Christmas Light

As Christmas approaches lights will be switched on in town centres and in houses across Scotland. Everyone has their own personal reasons for choosing to decorate their house (or not to decorate!)

Are the lights on Christmas trees just to show Santa the way to your house though?

For Christians the Christmas celebration is about a gift, but this gift is so awesome it is difficult to believe.

 “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God”

What would you do if you had the power to become a child of God? This inspired the legend of a man that was Saint Nicholas to  give gifts to rescue children from absolute poverty. He is one of the main influences remembered in stories of Santa Clause still told to children Scotland.

But who was it that Christians believe gave the power to become children of God?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into beingin him was life and the life was the light of all people.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”

The thing about poetry and art is that you can pack a lifetime of mystery and theology into a paragraph of words or a simple drawing. It can take a lifetime to unpack it again, and the process of unpacking can lead to the creation of new understanding. This is your invitation to participate in this process and co-create some art.

 Christians understand the Word, the light, to be Jesus both the “Cosmic Christ” of Christmas mystery and “human being” needing a feed at an awkward time of the night and living a human life which lit up and inspires renewed hearts and minds. So as Christians the lights are both a reminder of the gift from the creator and an encouragement to be light in creation. What do they mean to you though?

You could also simply use this as an opportunity to reflect on what ways you can be a unique “Nugget of Joy” in your own sparkling way though!

• Write a word that expresses “the gift of you” as light to the world
• Draw a picture or symbol that describes the way you shape the light shining through you
• You are a treasure, and your name represents that, you could just take care writing your name to recognise this.

Take a photo of what you have written or drawn and send it to quartz@wordsmithcrafts.co.uk

We will take all the contributions and print them as transparent stickers. These will be collectivised and combined with mirrors in a sculpture to be installed in the St John’s Dumfries church building as a Christmas decoration.

As well as regular services, the building is open 10.30 until 4 for people to drop in for prayer and reflection. If so if you are able to visit, hopefully you will be able to catch glimpses of your contribution in person. We will be posting updates online to make it easy for everyone to access the experience of the installation reflecting light throughout the building and online.

Follow the progress here:

• Sparkling White
  Did you know that part of the inspiration behind the name “Quartz” is the shining or sparkling white of St Ninians foundation at Whithorn? It can be argued that the whole of the British Isles gained the name “Alba” in antiquity because of the “chalky white” cliffs in the south. “Candida” Casa uses a word … Read more
• Nuggets of Joy
  As part of the “Christmas Light” collaborative installation we have been working with pupils at Dumfries High School. In their class they have been thinking about the meaning of Christmas for Christians, and also the symbolism of light. As part of this they have been thinking about how they can be “Lights” in the world … Read more
• Coffee and crafting
  We are working away and sticking peoples symbols to mirrors. Every ‘Nugget of Joy’ will contribute to the overall effect. This Sunday, the 18th of December, will see the first component of the artwork installed. As well as for regular services, the building is open for prayer and reflection between 10.30 and 4 each day. … Read more
• Nuggets of Christmas Light
  As part of the Christmas installation this year we have been asking people to recognise the ways in which they bring light into the world, and their relationships. They have been writing words and drawing symbols as described elsewhere on this site. Here are some of the symbols of the “Nuggets of Joy” which have … Read more
• Christmas Light
  Follow this link to find out more! As Christmas approaches Christians are thinking about the light of Jesus coming into the world. All over the world we will be spending time becoming aware of ways in which this light makes the world a better place to live in. We invite you join us in this … Read more

more posts will follow – send us something and come back soon!

Download the printable simplified activity version of this page