Christmas

The christian origins of the Christmas holiday and the meaning of the event, alongside personal anecdotes of Christmas during the 1940s in London.

Featuring readings of Our Saviour Is Born from He Is There and No Room for Jesus from Be Refreshed.

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This podcast, the last for the year, is called Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year. The streets are decorated, and lights shine brightly, tinsel glitters, and Christmas trees glow from many house windows, which have been partially decorated by children with colourful baubles.

People are busy shopping for presents for loved ones, and trolleys are piled high with food for Christmas dinner, and other delectable food is available for other treats during the festivities. The children visit Santa and tell him of their wishes for presents. Yes, a very exciting, anticipated time of the year, as people we encounter in the streets and shops wish everyone a happy Christmas, and are often dressed in fancy t-shirts or fancy Christmas hats.

It was quite different for my family in my early life when I lived in London in the United Kingdom. Food was still rationed, and many items were scarce or not available. Tree branches sufficed for a Christmas tree, and strips of coloured paper were stuck together in circles with flour and water paste to make paper chains to decorate the house. One of Dad’s old socks was hung on the mantelpiece, with hopes that they might get filled, which of course they always were.

Even today I can remember the contents. There was a mandarin, that was the best thing, because that’s the only time I saw one at Christmas in the stocking, and we made it last for ages. An apple was there, and if we were very lucky, a banana. There was a walnut, a small tube of lollies, a pencil, and usually a small toy. We had approximately three presents from Mum and Dad, and a couple of aunts. Even so, it was still exciting, possibly just as much as exciting as it is today for me and my siblings then.

This was all very well, but what happened to the true meaning of Christmas? It is noticed that many banners and people talk about Happy Holidays instead of Christmas, although I like to see the banner around that says Jesus is the reason for this season. Many carol services include mostly Christmas songs, rather than traditional carols. Yes, in our society, the true meaning seems to be slowly eroding away.

As Christians, we should be promoting the true meaning, talking about our Saviour’s birth and rejoicing with thankfulness and joy that God sent his Son to earth in human form to live among us. Inviting friends to join us on Christmas morning for the church service would be a good thing to do. I’d like to read you one of my poems called Our Saviour is Born, and I took it from Isaiah, yes, from the Old Testament, chapter 9, verse 6, which told us then that: For unto us a child is going to be born, and unto us a son will be given…

The hope of all the whole wide world
Came to live on earth this day,
On that first Christmas morning,
In a most miraculous way.

In a stable, in a manger,
Our dear Lord first laid His head,
No fancy frilly cradle,
Did the babe have for His bed.

Mary looked down at her son,
At her dear God given child,
Where He was laying peacefully,
His face so meek and mild.

Her soul did glorify the Lord,
She thought of when the angel came,
To tell her of her virgin birth,
And that Jesus would be His name.

That His kingdom would be endless,
And His reign it would end never,
For the baby was the Son of God,
And would dwell in our hearts forever.

Near Bethlehem, above a field,
The Lord’s angel did appear,
In the sky that shone so brightly,
Shepherds cringed on their knees in fear.

“Come do not be so frightened,
For great tidings I do bring,
For in the town of David,
Has been born the promised King.

You will find Him in a stable,
Laying in a manger stall,”
Then a host of angels joined in,
“Glory to God and peace to all.”

Shepherds hastened to the stable,
And fell on their knees in awe,
Where laying there before them,
The Saviour of the world they saw.

The shepherds praised the Lord most high
And went out the news to spread,
About the birth of Jesus Christ,
And of what the angel said.

Jesus came to be our Saviour,
Our Almighty Lord and friend,
What a great gift God gave us,
When to this poor world did send

His only Son to save us all,
To take upon Himself our sin,
Will you open up your heart today,
And let the Lord Jesus come in.

We must also remember that many people still can’t afford to give their families a Christmas like others people can, then of course there’s those that are homeless, some are living in cars, or in swags in the bush, or small tents. It is so good to see organisations collecting food and opening halls with ready-cooked meals, Christmas meals where people can meet, children receive donated presents, and carols a song. I do thank God for the generous hearts of those who help people less fortunate.

There should always be room for Jesus, and this next poem is called just that, No Room for Jesus. It’s from Luke 2, 7, which says: She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. There was no room in the guest room available for them.

God looked down on a broken world,
And sent His son to show the way,
His name was the Lord Jesus Christ,
Born on the very first Christmas Day,

He wasn’t born in a palace
With riches, robes and jewels galore,
Our King was born in a stable,
And lay in a manger on some straw.

There was no room for our dear Lord,
Every Inn in the town was full,
The only place He could be born
Was with some animals in their stall.

And so on down through the ages,
Christians are oft’ saddened to find,
That there’s still no room for Jesus,
For many he’s never brought to mind.

In many schools the Lord’s shut out.
They say there’s no room for Him there
Why teach of Biblical Guidance,
When for Jesus they really don’t care!

And then within the government,
They say, it’s not politically correct
To follow Godly principles,
For other beliefs it may affect.

No room for Christ in the workplace,
No time to take hold of His hand,
Only produce and money matters,
In places of toil throughout the land.

Arrangements keep folk so busy,
With Christmas gifts, baubles and fare,
And as the family gathers round,
Do they know why they are there?

Do they say, ‘No room for Jesus’,
In their home on this Christmas day,
Or will they open their door wide
And invite Jesus Christ in to stay?

In your house is there always room?
As you celebrate is God a part?
Do you thank Jesus for Christmas,
Really mean it deep down in your heart

Christmas is just the beginning,
Of our Saviour’s wondrous story,
Of how God sent His only Son,
To show us the way to glory.

Yes, there should be room for Jesus,
In every Christian home that’s true,
Not only at the time of Christmas,
But every day the whole year through

Let me wish you all now a very happy and holy Christmas, as you sit around your table for a true celebration of Jesus’ birth. I will leave you today with this. A joyous season has begun again, lift up your hearts and sing of our Lord’s birth in Bethlehem, as with love our gifts will bring.

Thank you, until the new year, bye.