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Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? #11

Archives: Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? #11

Worshipful Ceremonies



A Responsive Reading for Christmas Eve (or Anytime)

Leader: It was cold, and Mary and Joseph were fearful.

People: But that did not stop the birth.

Leader: They were poor and had no room waiting for them.

People: But that did not stop the birth.

Leader: They were uncertain what God wanted from them.

People: But that did not stop the birth.

Leader: And today we are still sometimes cold and fearful, certainly poor in so many ways and unclear about what God wants of us.

People: But that need not stop the birth. Be born in us today. Amen.

-- author unknown


A Poem for Holy Innocents Day, December 28th

The Birth

Kings recognize their day
Is done.
Dictators, Absolute rulers
Caesars and Herods
Are delegitimized.
They do not go down
Without a fight.
They never do.
"Slay the children"
Is the cry.
But babies still are
Born in stables
And of low estate.
And babies will escape
The nets and schemes
of would-be rulers.
And babies grow up.
Thank God!

-- J.J. Adam


Additional Worship Resources from Alternatives

"Remembering the Holy Innocents: A Service for December 28th," "A Saint Nicholas Day Celebration" for December 6th, and "An Epiphany Celebration" for January 6th.

For brief household Services on Planning Your Gift Giving, Trimming the Tree, Sharing Memories, Preparing for Travel, and Close of the Season, see the 1996 edition of Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?

For Services on Hanging of the Greens (and More Ideas on Decorating the Home, Preparing Holy Space); on Ending, Blending and Beginning Christmas Traditions; and on Food Preparation, see the 1997 edition of Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?


A Ceremony for Church or Home

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

This Ceremony involves everyone in the Christmas Story in a Family, Church or Sunday School Class.

Preparation

Needed: Wrapping paper.

Cardboard tubes found inside wrapping paper or bathroom tissue rolls.

Blessings like those below, duplicated and separated.

Representations of traditional Creche figures. Use small pictures (cut from old Christmas cards), paintings, carvings, or other symbols of the nativity scene "characters." Household members can make them -- the Child, Joseph, Mary, Shepherd, Lamb, Ox, the Three Kings and the Star. This allows each of ten guests to have a different take-home "favor." If you need more than ten, make more shepherds or lambs.

To Assemble: Each figure and its appropriate blessing is placed inside a 3-inch long (or as needed) cardboard tube and then wrapped simply. No one knows who will receive which "character" and matching blessing (especially if it becomes an annual event).

Conducting the Ceremony

1. Conducting the Ceremony at the Christmas Dinner Table.

The wrapped figures are placed as "favors" at each plate. The ceremony should take place at a designated time -- perhaps at the end of the meal, or just before dessert. Then with all gathered "in joyful solemnity," each of these gifts should be unwrapped in turn, and the blessing read aloud by the recipient. All respond to each reading: "God Bless You, (name)!" Absent family members can also be remembered at this time with a simple "God Bless (name)!" The singing of a carol may follow.

2. Holding the Ceremony on Christmas Eve Or on Christmas Morning -- Assembling the Family Creche Set.

Everyone gathers in a semi-circle. Each is given a wrapped package containing one of the family's creche figures and the appropriate blessing. Each is unwrapped in turn. The blessing is read and everyone responds "God Bless You, (name)." The figure is then put in place, in or around the "stable." Though each recipient does not keep the figure, s/he keeps the blessing and has a sense of "ownership" of this character during the festivities. This ceremony allows the visual reminder of Bethlehem to be assembled by the whole family in a special way. As before, absent members of the family may also be remembered by name at this time with a simple "God Bless (name)." The singing of a carol may follow.

3. Holding the Ceremony in Church Or Church School Class.

This could be a ritual way of assembling the church's creche, done with "joyous solemnity" as befits the occasion. If the children cannot read well, then the teacher could appoint someone to read the blessings. In this case, the child might be invited to repeat the words of his/her blessing after the reader. All can respond each time: "God Bless You, (name)." It also works well with an adult class. When the creche scene is completed, sing a well known carol or listen to Christmas music.

THE BLESSINGS

The Christ Child
May the blessing of the Christ Child, who shows us purity and purpose, innocence and grace, love and compassion, be with you and yours, both now and throughout the coming year.
Joseph
May your heart be filled with the patience, loyalty, and devotion of Joseph of Nazareth, the carpenter in whose skilled hands lay the safety and well-being of Mary his spouse, and of the Child Jesus. May these gifts be yours now and throughout the coming year.
Mary, Mother of Jesus
May you be blessed with the gifts of Mary: her questioning mind, her ready acceptance of God's will for her life, and her courage and steadfastness in adversity. May these gifts be yours now and throughout the coming year.
The Shepherd
 May Christ, the Lamb of God, fill you with peace; may God, our Father, the Good Shepherd, lead you in green pastures and by still waters; and may the Holy Spirit, the Encourager, comfort your soul, now and throughout this coming year.
The Ox
May the Ox bless you with its symbol of the strength and patience of God which can become yours through His grace. Remember that when "there was no room at the inn," the dining table of the ox became the holy cradle of the Son of God. Thus may you be blessed with the joy of offering hospitality to others, now and throughout the coming year.
The Lamb
May the lamb bless you with remembrances of the Child in the Manger, innocent and pure, yet destined to become the Lamb of God "who takes away the sins of the world." And may the purity and innocence of childhood be yours once again, now and throughout the coming year.
Wise Man #1 (Gaspar)
May the gold brought by this Wise Man signify for you the faith that shines forth in the midst of adversity, the love that remains pure and unblemished, and the hope that remains clear and bright. May such royal gifts be yours now and throughout the coming year.
Wise Man #2 (Melchior)
May the frankincense brought by this Wise Man signify your prayers rising in fragrance to God; and may it also represent to you God's goodness, kindness and beauty. May these gifts be yours both now and throughout the coming year.
Wise Man #3 (Balthasar)
 May the myrrh brought by this Wise Man signify the grace God offers you:
To allow sorrow to help any healing of your heart,
To accept pain to help any mending of your body,
To permit wisdom to help any enlightening of your mind.
Thus may God bless you with joy in sorrow, healing in pain, and wisdom in making decisions, both now and throughout the coming year.
The Star
May the Star, which led the Wise Men from afar, shine so brightly in your heart, that you may be led closer to Jesus; may you thus come to know him more fully, not only as the Child of Bethlehem, but also as the Christ of Calvary and the Risen Lord of Easter. May the Lord of all stars bless you, both now and throughout the coming year.

Rae E. Whitney is a writer from Scottsbluff, NE, and contributor to Alternatives' hymn collection Sing Justice! Do Justice! available from the Hymn Society in the US and Canada.


This page last updated 20 October 2012

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