it looked as if it would mean at least a 20 minute wait. In front of me were two small children... A boy of about five and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat. Enormously large, tattered tennis shoes jutted far out in front of his much too short jeans. He clutched several crumpled francs in his grimy hands. The girl's clothing resembled her brother's. Her head was a matted mass of curly hair. Remainders of an evening meal showed on her small face.
She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers. As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo system, the girl hummed along, off-key but happily. When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a treasure. The clerk rang up the bill. That will be 50 francs and 10 centimes
, she said. The boy laid his crumpled francs atop the stand while he searched his pockets. He finally came up with 5 francs and 12 centimes. I guess we will have to put them back
, he bravely said. We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow.
With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. But Jesus would have loved these shoes
, she cried. Well, we'll go home and work some more. Don't cry. We'll come back,
he said. Quickly I handed the the money needed to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time. and, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said, Merci monsieur!
What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?
I asked.
The boy answered, Our mommy is sick and going to Heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus
The girl spoke. My Sunday school teacher said the streets in Heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't mommy be beautiful walking on those streets to match these shoes?
My eyes flooded as I looked into her tear streaked face. Yes
, I answered. I am sure she will.
Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of the true Spirit of giving. Tis the Season! Remember that it's better to give than receive, so pass it on.
Joyeux Noël et Très Bonne Année 2005!
Christian-Charles (“Risto-Kalle”) de Plicque
for: Angel House International Missions Ministries Association r.f. Finland 18 November 2005
18 November 2005 Christmas Away From Home
Jul bland främlingar
Christmas with those who you especially love is deeply meaningful, and it is understandable to grieve a bit that one will miss such a Christmas that has arrived once again. This Christmas will be yet another one I will have to enjoy away from my family's’ homeland France and also the one in Texas where they migrated to long ago.
The holidays with those special people, the extended family and close friends that we have known for many years is particularly important. I have missed the rituals of parties and of Christmas worship services, exchanging presents and memories, seeking in every way to know one another's’s love at this time of the year. Now that I think of it, that’s what’s under this need to be with family at Christmas.
We seek love we have come to expect from the special people in our lives, and that’s what can make being away from our usual haunts difficult at Christmas. Strangers can make a wonderful Christmas.
Over the years I open my home to lonely people. I have also been invited to the homes of others. It is great getting to know them, and also to be able to share in some of their problems. By the time Christmas Day is over, I wasn't a stranger with them at all, nor they with me.
I hope that by the end of this Christmas, we all will make new friends. I find love at Christmas among you here in Finland. After all, Christmas, notably the very first Christmas, has always been celebrated away from home and among strangers.
Joseph and Mary were away from home, satisfying the mandates of some mindless Roman bureaucrats. So they couldn’t be with family and friends in Nazareth at the Birth of their first child. It was that most unfamiliar setting of a stable that the first Christmas occurred.
The shepherds, too, were away from home at their hard and thankless jobs, the night shift at that! If we count the Wise Men who came from the east, the first Christmas was even an expatriate Christmas! We don’t know what images possessed the minds of those strangers that first Christmas. But this, most surely, we know... In seeking out the Christ at Christmas, they found God’s Love, and this too is that we will find when we come to Christ, to worship Him at the: “Mass of Christ”, Christ-mas, in everything that we do to commemorate this occasion.
God’s Love is found among strangers, even when we are so fortunate to be among our most familiar family and friends. For it is the reaching out to share love, to fill hearts, to bridge gaps between people in the real incompleteness and emptiness of our hearts, that Christmas is always found.
And Jesus is radically just such a stranger among us. We reach out to Him, and in the reaching out to Him we discover that we have been in His love from the very first. It is, we discover, that most lovely Christmas of all ... A Christmas of strangers, who have discovered themselves, in discovering their Saviour.
May you have a joyous Christmas in His Love.
Christian-Charles de Plicque
for: Angel House International Missions Ministries Association
Karleby Finland (c) First Published in Österbottningen Tidning 1998
www.deplicque.net
2005
27 October 2005 CHRISTMAS!! - AFRICAN style!
Things are a bit different in Africa at Christmas time, however it is certainly celebrated by those who are Christians and those who are culturally so but do not attend a church.
People ask: “How is Christmas celebrated in Africa or do they celebrate Kwanzaa? Do they have Santa Claus come and bring presents down their chimneys? What about Christmas trees? What kind of food do they eat at Christmas time? In African society spirituality is an important part of life and it is reflected in the way people live and celebrate no matter if people are rich or poor they will celebrate and enjoy the moment: "the Reason (Christ) for the season".
