Category Archives: Christingle

Christingle, Coronavirus, Prayer, St George's Church

A Christingle for a Pandemic

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Kris Lawrence reflects on the meaning of Christingle during a pandemic.

People often ask me why we have a Christingle service now; most people celebrate Christingle as part of the Christmas season. But to me this is the perfect time of year to celebrate.

Christmas is always such a busy time and I worry that the symbolism can be lost in the busyness and the Christingle be reduced to it’s raw elements of orange, ribbon and sweets. But the Christingle means so much more than that. At the end of January/start of February we can take time to be more reflective and ponder the symbolism further – so Candlemas will always be to me the right time to celebrate the Christingle.

And this year at St George’s on January 30, we considered the Christingle in the light of the pandemic.

We considered how lockdowns had an amazing effect on the environment; how the world (represented by the orange) seemed to be given a chance to take a deep breath and restore itself a little. We considered what parts of the natural world we would want to protect from harm and what we could do to help God’s wonderfully creative world.

We thought about how, during lockdown, God’s love (represented by the red ribbon) and the companionship of friends and relations was cherished and appreciate more than ever. We considered those that might need our love and companionship; those that we may have lost contact with over the past couple of years; those that needed God’s loving touch.

We thought about how, during lockdown, a nature of generosity and sharing of our God given gifts (represented by the fruits and sweets) was embraced. We considered how sharing banks and food banks being supported more than ever to help people through the dark days. And we considered what gifts we have that we can use to do God’s work on earth.

We considered how, during lockdown, the dark days so many have suffered, could be lightened by the light of Christ (represented by the candle) and how we are called to share that light in the world (and the tin foil of course represents us reflecting the light of Christ).

We were encouraged not to eat our Christingle before the service had ended, but to take it home, relight the candle and say a prayer.

Lord Jesus,
Light and hope of the World,
as we think about the meaning of Christingle and about your great love for us
help us to take your light out into the world
and to share your love and hope with others,
especially those who need it most.
Amen.

Kris Lawrence

Advent, Children and Youth, Christingle, Craft, St Mark's Church

Make a Christingle with us

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Come to St Mark’s on Sunday, December 5, at 11am and make a Christingle.

Christingles are a tradition whereby the story of God’s love for the world, shown in Jesus Christ, is told using an orange, a candle, a red ribbon and dried fruits and/or sweets.

Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning:

·  The orange represents the world;

·  The red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ;

·  The sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations;

·  The lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world.

The word Christingle comes from the German word ‘Christkindl’, meaning ‘Little Christ Child’.

The service has its origin in the Moravian church in the 18th century. The Children’s Society has explored the origins of the Christingle service and its website states: “At a children’s service in Marienborn in 1747, Bishop Johannes de Watteville looked for a simple way to explain the happiness that had come to people through Jesus, and created a symbol — the Christingle — to do this”.

Christingle services are also a way of raising money and awareness for the Children’s Society which works to support vulnerable children across the  UK. You can find out more here: www.childrenssociety.org.uk/

Christingle, St George's Church

Christingle at St George’s

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There will be a Christingle service at St George’s on January 31 at 10am.

Christingles are a tradition whereby the story of God’s love for the world, shown in Jesus Christ, is told using an orange, a candle, a red ribbon and dried fruits and/or sweets. Please join us – it’s all Covid-secure.

The word Christingle comes from the German word ‘Christkindl’, meaning ‘Little Christ Child’. You can find out more here.

Advent, Christingle, Christmas, St Mark's Church

Join the Christingle

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Join us this Sunday (December 6), in church or online, for a Christingle service.

Christingles are a tradition where the story of God’s love for the world, shown in Jesus Christ, is told using an orange, a candle, a red ribbon and dried fruits and/or sweets. The word comes from the German word ‘Christkindl’, meaning ‘Little Christ Child’. You can find out more here.

The Christingle service in church will be at St Mark’s, Alma Lane, at 11am.

