Craft The Three Nails and A Fish Chrismon

The three nails and a fish Chrismon refers to the
scripture Galations 2:20. I've hung my sample
here on my thorn bush in back of the house for
the photograph. This symbol has been around for
a long time but, it isn't as common on Chrismon
trees today.

The fish, Ichthys, combined with three nails here is symbolic for Christians being crucified with Christ, Galations 2:20.

Paul Confronts Peter
…19"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." 

Supplies Needed:

• a nice selection of metallic beads
• fine wire
• skewers or toothpicks (I used large ones here)
• tin foil
• black paint
• white glue
• sequins
• scissors
• three tiny buttons
• chenille stems
• masking tape

Procedure: First you will need to clip off one end each of three skewers. Glue on top of each skewer a tiny button; it may not stick too well but this will not matter because you will then wrap the skewer and button with tin foil and a bit of glue. Set aside these homemade 'nails' to dry over night The following day wrap them together in the shape of a cross (below) with silver wire. 

      Now you will need to twist together a couple of chenille stems to form the fish. Wrap masking tape around the wire fish and then with additional wire wrap the nails and fish together as shown in the pictures below. 

      String the metallic beads and wrap these in and out of the fish shape only. Brush the nails with thinned black paint to make them look worn. Add a metallic thread for hanging.

The Fish in a Chrismon Symbol: Ichthys (also Ichthus or Ikhthus /ˈɪkθəs/), from the Koine Greek word for fish: ἰχθύς, (capitalized ΙΧΘΥΣ or ΙΧΘΥϹ) is a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish, used by early Christians as a secret Christian symbol and now known colloquially as the "sign of the fish" or the "Jesus fish."

      According to tradition, ancient Christians, during their persecution by the Roman Empire in the first few centuries after Christ, used the fish symbol to mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish friends from foes:

…when a Christian met a stranger in the road, the Christian sometimes drew one arc of the simple fish outline in the dirt. If the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they were in good company. Current bumper-sticker and business-card uses of the fish hark back to this practice. The symbol is still used today to show that the bearer is a practicing Christian.

—Christianity Today, Elesha Coffman, "Ask the Editors",

Above, I have pictured the two shapes, nail cross and fish apart and
then together to form the frame work for the Chrismon costruction.
Now I will only need to wrap beaded wire around the fish alone. You
do not need to know much of anything about beading to craft this
particular Chrismon.

      There are several other hypotheses as to why the fish was chosen. Some sources indicate that the earliest literary references came from the recommendation of Clement of Alexandria to his readers (Paedagogus, III, xi) to engrave their seals with the dove or fish. However, it can be inferred from Roman monumental sources such as the Cappella Greca and the Sacrament Chapels of the catacomb of St. Callistus that the fish symbol was known to Christians much earlier. Another probable explanation is that it is a reference to the scripture in which Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 people with fish and bread (Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:4-13). The ichthys may also relate to Jesus or his disciples as "fishers of men" (e.g., Mark 1:17). Tertullian, in his treatise On Baptism, makes a pun on the word, writing that "we, little fishes, after the example of our ΙΧΘΥΣ Jesus Christ, are born in water." Still another explanation could be the reference to the sign of Jonah. Just like he was in the belly of a big fish, so Christ was crucified, entombed for three days, and then rose from the dead.

Here you can see that I have glued and wrapped the end of a clipped skewer
with a button and foil in order to create my own nails. I have done this so
that my Chrismon will be lighter weight and less deadly should a little
person grab it from the Christmas tree in the church.

The Three Nails in a Chrismon Symbol: Triclavianism is the belief that three nails were used to crucify Jesus Christ. The exact number of Holy Nails has been a matter of theological debate for centuries.

      Though in the Middle Ages, the crucifixion of Christ typically depicted four nails, beginning in the thirteenth century, some Western art began to represent Christ on the cross with his feet placed one over the other and pierced with single nail. The poem Christus patiens attributed to St. Gregory Nazianzus and the writings of Nonnus and Socrates of Constantinople also speak of three nails.

      The three nails, as a symbol for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, are also used on the coats of arms of Drahovce, Slovakia, Saint Saviour, Jersey, St. Clement Parish, Ottawa and in the seal of the Society of Jesus.

      The plant Passiflora edulis (Passion fruit) was given the name by early European explorers because the flower's complex structure and pattern reminded them of symbols associated with the passion of Christ. It was said that the flower contained the lashes received by Christ, the crown of thorns, the column, the five wounds and the three nails.

George Strait sings, "Three Nails and a Cross."

Bake a Coconut Reindeer Cake for Christmas

      A Reindeer Cake, designed by the General Foods Corporation in 1959, is a coconut delight for Christmas Day or any wintery night. He carries licorice antlers wherever he goes and you'll long for a bite of his crab apple nose.

      First you will need a cooled13x9x2-inch cake. Measure in 3 inches along the short side and 61/2 inches up the long sides from two corners. Cut through points to make ears.

