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Christmas Season Celebrations
What child is this who laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping. Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping. This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing, Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary. The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus. According to tradition, Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, in a stable, surrounded by farm animals and shepherds, inside a manger from the Virgin Mary and assisted by her husband Joseph. Remembering or re-creating the Nativity is one of the central ways Christians celebrate Christmas. For example, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, while the Roman Catholic Church celebrates Advent. In some Christian churches, children often perform plays re-creating the events of the Nativity, or sing some of the numerous Christmas carols that reference the event. Many Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity known as a Nativity scene in their homes, using small figurines to portray the key characters of the event.
Where ox and cattle are feeding. Good Christian fear for sinners here, The silent world is pleading. This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary. Live Nativity scenes are also re-enacted using human actors and live animals to portray the event with more realism. So it's not that odd to find baby Jesus, a few camels, armed Roman soldiers and a floating Angel setting up for all to see inside an ordinary residential neighborhood.Terry Miles has been producing his live Nativity scene and filling the streets of his small Midwestern town with sounds of song and splashes of light for years. "It explains the true meaning of Christmas. It's what Christmas is all about," he said. Motorists who visited the production agree. "It's amazing," said Thelma Burgess, 73, who drove 22 miles to drive through the production. "It's one thing to read about it. It's another to actually see it before your eyes." A handful of volunteers recreate bustling Bethlehem, hawking wares or herding sheep. The production begins with Caesar Augustus issuing a tax decree and ends with Mary smiling down on baby Jesus, with a live choir singing in the distance. "They see a lot of Santa and that stuff but sometimes people tend to forget why we're even celebrating Christmas," Miles added. So bring Him incense gold and myrrh, Come peasant king to own Him. The King of Kings salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing, Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary. |
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