Tag: Nativity

Christmas Survival Guide

When “The Greatest Journey” Feels Like It Should Be A Bear Hunt…

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Have you heard of the kids story “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt“?

What if the Bear Hunt happened to be mixed with the Nativity?

It turns out its called “The Greatest Journey”…

Obviously nothing to do with Bear Hunts…

Christmas Survival Guide

10 Tips For Hosting A Christian Christmas Party

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Well, its Christmas. As well as the season of mince pies, Santa, Christmas Carols, nativity plays, and random livestock, it is also the season of the Christmas Party. But how should a Christian host a Christmas party?

Here are 10 tips to help you host a Christian Christmas Party… 

  1. Remember this is a Christian CHRISTMAS Party. Remind people of the authentic Christmas experience, and bring livestock into your home.
  2. Give plenty of thought to the music you play. Sofa recommends something like this.
  3. Boil the mulled wine… lots.
  4. Arrange for someone to sit next to your door in your hallway, whispering scripture into peoples ears as they enter. This is to ensure peoples minds are on scripture as soon as they arrive. (And not on the weirdo sat in your hallway).
  5. Host an outdoor worship service in your garden. Make sure its loud.
  6. As well as remembering the birth of Jesus, this is also the season of giving. Ensure all your guest have a suitable Bible commentary as a present. In regards to any presents you receive, ensure you pause and offer a prayer of thanks before opening EVERY present.
  7. Need a party game? Play guess the Bible Reference.
  8. Its Christmas. The season of GREAT JOY! What ever happens, ensure all your guests are smiling. A lot.
  9. Obviously, you also need to be smiling alot.
  10. In the spirit of the season, have a live nativity scene outside your front door. This is probably better with livestock.

Any I’ve missed?

Christmas Survival Guide

Peace On Earth

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If you give it a quick glance, this looks like a normal nativity scene. Except on the wall behind sits details of mass shootings in America, and the amount of people that died in those Mass Shootings.

rt.com reports:

The priest at St. Susanna, Father Stephen Josoma, told Boston 25 News that the move is aimed at getting people talking and stopping gun violence. “There’s cities, nursing homes, coffee shops, military installations, churches, theaters,” he said, noting the locations of mass shootings that have taken place across the country.

Josoma said the idea came after he and his parishioners were “discussing the gun control issue and how it seems to be stagnated across the country.” He went on to state that “this is not the picture of Christmas peace we want to have in people’s minds for years to come. It can’t be this forever, it just has to change.”

The signs sit underneath a banner which reads: “If you only knew the things that make peace.” The priest said he hopes they will encourage people to “look with an open mind and an open heart and continue the conversation.”

The signs have proven controversial online, with one person taking to social media to say that “mass shooters don’t deserve that kind of recognition. Church is for holy people. We should discard these monsters in active volcanos.”

Read more (including Twitter reactions) at RT.com

Sofa feels that at a time when churches around the world sing about Peace on Earth, its good to see a church tackling how unpeaceful events have arguably become normalised.

“Blessed are the peacemakers”, and all that I guess..?