If you can’t come to the service, you can join in our online Christingle service which will be here at 10.30am, and if you want to make a Christingle, you will need an orange, red tape or ribbon, four cocktail sticks, some dried fruit or sweets, a piece of silver foil and a candle. You might also find a knife and a wooden spoon useful.

Christingle, News Releases, St George's Church

Celebrate Christingle

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There will be a Christingle service at St George’s Church on Sunday, February 2, at 11.30am and everyone is welcome.

Christingle services take place any time between the beginning of Advent and the festival of  Candlemas on February 2.  The idea of the Christingle – where the story of God’s love and care for the world is told through the symbols of an orange, red ribbon, fruit and sweets and a candle – goes back almost 275 years to a church in Germany. These days it is usually associated with The Children’s Society which exists to help children suffering from poverty, neglect and danger in the UK.

The St George’s Christingle will take place at Worship for All, a weekly Sunday service at 11.30am which is particularly suitable for families with children.

 

Picture by Richard Gillin on Flickr.
Advent, Christingle, St Mark's Church

Celebrating Christingle

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Advent has begun, and what better way to begin it at St Mark’s than with a Christingle service?

The idea of the Christingle – where the story of God’s love and care for the world is told through the symbols of an orange, red ribbon, fruit and sweets and a candle – goes back almost 275 years to a church in Germany. These days it is usually associated with The Children’s Society which exists to help children suffering from poverty, neglect and danger in the UK.

Children and adults joined in to make their Christingles at St Mark’s on Advent Sunday and sang the Christingle song which reminds us that the orange represents the world, the red ribbon symbolises the love and blood of Christ, the sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations, and the lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness.

There were special prayers too, including this one:

We pray for children growing up in families struggling to make ends meet.

Lord Jesus, it hurts to think about this. Part of us would rather not. We’d rather look away. Help us to reach out, and come alongside them. We thank you for the Christingle and the ribbon that represents your loving sacrifice, wrapping itself around the world.

We ask you to wrap your loving arms around each child in need today. Be close to each one who doesn’t have enough of the basic things they need, who is avoiding telling a parent or carer to avoid causing more stress; or who is frightened of what might happen or of people finding out how hard things are at home.

We ask you to keep opening our eyes to see them and help them, directly in our communities, and through the work of The Children’s Society throughout our country.

Come, Lord Jesus,

Hear our prayer.

For more on The Children’s Society, visit www.childrenssociety.org.uk/

Advent, Children and Youth, Christingle, Services, St Mark's Church

Come to Christingle

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Come to Christingle this Sunday, December 1, at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, at 11am.

Christingle is a celebration that takes place sometime between the beginning of December, which is when Advent begins, and February 2.

‘Christingles’ are created out of oranges, sweets and dried fruit stuck in them using cocktail sticks, red ribbon around the oranges and a candle which is then lit. At this point, Bob, the churchwarden who is also responsible for health and safety, looks anxious and claims we are going to burn the church down but we are sure he’s joking (aren’t you Bob?!), and we are always safe.

The orange represents the world, the red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ, the sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations, and the lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness.

There are prayers and songs and a lot of fun and it’s aimed at everyone in the family. Come along at 11am, join in and also raise money for the charity The Children’s Society.

Christingle, News Releases, Services, St George's Church

Come to Christingle

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Come to Christingle on Sunday, February 3, at St George’s Church, Badshot Lea, at 11.30am.

Christingle is a celebration that takes place sometime between the beginning of December and early February.

‘Christingles’ are created out of oranges, sweets and dried fruit stuck in them using cocktail sticks, red ribbon around the oranges, and a candle which is then lit.

The orange represents the world, the red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ, the sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations, and the lit candle represents Jesus’ light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness.

There are prayers and songs and a lot of fun and it’s aimed at everyone in the family. Come along at 11.30am, join in and also raise money for the charity The Children’s Society. Bring your friends too.

If you want to know more about the service or anything to do with the church call us on 01252 820537 or email revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org