      Then place the ears on the reindeer's head, then frost generously with a fluffy coconut frosting. Use a toasted Baker's Angel Flakes for his face and licorice sticks for his antlers.

      Decorate the rest of the cake as shown, using gumdrops and mints for the eyes and a spiced crab apple for his nose. The gay string of bells on Deer-ie's forehead is made with slices of small gumdrops.

Coconut pound cake is a great dish for many different occasions. Get a great coconut pound cake recipe with help from the winner of two Gourmand Cookbook Awards in this free video clip.  

      The pound cake in the video may be baked in a sheet cake pan for the reindeer design I've posted above. Or you may wish to use any of the recipes below instead. You will also need to color your coconut with a brown food dye if you choose not to make the chocolate version of the coconut cake listed first in my cake links below.

More Coconut Cakes:

• Chocolate-Coconut Sheet Cake from Maral
• A Creamy Coconut Cake from AllRecipes.com
• A coconut cake from Betty Crocker
• Coconut Layer Cake

"Worship Without Words" by Patricia S. Klein

      I picked up this little manual, "Worship Without Words" by Patricia S. Klein from a library resale table. It is a little book that explains the visual elements of traditional Christian liturgy. In fact, I found it's contents describing Christian symbolic language to be quite helpful to me while developing the Chrismon ornaments for this website. I recommend this little book for those of you who are either in training for membership in an Orthodox church or for teachers who like to keep similar information at hand. 

      The description of the book's contents on the back cover is a bit misleading. I suspect that this was written apart from the author's knowledge or input. There are many quotes in the book that enhance it's readability, however, these are not what most Christian publishers call "devotional reading." Devotional reading is a very specific genre of writing that is not intended by Klein. The volume does not include any scriptural references nor contemplative observations about it's readers connections with God on a daily basis. 

      The book is primarily an introduction to a highly complex subject. It does not cover the vast history of symbol in Christianity, it simplifies and describes the presentation of it during congregational services. Klein describes how symbols are the byproduct of inspiration and how these can lead one to remember and contemplate, but she does not evoke the literal contemplation itself. Klein is a teacher, not a preacher. This does not mean she is less effective, this simply means she has a specific purpose and her writing teaches that which she has been led to inform others about. You do not need to dress an author in alternative robes in order to justify the value of what they impart, if they teach what is valuable. Klein is a very readable author, her flow is excellent and she explains content clearly. She is an educational author.

      Although much of what Klein writes about in the book can be found on the internet, the organization of the information plus the readability of it, makes the resource valuable to teachers and students. If you need to write a course outline for presenting symbolic content, that specifically addresses liturgy in Christian churches, the book is worthy of purchase.  If I were teaching religion in high school, I would acquire the book for the classroom library and file it under the subject of vocabulary and/or symbolism. ( It's reading level is fifth grade but it's content is for k-12th grade.)

      The book is also informative and entertaining enough for a new adult members of Orthodox churches to read and keep for future reference. I specifically say it is for new members because the content of the book is very likely taught to the young throughout their lives by parents and clergy on a daily basis. (And in some cases, taken for granted as is all visual imagery that one is familiar with.)
      A pocket sized version of the book would be a nice to include with a new members packet. I do not think that this has ever been printed; perhaps it could be suggested to the publisher at Paraclete Press. My edition is from 2000.

      

* The content is adaptable for any old Orthodox church that uses ancient symbols in their liturgy: Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Anglican. It is not "out of bounds" to use it in newer Christian denominations: Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians etc., if they still use the imagery to communicate ideas, theology and history through their culture or services. Christian symbolism is a form of visual language. Visual text or image is as meaningful as those beliefs associated with it by the people who practice it.

Craft a Christmas Soldier Wearing a Bearskin Hat

      This sleepy eyed soldier can't wait to slumber. He has hung on my Christmas tree for over twenty years now, watching and waiting for Santa. My soldier is dressed from the top of his hat to the toes of his boots in formal regimental attire. He sports a tall, bearskin hat decorated with an ornamental red feather and a glittering golden star. 

      He was not difficult to make. I simply cut out a large "U" shaped pattern extending the length of a toilet paper roll for his bearskin. Measure the diameter of the cardboard tube's opening and add 1/2 an inch to it so that you may have plenty of room to glue down the front of his bearskin to the back, along the outside edge of his paper hat. I used the paper from a heavy, recycled grocery bag to craft the soldier's hat. You can trim the outside edge of the hat later after fitting it and gluing it to one end of your paper tube. This measurement will vary given the size of the cardboard tube that you have chosen to work with. 

A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a
 ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin
 was the headgear of grenadiers, and it is still worn by grenadier
 and guards regiments in various armies. This Drum Major is
in the United States Marine Band called, "The President's
Own. He also holds a ceremonial mace in preparation for
reporting to the parade commander at Marine Barracks in D. C.

