Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The origin of the Christmas Tree


Christmas tree is that which is very important in Christmas celebrations and all over world it is been followed.

Once upon a time, in a country far away to the north, there lived two little children who wear good, obedient and kind.

On cold winter night they were sitting close by the fire in their cozy house when they heard a timid knock. The little boy ran to open the door , and his little sister followed. There upon the steps , in the snow and the wind and the darkness, they saw a child, no older then themselves. He had no shoes on his feet , and his garments was thin and ragged.

‘Please, may I come in to your house and sit a while by your fire?’ He asked.

‘Yes, Yes’ exclaimed both children, ‘Come into our cozy house , and sit beside the fire?’

The children took the hands of the little stranger, and led him in their own seat by the fire place. They heaped more wood on the fire, and bought a warm blanket to put about his thin, shivering body. They gave him their supper of bread and milk, and he ate it all; for he was very hungry. Then the little boy bought his own new pair of shoes, and gave them to the stranger , saying:

‘My old shoes are strong and comfortable. They are quite good enough for me. You must journey in the snow and ice. Take my shoes and welcome.’

The little girl looked at the stranger’s thin ragged garments. Then she took her own new red coat from the peg where it hunt, and gave it to the visitor saying:

‘Take my warm coat. I have a cozy home, and a warm fire to sit beside, while you must wander in the snow and ice with only thin ragged garments.’


Soon the stranger grew drowsy. His eyes closed and his head nodded. Then the children said:


‘Here is our nice, soft, warm bed. Sleep here and may God give you sweet dreams.’

That night the boy and the girl slept on the hard floor of the house. They were cold, but their hearts were warm, for they could hear the little stranger berating evenly, and they knew he was sleeping in warmth and comfort.

Early the next morning, before it was light, the little boy and the girl heard the sweet music. They looked about to see from whence it came and saw to their surprise that the little stranger’s bed was empty.

The sweet music grew louder and nearer, and they ran to the door to see what they could see. There in the darkness they saw a group of little children, dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching the house. The little ones were dancing and singing and playing on golden harps; and their leader was the strange child, but now different! He was no longer barefoot and clad in a thin, ragged garments. Nor was he wearing the little girls red coat and the little boy’s new shoes. He was dressed in shining garments, and about his head glowed a heavenly light.

He advanced to the door, and with a sweet, soft voice said to the astonished children:

‘I was cold and you gave me shelter, and your own place by the warm fire. I was hungry and you gave all your own supper; I was almost naked, and you gave me your best garments, I was weary, and you gave me your own soft bed, while you slept on the hard floor.’

‘I am the Christ- child. I wander about the world, testing children to see who are worthy. To those who are kind and good and unselfish, I bring peace and happiness.’

The children could not take their eyes off the shining Christ-child. While they stared, the child broke a branch from a fir-tree and planted it in the snow, saying:

‘You have shared with me all that you have. So this tree, each year will bear precious fruit for you.’

Thus the Christ-child spoke and vanished with the group of children who were singing heavenly music. The boy and the girl looked and listened until they had disappeared, and when they turned again to look at the fir-tree, behold! It has borne fruit: sparking candles, bright garlands and beautiful gifts.

And so from that day to this, the Christmas tree has blossomed and borne rich fruit at Christmas time for all children who are good, kind and unselfish.

By
Santhosh P kumar.

A Carol story


O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM


Scenes from the warring countries, and acts terrorism, appearing on our television screens are repeatedly horrific and sickening. Soldiers firing on one another, and at civilians, Children with hate-filled faces hurling rocks and shouting defiance. Men and women weeping over the slain. Destruction, blood, and death. It is appalling, Because of that, the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem during some years were subdued, and attendance restricted. The site of a famous birth became a scene of danger and of carnage.

It has not always been that way as, years by years; tourists have flocked to the town to commemorate Christ’s birth. In 1865, a pastor named Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Spent the seasons in the Holy Land. While there, he attended the Christmas Eve service in the church of the nativity, believed to be built over the site of Jesus’ birth. The quite reverence of that sacred time made a deep impression on Brooks. And that striking difference between a peaceful Bethlehem and today’s bloody battleground, might well cause us to ponder the broader contrast between life and death.

It is contrast that is central to the Christian gospel. Why does the cross, an instrument of cruelty and death, decorate our churches, and often find use as a personal ornament? For many it is because their God reached down to save lot of fallen mankind. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us ….God sent His only begotten son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1Jn -3:16; 4:9). Calvary, “the place of a skull” (Jn 19:17) because the arena where eternal life was purchased by the blood of Christ. There is life out of death.

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) believed that, and taught it in his Church. He was known in his day as the “Prince of the Pulpit.” One of America’s greatest preachers, his sermons are still read and studies today. At six foot six, his presence in the pulpit was impressive-as was his machine-gun delivery, at a rate of 250 words per minute! But Pastor Brooks was a man of deep devotion as well. He served his congregation for twenty- two years, and thought a life-long bachelor; he had a great affection for the children.


When his church planned a Christmas program, in 1868, he thought back to the blessing he had received in that memorable service in Bethlehem. With that in mind, Brooks wrote a song for the children to sing. His Sunday school superintendent (and church Organist) Lewis Render, provided the music. The resulting creation is the now familiar carol, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.”



It Begins, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, how still we see thee lie! / Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” In contrast to the violence of the ongoing conflict, the songs picture a scene of tranquility and peace. Even so, in the calm of that first Christmas night, something awesome and life transforming occurred. The saviour was born; the “everlasting Light” was given.

Our attitude towards Christmas is colored by our response to the one whose name it bears. Consider the closing verse of the carol:

“O Holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.”

That is a prayer, and a poetic description of God’s plan of salvation.

It is by trusting in Christ’s Calvary work, we can be saved. Through personal faith in Him, we are born again, born into the family of God. The Bible says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: Who wear born ….of God” (Jn 1:12-13). And the offer still stands. In the words of Phillips Brooks, “Where meek souls will receive Him still, / the dear Christ enter in.”


By
S. John Barathi.


Source : CSI Life
December 2008 Edition.