Kwanzaa for the most part is an unknown as such in Africa since it is an African American Holiday rooted in some African Traditions that have to do with the celebration of Harvest and principles of life, great idea, great holiday and some day it may be celebrated in Africa as it is in America but not presently.
Santa Claus, well you will not find him hanging around in Africa since Christmas is mostly a spiritual holiday with Christian meaning rather than a secular celebration. You can get Christmas like trees here and there, but as usual, even this year, some of the newspapers have had some articles where the tree has its roots in Western Pagan culture and besides if you have a choice of spending money on food or a tree, you will most likely go for food as most Africans do.
In Africa, there is not so much the giving of presents, but the giving of presence. Most people do not have the financial resources to buy gifts such as toys and out in the countryside there are not many stores that have any kinds of toys for sale, and even if they did they would not sell too well since people are into having daily food, but on Christmas just as all over the world there is this celebratory spirit for family and friends to come together, eat, drink and rejoice in the fact that they have each other.
Food is served but it would not be your usual Holiday spread found in the West. No turkey, goose, ham, but there will be many other things to feast on. In many cases it will be the same foods as usual but more of, and more variety.
The little shops, the kiosks will put up garlands and in some cases lights if they have electricity. Artists will make some extra money painting a nativity scene are some store windows and other festive things having to do with the celebration. I have some seen some painted on snowflakes, while the temperature was well into the 90’s. The main thing is that it looks nice, and with the sounds of Christmas music coming out of the shops it makes a nice change.
Choirs will come in and sing for guests and audiences, churches will be getting ready for Christmas eve events and everyone will get ready for the Christmas party. Children and parents will get a new set of clothes and sometimes shoes, often from the secondhand market which is actually imported clothing and was worn first by someone in the west. Women will put on some of their traditional dresses, in East Africa there has been resurgence of African style sweeping the land, which I think is nice and the bright colors are pleasant to behold.
Christmas is a time of celebration in Africa for all, well almost all unless you are a goat, a chicken, or a cow. Right now in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda it is find the right goat time. Roasted goat is delightful, with stir-fry vegetables for example. For those of you who are Vegetarians, no, there is not Tofu-Goat or Tofu-Chicken…only in the USA do we have Tofu-Turkey!
In Kenya, "Nyama Choma" (roast goat meat) is the order of the day. So many goats are eaten in late December that this upsurge in demand fuels the goat rustling amongst the pastoralists in the arid parts of Kenya. A bit of supply and demand stuff.
The closer you get to Christmas, the higher the price of goats and since Ramadan is usually celebrated, Christians place their orders way ahead of time. Even in the cities you will see goats tethered in yards awaiting the celebration. Normally Christmas is a family affair and the size of the goat is determined by the size of the family. The meat is eaten hot from the charcoal grill and should be finished in one sitting.
Among the Kikuyu and Masai tribes, certain parts of the goat are for girls while others are for boys. There is also meat for the roasters and of course for the man who butchers the goat. The poorer families will have chicken at Christmas with chapattis, ugali, sukuma wiki and rice.
In Uganda it is similar to Kenya, people who might be well to do might even buy a turkey at a fancy shop but for most it is goat, "matoke" (green bananas – steamed), Irish potatoes, posho, groundnut sauce, cassava, yams, and lots of other things.
People without means will pull resources with neighbors and friends and slaughter a goat, goats or a cow, but usually there is a celebration for all. The children are excited; the adults look forward to a day of no work and just relaxing with friends and lots of food.
If you go to Kigali, things are pretty well the same, except more beef will be eaten. They love their roasted steaks, potatoes, rice, beans, and peas. Rwandans have a sweet tooth. Cake shops and patisseries are part of the Belgian colonial legacy and do a roaring trade around Christmas, but that is found primarily in Kigali and not in the small towns. Christmas is also the time when a lot of the children are christened and that means even a bigger celebration.
You can see that Africa like us here celebrates the season, gets together as families and friends, the ways and means may be different but the spirit is the same.
Personally, this Christmas my heart is with all the children of the world and the orphans in particular who do not have a place to go to this holiday season and whose moms and dads have been taken by war, by aids or some other disease and they are alone in some orphanage, missing out on the celebration of family. There are millions of orphans in Africa since death often comes earlier to the parents than here in the West for various reasons.
