Vicar's Letter

December 2024

Reverend Stephen Burge, Associate Priest of the Church of St Mary The Virgin, Eaton Bray with Edlesborough.

It seems hard to believe that it is already December, and another year has gone by. The time is fast approaching to find a tree, put up the decorations, get those mince pies cooked, buy our presents, and get our Christmas cards or emails written. Amongst all the trees and tinsel and baubles, I am sure that many of you will put up a Crib in your house as well. Nativity sets come in shapes and sizes - there is a house near where I live which has an outdoor illuminated scene! I have to admit that I actually have four nativity sets: a traditional set, a very modern abstract set, a small South American miniature crib with folding doors, and a set that hangs on my Christmas tree. Traditionally, Jesus is left out of the crib until Christmas night, and it is always a special moment for me when I get my little Jesuses out of the cupboard and add them to each of my nativity scenes - it's the time when Christmas has really begun, a physical sign of Christ Emmanuel, Christ with us.

The origins of the crib go back to 1223 and is said to have been instituted by St. Francis of Assisi. He was visiting another monastery in a mountain village called Greccio, in the centre of Italy. As he went up the mountain he decided that it would be good to instill some Christmas joy and anticipation into the local residents by setting up a stable scene in the village, which people could look at and admire in the run up to Christmas itself. And so the Crib was born!

The purpose of the crib is to help us enter into the wonder of Christmas and the Christmas story and to remind us of the fact that Jesus, God's son, was not born in a great palace among great wealth, but was born in a humble stable. Seeing the stable can help us to imagine the moment of Jesus birth and this is echoed in one of the Church's special prayers for Christmas Day, where we pray, "Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you, our Saviour and our eternal God. Amen." Looking at a crib, we are encouraged to kneel before Jesus lying in the manger, just like the shepherds and the wise men. Frances Chesterton, the wife of the novelist G. K. Chesterton, wrote the words to the famous Christmas carol, Here is the Little Door, which was set wonderfully to music by Herbert Howells. This carol invites us to enter the crib: "Here is the little door, lift up the latch, oh lift! We need not wander more, but enter with our gift..." Looking at a crib scene, we too, are encouraged to lift the latch and go into the stable in Bethlehem, to see Jesus lying on a bed a straw.

In addition to our Crib scene, which will be on display in St. Mary's, Eaton Bray throughout Advent, we will also be having our Scratch Nativity Play on Sunday 15th December at 10am. All are welcome to come along - especially if you have any little ones that would like to be involved. We have costumes and there are no lines for children to learn. It is always such a joy to see the children retelling the wonderful story of Jesus' birth. Details of our other services over the Christmas period can be found on our website and also on the centre pages of Focus.

So, I hope that you will have an opportunity this Christmas to spend some time looking at a crib or watching a Nativity play so that you can journey with the Shepherds to visit the baby Jesus lying in the manger.

Rev'd Stephen Burge