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Our Gift To The Community
Often, in our desire to celebrate Christmas in a Christian way, we long to find a peaceful, ethereal realm in which to ponder the events that took place around the birth of our Lord. We're troubled by the commercialism, the carnival-like celebrations that deny our Lord, and we need to feel "holy" to go to Bethlehem. We dream of the perfect place in which to contemplate the Gift of Gifts. But our faith calls us to live in this world. Jesus came as a baby and grew up among us. He spoke not of stained-glass windows and ethereal heights, but of bread and a cup of cold water, of lilies of the field and sheep, of the lame and the stranger among us. So it seems, we are to make our journey to Bethlehem where we find ourselves--in our community.The Gift of Love
In Birmingham Michigan, a special celebration
was born in 1974 at First Presbyterian Church, to provide a reminder that
the joy of Christmas may be found in simple delights or shared experiences.
It takes a look behind the glossy gift wrap of the season to discover the
beauty of rituals and traditions. And so, once every three years for five
bright shiny days, First Presbyterian Church extends its gift of love--CHRISTMAS*HAND*IN*HAND--to
the entire community.
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The
Event Beyond Description
CHRISTMAS*HAND*IN*HAND is an Event that surpasses description for, like love, it must be experienced through involvement. The Event is a tour--usually an hour-- designed to capture the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and feelings of Christmas through a panorama of live and animated presentations. Guests are encouraged to be more than onlookers. They become involved in the decoration and tasting of homemade cookies, the smell of baking bread, the sounds of a bustling Bethlehem, and the sight of a baby--depicting the Christ Child--lying in a manger. The message throughout the experience is a sharing of the love, hope and joy of Christmas.
A Place For Everyone
Have you ever guided a small hand as a child decorates a Christmas cookie or been an angel heralding the arrival of the Christ Child or coaxed a donkey to be petted by a blind person? If so, you will have some idea of the many experiences of CHRISTMAS*HAND*IN*HAND that are ours to treasure and ponder in our hearts for a lifetime. Words cannot describe the enthusiasm of the guests and participants in this Event. The excitement within the church builds in the months prior to the actual celebration and stays with it long after the Event is over. Age is no barrier to participation. From the infant in the manger to the Golden Ager, there is a place for everyone.
The Gospel Made Real
In our crowded and busy world, the Gospel is often viewed but very dimly. The light that Christians see in the coming of Christ remains too often in the background amid the holiday hustle and bustle. But for five days in December, the Gospel is made real at First Presbyterian Church as its members receive love by sharing love.
The Holy Spirit Comes
Just as the Wise Men brought gifts, we give. We give to those who don't perceive sights, sounds, tastes and even fellowship quite the way we do. We share with all who come without questioning their faith or beliefs. Always mindful that it is our Christian Heritage which has brought us together, and that it is our belief in Christ Among Us that demands we reach out to share with others, we again discover that the Holy Spirit comes to us through other persons.
Extending Our Hands to Other Hands
And so, we embrace love--in the kinds of things that are worldly, like candy and cookies and clocks and trains--and in the kinds of things that are spiritual, like the Christ Child and caring and sharing. We are reminded over and over again that the best way to find love, is to turn love outward to greet the world, to extend our hands to other hands and bring to the community the simplicity of what Christmas is meant to be.
Come then; let's set out for Bethlehem. Let's prepare the way of the Lord.
How to Reach Us
First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham
1669 West Maple Road
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
Telephones:
Church Offices: 248-644-2040
Skyline: 810-798-8240
Internet home page: www.fpcbirmingham.org
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