Starting out
Group introductions:
A sentence about something you like or dislike about the Christmas period.
What parts of the Christmas story can the group recall?
Beginnings
Read through Luke’s version of the Christmas story. : Luke 2.1-20
What is missing from the story about Christmas that the group constructed?
What stands out for you as the important parts of the Luke version of the Christmas story that you’ve just read? And what parts of the story raises questions in your mind?
Using and reflecting on the background notes:
In notes two contrasting images of shepherds are shared. Discuss these images. Which one do you most relate to and why?
In the above notes entitled “ keeper of the sheep” what are your thoughts about sheep being used as sacrifice? How do you relate to the word sacrifice in life today?
Heart of the story :
The heart of this story is about Joy. What brings you joy and what stories or incidences of joy can you point to in the world around you?
The shepherds become messengers of Joy after seeing the Christ-child. Use you imagination to think about what form this might have taken.
Changes
By the end of the story some things have changed, and some haven’t. What hasn’t changed is this: there’s still oppression in the world, and even the faithful still have little or no room for Jesus when he’s looking for a place to stay. But what has changed is this: God has entered the story, definitively, vulnerably, and permanently. He has the power to overturn the oppressor and confront the hard-hearted. But he chooses to make himself known as a tiny baby, who needs and desires our loving and longing response.
How do you respond to what has changed and not changed? How do you relate to this in your own life?
A story for today :
Finally, you might just want to read the story of St Francis and the crib. Francis found a way in his day to bring alive the Christmas story. How might we both individually and corporately do that in today’s society ?
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CRIB
The story of St. Francis of Assisi and the Christmas crib highlights his deep desire to bring the joy and humanity of the Christmas story to life in a way that would resonate with ordinary people. In 1223, Francis wanted to create a
vivid representation of the birth of Christ that people could experience directly, helping them grasp both the humble beginnings of Jesus and the incredible joy and peace He brought to the world.
Francis believed that the Christmas story was not just a distant event but a living message that could speak to people’s hearts. To make this message real and accessible, he approached a friend, Giovanni di Velita, in the town of Greccio, Italy, and asked for his help to set up a live nativity scene. Francis used a cave in Greccio as the setting, and with a simple manger, hay, an ox, and a donkey, he recreated the scene of Christ’s birth.
On Christmas Eve, villagers gathered by candlelight to witness the scene, and Francis led them in prayers and songs, emphasising that Jesus came in humility and simplicity to bring joy and hope to all. During the celebration, Francis preached about the love of God, marvelling at the fact that the Son of God chose to enter the world as a poor, vulnerable child. According to tradition, Francis was so moved by the scene that he felt as though he were truly seeing the Christ child himself.
This enactment became an enduring tradition, symbolising the simplicity, love, and joy of Christmas. Through this live nativity, St. Francis succeeded in helping people connect with the story on an emotional and spiritual level. It brought joy to their hearts, reminding them of the humility of Christ’s arrival
and the love that Christmas represents. This tradition continues today around the world, inspired by Francis’s wish to make the joy of Christ’s birth a present, heartfelt experience.
The legacy of St. Francis’s nativity scene serves as a reminder that Christmas is a time of profound joy, humility, and connection, and his original enactment in Greccio has become the inspiration for nativity scenes globally.
How might you bring the Christmas story alive for people with whom you meet and in your community?