      Next you should stuff the hat and tube, that are glued together, from the bottom opening with soft cotton or polyester batting. This will support the inner shape of the bearskin hat so that it will not collapse over time. Then paste a cardboard circular disk at the bottom of your ornament to seal shut the opening of the ornament. You can measure this cardboard piece by holding the tube on top of a sheet of heavy cardboard and drawing around the tube's diameter with a number two pencil. Cut the circular shape out and hold it up to the end of the tube to ensure that it will close the end of the tube neatly.  Squeeze out a tiny bit of glue around the edge of the cardboard circle and press the stuffed ornament on top of this last piece to finish off your soldier's form. Let the glued form dry over night before painting it.
      I painted my sleepy eyed Christmas soldier with acrylic paints. But first, I drew a few simple lines on top of the stuffed cardboard shape on order to guide me while applying the paint. You might like to study similar uniforms in photos and video before drawing out your own design. Don't over complicate your ornament. Give him a face, coat, arms and pants. My little guy is in the sitting position, this is why the bottom side of his boots are painted on the front side of the tube. It is not easy to stand at attention on the boughs of an evergreen. He is one of the older Drum Majors and is allowed to sit near the bottom branches of the tree. Age has it's privileges!
      After painting my soldier I gave him a generous coat of acrylic varnish. This will help preserve your work and give the homemade ornament some extra polish.

  

Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, summer 2010. Gotta love marching bands.

More ornament crafts of toy soldiers:

• A crocheted ornament topper: toy soldier
• Cross-stitch a toy soldier ornament
• A nutcracker soldier made from bottle caps
• A toy soldier made from beeswax and soy
• A recycled film canister soldier
• A nice wood carver's diagram for a toy soldier ornament

More ornaments from my collection representing St. Paul's Cathedral 
and a Royal Guard wearing a bearskin hat.

Craft a Yarn Wrapped Star

I finally found a use for some of my Grandmother's old, mismatched buttons! I think these look charming on the yarn wrapped stars above. I can't wait to decorate with handmade ornaments, such as these, for Christmas this year!

      Here is a yarn wrapped star perfect for any folksy Christmas tree. It is constructed from ordinary, household materials that you can find in the drawers, recycling bins and craft boxes of almost anyone's home. You will need to collect the following items to make a star similar to the one I have completed above: masking tape, an old jar lid, a pair of old brass buttons, yarn (any color), newsprint and tacky white glue.

      The first part of this Christmas craft involves the wrapping or 'masking' of a star shape from a recycled jar lid and the crushing of newsprint. Cover the jar lid entirely with masking tape. This will enable the sticky white glue to adhere to the surface of your recycled star. Then crush the newsprint into a long thin tubular-like shape. Take your masking tape and wrap it around the crushed paper shape to form the points of the star along the edge of the jar lid; just as I have shown below. Then twist and wind the yarn in small areas using generous amounts of tacky white glue. Include a brass button glued to the center of both the front and back of the star to add a little sparkle to your homemade ornament.

Just Left, is what your star shape will look like before you begin to wrap it with yarn. One the right is star ornament with it's points wrapped first. I used a variegated yarn and several additional embroidery flosses to wrap my recycled yarn ornament.

More Yarn Wrapped Ornaments:

• A yarn wrapped star by livelaughrowe
• I just love these yarn wrapped shapes from "Getting Fresh with Oreck
• Why not wrap your name in yarn for the Christmas holidays? by Full of Boys
• Here is a sweet little frame you can hang from a tree by kraft farm.

Craft a Delicate Paper Fan Ornament

Above are light weight, paper fans that you can decorate a Christmas tree with. All you need are a few ordinary kitchen supplies and a few odd trims from your sewing basket.

      You will need a bit of patience to create these delicate little fans, but they are not difficult to assemble. As you may have guessed, these ornaments can be made to compliment any Christmas theme that you like. Their appearance is dependent entirely upon the designs and colors of the cupcake liners and trim that you use. I decided to use very simple selections for my fan ornaments: gold and pale pink and silver paired with pale blue. These conservative choices will blend nicely with a collection that I am crafting for my younger child. 

      She has decided to trim a Christmas tree of her own with Rococo inspired ornaments. Many of the pieces that I will make for her theme will be "over-the-top" so it is important to balance the elaborate collection with only a few colors. She has settled upon pastel colors paired with silver and gold. Some collectors refer to trees with a Rococo theme as, "Marie Antoinette trees". These trees are intended to reflect French court preferences in design during the the 18th-century. Marie Antoinette lived from 1755 to 1793; a time prior to the era when Rococo fashions and designs were most popular. But as most art movements take a bit of time to saturate all parts of culture, it is not surprising to associate the beginnings of a movement in one particular place early on and then identify the movement as a whole for a larger audience much later. 

      The Victorians loved Rococo design/fashions also and many of you will associate ornaments from your own Victorian collections with those ornaments that I am designing for Hannah's new Christmas collection. What is the difference between the two references, Victorian and Rococo, when it comes to design trends? The answer is: not much. The Victorian era is associated with Great Britain, and the Rococo with France. Both movements took place at the same time and were separated only by a mere ocean and two very different kinds of queens. Queen Victoria was quite romantic and Marie Antoinette was quite silly.

