Christmas Card Mysteries: No 4

The mystery of this card can be easily summarised in one question.  Given the evidential star, why are those Wise Men heading in the wrong direction?

Perhaps they are three other wise men.  But then, why are they on a Christmas card?

Considering Cards - 9. Undercamelled

For everyone who does assemblies, carol services, sermons and written articles the challenge of Christmas returns each year demanding a new angle on an old and rather short story of angels, shepherds and wise men.

 

Just when you think there is no possible variation or speculation that you haven't considered along comes a Christmas card that introduces a new 'train' of thought. What if . . .

 

Biblically the story of the incarnation is animal-free.  A manger but no animals mentioned, shepherds that have left their sheep and wise men who must have travelled on something but we don't know what.

 

Tradition bequeaths us three wise men and therefore three camels.  It's speculative but tidy.  This card introduces the thought that there was only one camel.  It's certainly a new angle.

 

Did they have to sell the other camels to pay for the expensive gifts?

Is this where car lifts to church really began as they shared the one camel?

Most provocatively of all (as the wise man on the camel appears to have no gift) was Gold, Frankincense or Myrrh actually the name of the camel??

 

Considering Cards - 6. Simon Cowell's Entry

This card depicts the scene were the Magi (Wise Men) to appear on The X Factor.

Yes, we can see that's what it depicts. 

But why?

Considering Cards - 3. Infant in Spontaneous Combustion Horror

The title and the picture say it all really.

Is it a prophecy of Pentecost?  Did the artist find babies hard to draw?  Did someone spill bleach on the card? 

We'll never know.

My Favourite Christmas Carols - No 5

Just ten days to go!

This year I've decided to come clean about Christmas Carols.  You could never guess which ones I like by what I choose for services for those choices are constrained by all kinds of factors.  So yesterday as I played stoically through another Bethlehem Carol Sheet's worth of carols in a local shopping centre as we gave out Christmas invitations I decided I'd think through my favourites. 

 

In the event it was surprisingly easy. 

 

In fifth place is a carol that I like for several reasons. 

---

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

 

O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

 

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

 

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

 

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

 

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

 

 

Here is an interesting version: 

 

 

Mungo Jerry shows one reason I like it - the tune, which is rhythmically memorable both in the minor key (the verses) and the major key (chorus) and very adaptable - it works fast and slow, loud and soft or both.  Some carols have VERY boring tunes.

 

More surprisingly MJ also grasp some of the song's theology by the way they portray the death and resurrection of Christ near the end.  And that's what I love about this interpretive carol.  Whilst we may argue whether the gifts meant exactly all that Hopkins claims it has depth and truth and points the singer to the cross and resurrection, to the Saviour and to the Gospel.

 

What more could you ask of a carol?

 

 

UFOs

Reports have now confirmed that the British Government has stopped checking on sightings of UFOs. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said, "Any legitimate threat to the UK's airspace will spotted by our 24/7 radar checks and dealt with by RAF fighter aircraft"

Yeah, right.

I can't help thinking old King Herod would have kept the department open, given the problems he once had.

When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said,
"Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
. . . later Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star.