The Christingle

Have you been to a Christingle service this year?

The Christingle service is a special service that some churches hold during advent. I’ve not been to one this year, but I used to enjoy looking forward to them as a child at primary school.

The tradition started in Germany in 1747 as a symbol of Jesus bringing light and love to the world. Over the years, the Christingle developed from a single candle with a red ribbon, to the orange we have today.

But what does the Christingle mean?

The Orange – The World

The orange represents the world. The world with all its good and bad bits. All people of the world. The world which Jesus came to save.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

The Ribbon – Jesus’ blood

This is the reminder of the reason Jesus was born into the world: what his ultimate was. To come and die for our sins.

 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. Romans 5:6 – 9

The Candle – Jesus is the light of the world

This is part of the Christingle that has always existed. It reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world.

 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

The Four Cocktail Sticks – The Four Corners of the World and the Four Seasons

The cocktail sticks remind us that God’s Salvation was for the whole world, and that we need to spread the message that far. The reminder of the seasons shows that God is with us through all the seasons of our lives.

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.

 A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8

Dried Fruit or Sweets – God’s provision

Another reminder of how God provides for us. For all our needs, material and spiritual.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:31 – 33

The Christingle is a good reminder of the fullness of the Christmas story. It’s not just about a little baby in a manger. There is so much more: Christmas is only part of the bigger story.

This Christmas, remember to focus on the bigger story.

And I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Christmas and joyful New Year.

An Advent Challenge (Part 2)

As I mentioned in my previous post, this advent season I am using the Bible Society Advent Challenge to try and prepare myself for Christmas.

How is it going? Not great!

The first few challenges were fairly simple, and the fact you have a choice of three options meant that I could pick something I knew I could do.

But then I was busy over the weekend. I forgot to check the challenge for a few days, and so I felt I ought to try and complete my missed days all at once.

That didn't happen. For one thing, I forgot to make a list of what I had chosen to do, never mind finding an opportunity to complete it.

But what impact has the challenge made on my advent so far?

Well, many of the tasks have been something I would do naturally (e.g. only fill the kettle with the water you need, hold the door open for someone) but others require me to search for the opportunity to complete them or more planning to execute.

The challenge is making me think about what I’m doing on a daily basis.

But is it preparing me for Christmas? Is it making me more aware of the advent season?

No. Not by itself.

Anyone can sign up to this sort of challenge at any time of the year. The challenge in and of itself is not changing my view of advent.

What is working is that I am aware of the season and that it should mean something. By taking the challenge and wanting it to mean something, I am more aware in my daily life that advent isn't just about opening a calendar door and eating some chocolate. There is something coming; a special day when everything changed. A day when we remember God came down to make us right with him and show us how much he loved us.

While I may not be great at completing my daily advent challenge, my bigger advent challenge, to prepare for Christmas, is going much better. It may still be early days, but by seeking to make Advent mean something, I can prepare myself.

On Sunday in church, we read from Isaiah about the one come to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,

“Clear the way through the wilderness

for the Lord!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland

for our God!

Fill in the valleys,

and level the mountains and hills.

Straighten the curves,

and smooth out the rough places.

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

The Lord has spoken!

(Isaiah 40:3-5, NLT)

Advent is the time to do this in our hearts; prepare ourselves for Him.

Did you sign up to any of the Advent challenges? How are you finding it? Do you feel you are preparing for the coming of Christ into our world?

An Advent Challenge

Christmas is on its way. Shops have had presents, cards, and wrapping paper in stock since late August (or so it seems), and I even saw one of my neighbours houses decorated in mid-November! But now, Advent is officially here. It’s time to get ready for Christmas.

There are many ways to celebrate advent. For many years, people have counted the days to Jesus’ birth using advent candles, advent wreaths, and (one of the most popular) advent calendars! But how about an advent challenge? Instead of opening a window and getting a chocolate, you get a challenge.

I’ve often struggled with advent and how it is meant to ‘prepare us’ for Christmas, especially with the disappearance of the word and focus solely on present, decorations and food. Most of my advents have been spent going carolling with The Salvation Army band, which is good, but could get repetitive and make the season a chore rather than a chance to reflect and prepare for Christmas in my own heart.

This year, I’ve signed up to the Bible Society’s Advent Challenge (you can sign up here). The challenges encourage you to spread generosity and do good deeds. As well as a daily challenge, there is a short thought and Bible passage to make you think about what you are doing. I’m looking forward to completing the daily challenge, and to see how taking the challenge, and reading the thought and scripture, will change my view of advent.

There are many advent challenges available to sign up to online. ALOVE UK are posting a daily advent thought on their website, and will be challenging individuals to take a picture to represent that day’s thought and share them online. Or how about an advent calendar of sound? (Found here)

However you choose to spend Advent this year, I challenge you to try something different. Sign up to a challenge and see how it impacts your advent. I’ll be sharing how my advent challenge impacts me here, so stay tuned!