Here are few examples of "Marie Antoinette" or Rococo inspired Christmas trees:

• A Marie Antoinette Tiara Christmas Tree
• Treasured Heirlooms - Marie Antoinette Christmas Decor Living Room
• A Marie Christmas - The perfect tree
• Oh Christmas Tree! from Stacy's Shabby Shoppe
• Some nice Rococo inspired Christmas ornaments here
• A Marie Antoinette Christmas
• Marie Antoinette Macaroon Tree

Toothpicks are glued together at their tips between two
cardboard circles to create a fan form.

Supply List:

1. Small amount of cardboard
2. Toothpicks
3. White glue
4. Paper Cupcake Liners 
5. A small variety of trims
6. Scissors
   

      The first process in the crafting of the fans should be completed the night before so that the wooden toothpicks will have ample time to dry before decorating the fans with paper and trim. First cut out two very small circles approximately 1/2 an inch in diameter for each fan that you intend to craft. Then place one of these tiny cardboard pieces on top of a washable surface like newsprint or wax paper so that the glue will be easy to clean up after the fan forms have dried. Add a generous dot of glue to one cardboard circle and arrange your toothpicks in a fan-like spray on top of it. Then add a small amount of glue to the second circle and lightly balance this on top of the tips of the toothpicks to give the fan form a clean finished appearance on both sides of the ornament.

      The following day, you will need to gather up the rest of your art supplies and prepare them for assembling the paper fan ornaments. Cut out the bottom parts of the cupcake liners you intend to use and then cut each liner open so that you are left with a long accordion, folded strip of paper. Then wrap the paper around the toothpicks neatly, while applying dabs of glue to each wooden toothpick. Add also some trim to your fan to give it a decorative finished appearance. I glued a thin, metallic cord between my cupcake liners in order to hang the fans from a Christmas tree.

Links to additional paper fan ornament crafts:

• Flower Fan Fairy Ornament
• Cricut Magazine Challenge: Paper Fan
• A Lattice Paper Quill Fan
• A Rainbow Colored Quill Fan
• Red Packet, Fan Tutorial 
• Lacy Victorian Fans on a Custom White Chenille tree 
• Photos of Victorian Ornaments

Paper Fan Links Collected by Jytte Jenson

More Related Articles:

• Christmas Tree installation by Kaffe Fassett
• How to use a Victorian theme to decorate your Christmas tree
• Victorian Christmas Decorations

Why the "X" Doesn't Take Jesus Out of Christmas!

      Xmas is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas . It is sometimes pronounced /ˈɛksməs/, but it, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation /ˈkrɪsməs/. The "-mas" part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass, while the "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός which comes into English as "Christ".

      There is a common misconception that the word Xmas stems from a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the "Christ" out of "Christmas", but its use dates back to the 16th century.

      "Xmas" is deprecated by some modern style guides, including those at the New York Times, The Times, The Guardian, and the BBC. Millicent Fenwick, in the 1948 Vogue's Book of Etiquette states that "'Xmas' should never be used" in greeting cards. The Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage states that the spelling should be considered informal and restricted to contexts where concision is valued, such as headlines and greeting cards. The Christian Writer's Manual of Style, while acknowledging the ancient and respectful use of "Xmas" in the past, states that the spelling should never be used in formal writin.

      Early use of "Xmas" includes Bernard Ward's History of St. Edmund's college, Old Hall (originally published circa 1755). An earlier version, "X'temmas", dates to 1551. Around 1100 the term was written as "Xp̄es mæsse" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. "Xmas" is found in a letter from George Woodward in 1753. Lord Byron used the term in 1811, as did Samuel Coleridge (1801) and Lewis Carroll (1864). In the United States, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. used the term in a letter dated 1923. Since at least the late 19th century, "Xmas" has been in use in various other English-language nations. Quotations with the word can be found in texts written in Canada, and the word has been used in Australia, and in the Caribbean. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage stated that modern use of the term is largely limited to advertisements, headlines and banners, where its conciseness is valued. The association with commerce "has done nothing for its reputation", according to the dictionary.

      In the United Kingdom, the former Church of England Bishop of Blackburn, Alan Chesters, recommended to his clergy that they avoid the spelling. In the United States, in 1977 New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the "Christ" in Christmas, and not call it Xmas—which he asserted was a "pagan" spelling of Christmas.

The labarum, often
called the Chi-Rho,
 is a Christian symbol
representing Christ.
The symbol is often
included on Chrismon
trees by a wide variety
of Christian peoples
during the month
of December.

      The abbreviation of Christmas as "Xmas" is the source of disagreement among Christians who observe the holiday. Dennis Bratcher, writing for a website for Christians, states "there are always those who loudly decry the use of the abbreviation 'Xmas' as some kind of blasphemy against Christ and Christianity". Among them are evangelist Franklin Graham and CNN journalist Roland S. Martin. Graham stated in an interview:

"for us as Christians, this is one of the most holy of the holidays, the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. And for people to take Christ out of Christmas. They're happy to say merry Xmas. Let's just take Jesus out. And really, I think, a war against the name of Jesus Christ."