To me Christmas is about giving and receiving something It is in giving one receives. When one gives something to someone even if that person has closed their hand into a fist of anger, they will have to open that hand to be able to receive. It is a transformation of facial and body language, of attitude and of heart. I have sent that time and time again.
The ancient story of God giving His Son is replayed as we in turn pass on what has been given to each one of us day after day…and as we do so and people open their hands to receive, things change, people change, walls come down and bridges of relationship open up.
Christian-Charles de Plicque, missionary/evangelistwww.deplicque.net
Angel House International Missions Ministries r.f.
Karleby Finland
2005
November 2003 In My Opinion.... Are Christmas Traditions Paganistic?
One of many arguments against the celebration of Christmas as it has been done for years, is the claim that many of the traditions found in the celebration of it were brought over into Christianity from pagan practices. These include the yule log, the tree, special feasts or meals, and mistletoe. How can we justify these things? Isn't it just like celebrating Halloween?
Here are some historical facts about our traditions. The Zondervan
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says: Gradually a number of
prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came
were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies
surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally
represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise
pagan practices.
The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated
for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked
by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms
of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced
the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions
of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a
part of the observance of Christmas. Other nations, the Scandinavians,
Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . .
.
Concerning these ancient elements, The Christian Encyclopedia
says: Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration,
such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the
giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later
as Christianity
spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic
winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas
tree, bonfires, and similar items.
Finally, Unger's Bible Dictionary adds: The giving of presents
was a Roman custom; while the yule tree and yule log are remnants
of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into
mere revelry . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament
in 1555; And the reformation brought in a refinement
in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing its Christian
elements.
But what about passages like Jeremiah 10? Some believe this condemns the celebration of Christmas and especially the use of the Christmas tree. Is Jeremiah telling us to avoid the customs of the nations? No. Jeremiah 10 is a denunciation of the making and worship of idols and not the decoration of evergreen trees in the home. Furthermore, this passage is not a categorical denial of all the customs of the nations. It is only a command to avoid those customs that are contrary to the revelation of God to Israel. There were many customs that Israel and the nations had in common that were not wrong.
This passage in Jeremiah and others like it in Isaiah had to do with idolatry. First, Jeremiah warns against astrological worship--the worship of the sun, moon, and the stars. Second, he warns against going into the forest to cut down trees to be carved into an idol in some form whether human or animal, and then worshipped and prayed to for guidance, for protection, and blessing. Some have tried to tie the reference to the green tree in Jeremiah, to the reference in 10:3 to further justify condemnation of the Christmas tree, but this refers to the idolatrous groves of trees used as a place for idol worship and revelry.
Some issues Facing Us Today: The pagan associations were lost long ago at least from a Christian perspective. The names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Thursday originally stood for the Germanic god of the sky or of thunder. Tuesday stood for Tiw, the god of war. And Wednesday is derived from Woden, the chief god in Germanic mythology. Sunday and Monday were related somehow to the worship of the sun and the moon. Saturday is from Saturnus, or Saturn, and Friday comes from Fria, the goddess of love.
When Friday rolls around we don't think about Fria, the goddess of love. On Saturday we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. If one observed the days of the week or the Christmas season with their ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our Sunday, have been given Christian connotations.
The Evergreen tree is a symbol of the eternal life which Christ,
the Son of God, offers to man via another tree, the cross in
the Book of Revelation. The presents under the tree can
remind us of God's gift and our need to give of ourselves to
others
as those who have received God's Gift of Life through Christ.
Even without seeking special significance in the traditions of
Christmas, you could still celebrate this season for the joy
and family fun the season can bring.
I would like to suggest that believers can capitalize on the Christmas season as a family tradition and as a learning experience much like the Old Testament Passover was to be used by Israel. It all depends on the spirit and attitude in which it is done. We can be very negative and critical, or we can be positive and use the season as a time to remember and commemorate The Birth of the Savior.
We can use it as a time to demonstrate Love for others in a special way, and to be together as a family like we do on Independence Day, or New Year's. We can make something evil out of it, or something good.
Here are some facts of Scripture, Concerning the Celebration of Christmas In view of what we have seen, the Bible appears to be silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under Grace, we are at liberty to celebrate Christmas. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas, even in the traditional form and, we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.
Scripture does, however, set down principles which should affect the way we celebrate it. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world. Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the reason for the season--The Birth of the Savior of the World. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on.
Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt. They buy things they can't afford, which nobody needs, and sometimes can't even identify. The response is: "Hey, thanks. What is it?" Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Savior--or never hear about the Lord as God's Gift of His Son that we might have Life.
Through the Christmas message, Parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world. Finally, some may observe the season as they would observe lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with Biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship.
Today, our Christmas traditions have lost their original pagan significance or connotations. In some cases, the distortions were corrected by the reformers over two hundred years ago, but they did not see fit to condemn the celebration of Christmas.
There is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them, by their attitudes and beliefs (Romans). The ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.
Here are some Options to Consider: If you have doubts or misgivings, do away with any observance of the Christmas season all together. But do not become a Scrooge and look down on those who do celebrate it (Rom. 14:-5). Cut out some or all of the traditional elements like the tree, presents, etc., but spend the season reflecting on The Birth of the Savior through the Word and the singing of carols. Use this part of the season simply as a family tradition for fun and family togetherness. But remember the birth of Christ through carols, reading the Christmas story, and times with other members of the Body of Christ.
The Santa Claus idea originated with a man by the name of St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the area of present day Turkey. He went about, often at night, giving gifts to poor and needy children. He later became the patron saint of children in the Roman Catholic Church. From here the story grew and became legend in country after country with various details were deleted and added as the legend of St. Nick grew.
So, how should believers handle it? Santa may be taken as a fairy tale idea like "Alice in Wonderland", or "Jack and the Bean Stalk"... Children normally understand that Alice in Wonderland is only make believe--a fairy tale. However, for many children, Santa is real. In many ways it is probably harmless. But because of the confusion between Santa and Christ, parents need to be careful in their use of this part of Christmas tradition.
Some Christians could be marginal in their spiritual life and they get caught up in the rat race and secularization of the season. People spend far more than they can afford. They seek relief from their burdens and seek happiness in the glitter and merry making of the holidays, rather than in the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They look for the season to give joy, rather than the Person of the season. They expect from the season what only God can give. As a result, depression and suicide reaches its peak during the Christmas season and immediately following it.
We also need to remember that Scripture does promise rewards for godly behavior or faithfulness for believers in Christ. Salvation is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone, but crowns, metonomy for rewards, are promised for faithful and obedient living.
The mistletoe speaks of the Gift of God's Righteous Branch, and the kiss or hug stands for kissing the Son in faith--an expression of faith in Christ as God's means of salvation and reconciliation.
As with all of these things discussed here, each family needs to make up their own minds. In my opinion parents can explain the traditions and have fun with them, but make sure your children understand the historical roots and use these things to teach the truth behind the traditions.
Keep the Christmas traditions and use them to illustrate and focus on the truth of Jesus Christ. The tree speaks of the Lord and the Eternal Life which He gives; The presents speak of God's Love and Gift to us of His Son and of our Love for one another. Make the emphasis more on giving rather than receiving. Remember: God gave His Son.
Joy to the world, the Lord IS come! Let Earth receive her King!
Christian-Charles de Plicque
(Article also available in French)
Angel House International Missions Ministries Association
Karleby Finland
November 2003
June 2001 Christmas In Poland
Boze Narodzenie!
The Christmas cycle begins with Advent (Adwent), a four-week long period preceding Christmas, which is charatarized by the preparation of Nativity scenes in churches. Krakow is particularly notable for this; a competition is held there and the winning displays are awarded.
As for Christmas (Boze Narodzenie ) itself, Christmas Eve (Wigilia) is the day most celebrated in Polish homes, culminating in a solemn supper which should start when the first star appears in the sky. Before the meal the family shares Holy bread (oplatek), wishing each other all the best for the future. Then the supper begins which traditionally consists of 12 courses, including some of the best of traditional Polish cuisine.
An extra seat and a place setting are left prepared for an "unexpected guest". Kids will find their gifts under the Chrstmas tree (choinka),
There’s something special about Christmas Eve in Poland that never fails to brighten the faces of even the grumpiest of all Poles. It’s joyous, emotional dinner celebration unites speparated families and renews friendships that are often strained by the trying conditions of everyday life. The same neighbors who squabble the rest of the year across the picket fences, chasing each other’s livestock, leaving each other’s gate open, will break bread together at the Christmas table, among hearty hugs and tears of joy.
Centuries ago, feudal-estate masters suspended the feudal order on Christmas Eve by inviting their servants to sit with them at the same table. Today, Christmas has continued to be a time where love, friendship and most of all, forgiveness reign.