Martin likewise relates the use of "Xmas" to his growing concerns of increasing commercialization and secularization of one of Christianity's highest holy days. Bratcher posits that those who dislike abbreviating the word are unfamiliar with a long history of Christians using X in place of "Christ" for various purposes.

      The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "Xρ" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ (Ch) and ρ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ"), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

      The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the OED Supplement have cited usages of "X-" or "Xp-" for "Christ-" as early as 1485. The terms "Xtian" and less commonly "Xpian" have also been used for "Christian". The OED further cites usage of "Xtianity" for "Christianity" from 1634. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from "educated Englishmen who knew their Greek".

      In ancient Christian art, χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ's name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, Χ is an abbreviation for Χριστος, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

      Other proper names containing the name "Christ" besides those mentioned above are sometimes abbreviated similarly, either as "X" or "Xt", both of which have been used historically, e.g., "Xtopher" or "Xopher" for "Christopher", or "Xtina" or "Xina" for the name "Christina".

In the 17th and 18th centuries, "Xene" and "Exene" were common spellings for the given name Christine. The American singer Christina Aguilera has sometimes gone by the name "Xtina". Similarly, Exene Cervenka has been a noted American singer-songwriter since 1977.

      This usage of "X" to spell the syllable "kris" (rather than the sounds "ks") has extended to "xtal" for "crystal", and on florists' signs to "xant" for "chrysanthemum", even though these words are not etymologically related to "Christ": "crystal" comes from a Greek word meaning "ice" (and not even using the letter χ), and "chrysanthemum" comes from Greek words meaning "golden flower", while "Christ" comes from a Greek word meaning "anointed".

• Find more Christogram Clip Art
• Read about and craft with our Christian Symbols for Chrismon Crafts
• See the Chrismon Crafts In Our Collection Here

Samaritan's Purse

The Children Today

       This is the best day in the year on which to make a study of the children that you know, They have all heard the history of Christmas; in their minds the day is associated with a glory to men greater than any other, a divine presence is over and around them; to each one this presence is given a form in thought, and upon that thought depends the difference among the children. The natural little miser grasps nothing but a thought of gain, he or she wants the fairest presents, and complains if a little brother or sister seems to be more blessed. Another child in the same family rejoices whatever happens to his or her gifts, but in truth rejoices more over the little gift which he or she is able to present to Mamma than over any other event of the day. And the act of each child if noted and recorded will, if returned to fifteen years later, be found to be typical of that child's life through all the intervening years. So the Christmas days of children bring out the impelling forces at work in their minds. They hear the story of the coming of a Savior and in their direct way they reason that the coming is a blessing, but when they seek to find an illustration it has to be in some material form which they can feel or hear or see.

       But, too, perhaps from one in the family there shines out a clearer sense, a realization that there are different forms of happiness, and that in truth to make Mamma, or little sister or little brother happy is sweeter than to be the one directly blessed. From one Christmas day's experience with a family of children he who carefully watches can get the key to the character of each one and can make shrewd estimates how it is to be with each one, and at night will find himself looking forward and predicting where, if life is spared to all, each one will be found when each takes up a life work and begins to impress the people whom they will be with. Anonymous.

 A box for Operation Christmas Child.

100 countries around the world. International headquarters are in Boone, North Carolina, with additional U.S. facilities in Charlotte and North Wilkesboro, N.C. Affiliate offices are in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Field offices are located in some 20 countries across five continents.

      Bob Pierce founded Samaritan’s Purse in 1970 with a vision “to meet emergency needs in crisis areas through existing evangelical mission agencies and national churches.” Pierce had previously founded World Vision in 1950.

      Franklin Graham met Pierce in 1973, and they made several trips together to visit relief projects and missionary partners in Asia and elsewhere. Graham became president of Samaritan's Purse in 1979 following Pierce’s death in 1978.

      As the organization grew, Samaritan’s Purse not only funded mission partners but also began to develop its own large-scale relief projects:

• Providing medical care in the midst of conflicts in Somalia in 1993, Rwanda in 1994, Sudan since 1997, Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan in 2002, and Iraq in 2003.
• Rebuilding or repairing thousands of houses following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the El Salvador earthquakes in 2001, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
• Chartering emergency airlifts to Indonesia and Pakistan in 2005, North Korea in 2007, and Myanmar and China in 2008.
• Distributing food to hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Uganda and Darfur.

      The organization's mission statement states that the organization seeks to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people suffering from war, poverty, disaster, disease, and famine, with the purpose of global missionary work attendant on humanitarian aid. The organization aims at service for the church worldwide to propagate "the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ".

      Samaritan’s Purse seeks to specialize in emergency relief, shelter, water and sanitation, food and nutrition, medical care and public health, HIV/AIDS, and community-based livestock and livelihood projects.

      In addition to responding to emergencies worldwide, Samaritan’s Purse includes several ongoing ministries.

• Operation Christmas Child - created in 1990 by Dave Cook - is a 'global Christmas gift exchange' project operated by Samaritan's Purse. Each November it opens thousands of locations, typically at churches or schools, to collect shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other gifts. These boxes are then distributed as Christmas gifts, accompanied by Christian literature. From 1993 through 2012, some 100 million gift boxes have been handed out in more than 130 countries.
• Disaster Relief responds to emergency situations. In the United States and Canada, Samaritan’s Purse mobilizes teams of volunteers to repair houses damaged by natural disasters. The organization has four tractor-trailer units loaded with emergency supplies and equipment. Each can serve as a self-contained base in a disaster zone.
• World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse, was founded in 1977 by brothers Dr. Richard Furman and Dr. Lowell Furman to enable doctors to serve short-term assignments at overwhelmed missionary hospitals. The Post-Residency Program supports physicians as they serve two-year terms in mission hospitals and consider becoming career missionaries. World Medical Mission also operates a warehouse that ships equipment and supplies to mission hospitals and provides them with technical support.
• Children’s Heart Project provides surgery for children born with heart defects in countries where proper care is not available. Children are brought to North America, where services are donated by hospitals, surgeons, and host families and churches..
• HIV/AIDS Projects mobilize private, church, corporate, and government resources to respond to the AIDS pandemic. In partnership with the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, Samaritan’s Purse is working in East Africa with education about the disease and abstinence-based prevention programs.
• Turn on the Tap is a campaign to provide safe drinking water in the developing world. Samaritan’s Purse-Canada holds the license to build BioSand Water Filters, which can provide a family with a perpetual source of safe drinking water. Samaritan’s Purse also drills and repairs wells, sets up large-scale filters in disaster zones, and helps to educate communities in hygiene and sanitation.

Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of Gods unconditional love. Anyone can participate in this simple, hands-on project. Join today and make children happy!!

Here's the website for "Operation Christmas Child" if you would like to find out more about it!
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index....

Do You Have Room?

"And the nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." 

"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising." Click here to see more Christmas
and Advent Clip Art by kathy grimm

      At Israel's winter solstice her darkest night, when her sins had separated her and her God; when her hands were filled with blood and her fingers with iniquity; when her lips spoke lies and her tongue uttered wickedness; when she knew not the way of peace; when she looked for light and beheld darkness, for brightness but walked in obscurity, her prophet seeing no hope in man pointed them to the time when God's own arm should work salvation's end its summer noon. He cries:

      " Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee. For, behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

      How we have watched, with longing eyes this faint prophecy of "Summer sun and summer shine." How slowly the sun creeps northward. How long continues the cold and storm and tempest. Dropped from the heart of a winter of human weakness and evil, and came this prophecy of a summer of deliverance.

      Has not the "Prince of Peace" led on from victory to victory? Can we not say, even in the midst of the darkest war cloud "He maketh war to cease"? Who, that hath read history, but can see, even now, the spears being beaten into plowshares and the swords into pruning hooks? Who but sees summer coming? Who can not see its green and blossom of promise? Who but can see that the storm of superstition and error, that have so long swept this beautiful world with their cold and tempest, are in their dying sough? Who but can look to no dim future but with the clear vision of near realization to the summer time of fruits and unclouded sun, when men shall love God and dwell together in peace and love; when Isaiah's vision shall have been fulfilled and man shall join with angels in "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward man. Frank S. Ford, Pastor of First Christian Church, 1898 

"A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill

Isaiah 60, The King James Bible

60 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

² For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

³ And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

⁴ Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

⁵ Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

⁶ The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.

⁷ All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

⁸ Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

⁹ Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

¹⁰ And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

¹¹ Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

¹² For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

¹³ The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

¹⁴ The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

¹⁶ Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷ For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

¹⁸ Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

¹⁹ The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

²⁰ Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

²¹ Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

²² A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

• Making Room For Jesus by Pastor Don Schink
• No Room for Christ in the Inn by Spurgeon
• No Inn in the Room - a Christmas Sermon on Luke 2 by Ben Witherington
• Christmas Eve Sermon: Make Room for Christ by Shannon Blosser

Doing His Duty

"Knowing that he is the Son of God and will one day 
have to give his life up for the World."

      The Christmas deed that made me the happiest was, I think, the following: About sixteen years ago I took into my care a poor little crippled boy. He was only one among the many whom I have tried to shield and shelter when there seemed no other place in the world for them, but I always felt for him an especial affection and pity because of the physical affliction which made it impossible for him ever to mingle with the world upon an equal footing.

      He was always a good boy, willing to help with the children smaller than himself, and do what he could to make life in the Sheltering Arms better and brighter. I grew to love him very dearly, and many a night I spent hours thinking and planning about his future, for I could not give him the education I longed to, and when it came to supporting himself by manual labor I felt that he would have a very poor chance with others who were stronger and better able to make their way in the world.      

      One day, however, a new building was begun on Market street, and as I watched it growing nearer completion, a thought occurred to me. Shortly before Christmas I went to the owner's office and sent in my name. Five minutes afterward I was admitted to the presence of one of the wealthiest men in our State, and he received me as courteously and kindly as if I had been a princess of the blood.