One polish expression says that: "no one holding a grudge can have a peaceful, happy Christmas." Indeed in Poland, Christmas is a time when you make up with your enemies, and when you comfort the sick, the poor and the lonely.
A lone candle is lit and placed in the window facing the street. The candle flickers through the darkness in the hopes that Christ, in the form of a stranger, will join the family for dinner. It may also serve as a beacon to help guide the spirit of any family member who could not travel the distance in person.
As a reminder of Christ’s humble Birthplace, a handful of fresh straw is place beneath the traditional white-linen tablecloth. Before the meal begins, a prayer of thanks is said. Slim wafers or pieces of unleavened bread similar to communion hosts, impressed with Biblical figures of Christ, angels, lambs or Blessed Mary are passed to each participant. In the farming communities, several wafers are then taken to the barn, and fed to the family livestock-another reminder of the Bethlehem stable. Other blessed wafers had already been mailed to far-away relatives and friends.
Individuals unaware of Polish customs are often surprised to learn that no meat is served during Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas Eve is a time of strict fasting, the closing hours of a four-week period of penance called: Advent. Although dinner is meatless, it doesn’t mean the meal isn’t a bountiful feast! It begins with at least three different soups, including a meatless borscht, closely followed by three traditional fish entrees of which at least two are carp and pike. A seemingly endless array of appetizers, garnishes and accompaniements, the fruits of several days preparation, are then served between steaming platters of sauerkraut and meatless pierogies.
There are pickled beets, pickled mushrooms, pickled herring and fish in tomato sauce. There’s Christmas Babka and spicy oven-browned poppy-seed rolls. It’s a grand celebration, much in the earlier tradition of elaborate festivities, or Wigilias, that still today, features 12 full courses of food and drink, representing the 12 apostles of Jesus.
After supper is finished, the family will set off for church for the specially celebrated Christmas Mass (Pasterka) at midnight. The service is held by almost all churches and all are packed.
Christmas Day is, like the previous day, essentially a family day, with Mass, eating and relaxing. The holiday atmosphere continues for the remaining days of the year up until New Year’s Eve (Sylwester), when the action starts with a variety of formal balls and private parties, principally among urban communities.
To those who didn’t attend Midnight Mass, Christmas Day brings church, and a late morning or early afternoon buffet for relatives and friends. It’s an all-day open-house, with neighbors dropping in on one another and snacking on tortes and cheesecakes... As you can see, my french blood moves me always to talk about food. And part of Christmas is a time for that. But for me, it is even moreso a time of fellowship and celebrating the Birth our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
During the afternoon, young people form groups and go caroling through the streets, dressed as kings, sheperds or other Biblical characters. If they sing in front of your house, and you don’t give them food, or something warm to drink, they might pull your sleigh five houses down, or remove your fence gate-all in good humor!
On January 6 come Epiphany (Dzien Trzech Kroli), marked by carol singers, usually armed with a small portable crib or other religious images, who go in groups from door to door. On this day people hav a piece of chalk consecrated in church, then use it to write “K+M+B” (the initials of the three Magi) on their front doors, to insure Heaven’s care over the home.
I have had the privilege to work as guest evangelist in Poland for several years now, and this year, I have been invited to spend Christmas there, working with the church, for the need is great in Poland and there is no better time of year, to share the Love of the Lord, than during this holiday season.
This year, the Church, along with one of the countries' Cultural Centers, is sponsoring a Christmas tour called: "CANTIQUES DE NOEL DU MONDE ENTIER" (Christmas Hymns From Around The World) , with Polands' renowned jazz and gospel recording artist Ewa Uryga and I. It goes without saying that Finlands' most cherished Christmas hymns will be represented, in finnish and certainly på svenska (in Swedish)!
The Musical Director for this tour is the renowned and profilfic polish composer and pianist, Monsieur Adam Kaminski. Together we will lift up the name of Jesus, and proclaim to all that have ears to hear, that Jesus is Lord and King.
Boze Narodzenie!
Merry Christmas!
Joyeuse Noel!
Hyvää Joulua!
God jul och Gott Nytt År!
Christian-Charles Milton de Plicque
Christian Journalist: Österbottningen Newspaper
For: Angel House International Ministries rf.
Karleby Finland June 2001
(Article also available in Swedish & French upon request)
December 2002 "Christmas Gift!":The African-American Heritage
Estevan, sometimes called Stephen the Moor, was the first known black man in Texas. A companion of Cabeza de Vaca, he had a reputation as a wonder-healer and also as a guide. In 1539, he was killed by Indians in southwest Texas. Blacks also accompanied Coronado on his expeditions, and some came with Alarcon, the founder of San Antonio, and remained in that settlement. In early Spanish settlements in Texas, a few blacks, both free and slave, lived.