      I told him the simple little story of the poor, deserted, crippled little boy whom I had adopted, and asked him if he would not give him a chance to earn his living in that fine new building. I knew he would be faithful and trustworthy, and the millionaire believed me when I said so.

      "he shall have the place," he said decidedly, "on Christmas day," and I thanked him from my heart.

      As soon as the Emma Spreckels building was completed my boy went there to work. His salary is generous and he is treated well by every one. Each month he is enabled to lay aside a part of his earnings for less fortunate days which may come, and he is earning his own way and doing his duty. I shall always feel that in giving my boy a the place that has proved so beneficial to him Claus Spreckels did one of the best Christmas deeds I ever heard of. * Sister Julia, Sheltering Arms, 1898

Joseph's Lullaby by Willy Dolan.

* Sister Julia, Sheltering Arms, 1898 - Sister Julia was one of many nuns working in the Sheltering Arms a charity for those children placed on orphan trains beginning as far away as New York City. Her charitable institution is referenced in "The Orphan Trains: Placing Out in America" by Marilyn Irvin Holt. The Sheltering Arms was the end of the line for many; it was located in San Francisco.

• The Responsibilities of A Good Shepherd  by Sandy Simpson
• The Great Commission at AllAboutGOD.com
• The Great Commission at Grace to You
• Our Great Commission by Dr. Hymers
• Paul Washer - The Great Commission - "Serve, warts and all!"

A Strange Way to Save The World

And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-14

"Well may the children rejoice to-day and fear not."

      It was an angel who brought this message. I suppose he felt honored as he bore it and the other angels were so interested that they followed him and joined in a chorus of praise to God. It is pleasant to carry good news to even one person. But he announced "good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." As he spake the night was lighted into brilliance by the glory of God. But what was the message of the angel? "A Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord."

      Christ's advent is good tidings to the children. Christmas is the happiest day of the year for them. How different childhood is since Jesus came. How much care and thought and love are given to children now, and how different their lives in heathen lands where Christ is not known. Well may the children rejoice to-day and fear not. E. A. Woods, First Baptist Church, 1898. Visit First Baptist Today.

(Worship video of 4 Him's "A Strange Way to Save the World" with lyrics.)

• A Strange Way to Save the World from the First Christian Church
• Such a Strange Way to Save the World by minster Chuck Sackett
• A Strange Way to Save the World from Stephen Colaw
• The festival of Christ's birthday  by St. Gregory Nazianzos

Come Adore Him, He Is Christ The Lord

"For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him." Matthew 2:2

      Previous to the birth of Christ everywhere in the East men were looking, because of prophecies, for the advent of a great King who should rise from among the Jews.

"a great King who should rise
from among the Jews"

      In these Eastern countries were men called Maji--wise men who gave their lives to the study of science and religion, to astrology and astronomy. These men, for some now unknown reason, accorded to the Jewish people and Palestine the patronage of the constellation Pisces, regarding everything occurring therein of especial importance to that nation. Some of these came at a certain time to the King's residence, asking: "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East."

      What was this star? There have been many answers to this question; let us listen to what seems a natural explanation.

      In December, 1004, the astronomer Kepler saw a strange sight in the heavens which was repeated several times in a few months, but which occurs in its entirety but once in 800 years. It was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and five months later Mars joined with these two, forcing a fiery trigon in the constellation of Pisces.

      Kepler, and later Professor Pritchard, made calculations which proved that this heavenly event must have taken place in its regular order at about the time of the Savior's birth, and it seems to me that this conjunction must have formed the new and splendid "star in the East" which the magi saw and followed. 

      The story of their journey and of the planet's movements can be told in correlative detail and seems to prove, step by step, the theory here advanced. In any event the star was the divine guide to these Eastern inquirers and led them to the true Savior of the world. Rev. John A. B. Wilson, Preaching at Howard-Steeet M. E. Church, 1898. Visit The Methodist Episcopal Church in San Franciso Today.

BACC Christmas Eve Service Element / Performed live. 
This contemporary carol is simply called, "Adore Him" 
it is sung in this video by Kari Jobe.

• Sermon Audio, "Come, Let Us Adore Him" three parts because: He Removed the Sting of Death, He Has Granted Us Salvation and God Has Regard for The Lowly by Pastor Dom Aquilino
• Let Us Adore Him: 6 Musicians Share What Worship Means to Them

Tidings of Great Joy

"Multitudes are blessed by
Christmas who are not yet
ready to acknowledge Him
from whom all blessing
come."