The majority of African-Americans in Texas in the nineteenth century, however, were brought in as slaves by white agriculturists. Some had also been smuggled in by slave traders before the nineteenth century with the cooperation of the pirate Jean Lafitte. Life for slaves on Texas farms and plantations was hard and monotonous, and the Christmas season was eagerly looked toward. Time was marked as being: “so far to Christmas”.
Since the cotton crop had been picked and shipped by then, many planters gave their slaves the week as a holiday, except for necessary chores, such as feeding livestock, milking, and gathering eggs. These and the household chores were share among the house servants, so each got some time off. The “big house”, as it was called by the slaves, (The plantation owners’ house), was decorated from top to bottom with greenery and candles. And slaves cut and hauled an enormous tree into the best room of the mansion.
They took particular care in choosing the large Yule log to place at the back of the main fireplace, as the tradition on many plantations, was that the holidays would last as long as the Yule log burned.
The customary greeting in December was: “Christmas Gift!” rather than: “Merry Christmas!” And although gift giving among adults was not common early in the century, most planters gave their servants presents. Often the gifts were clothing or shoes to supplement their scanty wardrobes. They also gave gifts to slave children, these might include pennies, a sack of candy, or a popcorn ball. One unusually generous planter gave each of his slave families a present of twenty-five dollars-real money in the mid-nineteenth century.
Among the whites there was a constant round of visiting at Christmastime, and the visitors often tossed small trinkets or pieces of money to the servants who waited on them. The diet of slaves improved considerably during the holidays. Christmas memories of one former slave is recorded in the “Texas Slave Narratives”.
John Price, who lived near the city of Liberty in Texas recalled: “Us ol¨boss man say Crissmus day was his day to treat. He tell us ‘bout Santy Claus. Us taken us sox up to de boss’ house an’ hang dem dat away ‘round de big fireplace, and den in de mawnin’ us find candy and cake and fruit and hab a big time. New Year’ Day was ‘ol mistus time. She fix a big dinner for eb’rybody on dat day and nobody hafter work.” (This of course is slave dialect for: Our old bossman says that Christmas Day was his day to treat us. He would tell us about Santa Claus. We would take our socks up to the boss’s house and hang them right away around the big fireplace, and then in the morning, we would find candy and cake and fruit and have a good time. New Year’s Day was the masters’ wife’s time. She would prepare a big dinner for everybody on that day and no one would have to work.) The slaves holiday week between Christmas and New Year was quite festive.
“Bedecked out in their best,” they visited each other and spent the evenings singing and dancing. The dancing was vigorous with “each limb in movement” and the laughter “truly joyous and hearty”. At midnight they had supper. Then they danced until daylight, when they had to return to their homes.Spirited dancing freed the slaves’ spirits for a few hours from the oppression of their bondage. Singing was another release. Slaves often worked to the rhythm of Spirituals. The rhythmic tunes and simple, often moving lyrics of seasonal spirituals, deepened the celebration of Christmas.
Like some European folk carols, spirituals portray the Holy Family empathetically-in terms of the singers themselves. An example of this empathy is: “ O Po’ Little Jesus” (Oh Poor Little Jesus): "O, poor Little Jesus. This world gonna’ break Your heart. There’ll be no place to lay Your head, my Lord. O poor Little Jesus”. And the chanted refrain (“Wasn’t that a pity? Wasn’t that a shame?”) seems to come from the singers’ understanding, increasing the sympathetic feeling of the song.
“Behold That Star” was written by the son of a former slave who wanted to write a jubilee song about Christmas. The famous, but anonymous, spiritual: “Go Tell It On The Mountain!”, expresses the joy and the mystery of Christmas: “When I was a seeker, I sought both night and day. I asked the Lord to help me, and He showed me the way. he made me a watchman, upon the city wall. And if I am a Christian, I am the least of all. Go tell it on the mountain! Over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain! That Jesus Christ is born!"
This was the Hope they had, and this is the Gift that the world still reminds itself and rejoices about at Christmas. As a native-born mulatto French-American... and Texan, I wish you all: “Christmas Gift!”.
Christian-Charles Milton de Plicque
For: Angel House International Ministries rf.
Karleby Finland December 2002
(Article also available in Swedish & French upon request)