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11 

      There is a tendency at Christmas to dwell upon externals and to miss the true, deep meaning of the day. We look upon it as a holiday, as a time for giving and receiving presents. Christmas is the great festival of the home, and in this aspect it is observed by Jews and non-believers and thousands of others besides Christians. This is one of the indirect and beneficent effects of Christmas--that it leavens the entire community with the spirit of love and good will. You see the throngs upon the streets, the crush in the great stores, the people planning glad surprises for one another, and bearing mysterious parcels whose unwrapping is to bring a glow of joy into some fellow-creature's heart, or cause the merry shouts of children to rise on  Christmas morning. Multitudes are blessed by Christmas who are not yet ready to acknowledge Him from whom all the blessings come. There is this danger: To be absorbed in the outward splendor and merry making of Christmas and not to penetrate to the great truth which gives an eternal meaning to all the festivities of this day.

      Also, when we think of it as a religious festival our thoughts are occupied with its externals. We picture the manger and the Virgin mother; we sing of the angles and the shepherds watching their flocks by night. We join in the hymns or listen to the great Christmas anthem and say "How sweet! How beautiful!" and pay little heed to the meaning of the the words we use.
      Now, leaving externals alone, going down deeper than Christmas trees and music and present-making and home reunions and grand anthems, what is the great truth of Christmas?
      It is the incarnation. We stand face to face with this sublime fact that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Man had known something about God: by the incarnation he knew God. In the incarnation God himself came and dwelt with man. God revealed himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ.
      Look upon the infant Jesus cradled in the Virgin's arms. He is the link between earth and heaven. In him god and man are joined as one.
      This is the meaning of Christmas. Did not the angels rightly call it "glad tidings of great joy"? Hear the good news, then. Listen to the glad tidings! You are the child of God: you are not left to parish here in this world of death and sin. You are destined for immortality. Carry the news to the heartsick and the suffering.
      Christmas also means that God has spoken. His tone and final word has been uttered in Jesus Christ. Is not this great news? From the beginning God has been revealing himself to man as fast as man could receive him. All truth is from God, as all light is from the sun. He spoke through many men in many places in broken utterances. Now he has uttered himself once for all in his son. Every word and deed of Jesus is the infallible revelation of the eternal God.
      Therefore we cry "Good news!" The tabernacle of God is with men. Good  news! God is saving the world and blessing men whether they acknowledge him or not. Good news! God has not left any soul in perfect darkness. Good news! God is light, God is life, God is love. Good news!

God's in his heaven--

All's right with the world.

W. H. Moreland, Bishop Sacramento, Diocese, P. E. Church, 1898. Visit the home of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California Today.

Preschool and kindergarteners sing a new, touching 
Christmas carol by Chris Rice called, "Welcome to Our World."

• Good News of Great Joy at InTouchMinistries 
• Good Tidings of Great Joy to All People by Franklin Graham 
• Tidings of Great Joy by Brooke Keith at CBN.com
  

When Love Was Born

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22: 37

      It is remarkable that while the Scriptures give us a distinct recital of the infancy of Jesus and make no attempt to disguise the fact that he was an infant with the veritable helplessness incident to such condition, yet it is not the littleness of the babe that arrests the Scripture's attention, nor the meaningless frailty of the babe that those Scriptures underscore. Neither Mark nor John has anything to say of an infant Jesus, and the other evangelists treat his infancy only as an incident, and portray it in a way intended to draw the whole consciousness of the reader off from the mere boyish features of the situation and to center that consciousness upon the wonderfulness, the kindliness and divineness of the being who passed through the gateway of infancy only because that was the sole means of becoming perfectly man.

      The evangelists were not interested in Jesus because he was little, not drawn toward him in sympathy because he was helpless, but already dealt with him reverently because he was king and worshiped him because he was Christ, the Lord.

      No stringed instrument, was ever constructed in such perfection that it would not flat by use, and, however much we may say of that still finer instrument we call the human conscience, that, too, flats by use. It is forever sagging below the key to which it is naturally pitched, and requiring the Christmas love and awakening to stiffen it up again. We learn during the year to do wrong without feeling the wrong of it, and that means that our deeds are likely to determine our conscience rather more than our conscience to determine our deeds. Men never trust their watches when they are out of order, and do not even take care to celebrate Christmas in the Christlike sense in order that they may set their consciences right again.

      There is a great deal of love in the world, and its amount is increased by the tokens which it annually makes of itself, exactly as river beds are deepened by the very currents which slip over them and plow their way through them. But just as it is a fact that in the middle of the day we forget the sun because the light which it sheds fills the world so full of brightness as to chase from our minds thoughts of the sun itself that the brightness springs from, so are Christmas days crowded with the interchange of love tokens that it is surprisingly easy, right at Christmas, to forget him whose presence in the world for eighteen hundred years has done so much to soften human hearts. My message on this Christmas, so near to the end of the century, is to remember Jesus even at this season as the Christ and King and not as the Bethlehem infant, to key our consciences each recurring Christmas and oftener by his precepts, and not to forget, least of all at Christmas time, to try to foster a love for one who first of all loved us. Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst, Reformer, 1898

Mark Schultz performing, "When Love Was Born" at Fox River Christian Church

• An Intimate Look at the Birth of Jesus outline and sermon video from Charles Stanley
• New Birth Produces Love from desiringGod
• "We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 from The New Park Street Pulpit
• "A few pounds of crying baby..." by Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas sermon