Now it’s almost advent, here are some Christmassy things that might be worth sharing.
A simple Christmas carol to the tune of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy:
Little baby, sweetly slumbering,
Cradled and cuddled in Mary’s loving arms.
In the sky are angels gathering,
but for now, here below, all is still and calm.
Little baby, our Emmanuel,
God with us, one of us, born to be our king.
Little baby, while you slumber,
Far above you angels sing.
We know you came to save us all…
But how can God become so small…?
For God so loved all he had made
He sent his Son the world to save……
Little baby…
An easy Christmas song for children to sing
The tune is ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’.
Sing of the time the angel came, the angel came, the angel came,
Sing of the time the angel came to bring the news to Mary.
Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem,
Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, the baby in the stable.
Sing of shepherds from the hills, from the hills, from the hills,
Sing of the shepherds from the hills, who came to worship Jesus.
Sing of the brightly shining star, the shining star, the shining star,
Sing of the brightly shining star, that led the kings to Jesus.
Sing of the love of God on earth, God on earth, God on earth,
Sing of the love of God on earth, that brings us close to heaven.
The easiest paper nativity scene ever – instructions and template
Some Christmassy pictures of Mary:
And some other general Christmas doodles / images:
Some more clipart-y images:
A not-very-good sonnet about Christmas:
Prophetic visions since the world began
(so long before salvation’s human birth)
would speak of God’s tremendous loving plan
for heav’n to touch the long-estrangèd earth.
Those ancient words at last began to be
in flesh and skin and bone and blood unfurled
In maiden womb and half-made family –
so heaven stooped to touch a fallen world.
Amongst the stable beasts behind the inn,
the baby’s eyes saw first a loving mother;
and even though their world was full of sin,
yet heav’n touched earth for each in one another.
Tonight we cry for peace, goodwill to men,
and for God’s heaven to touch his earth again.
And a couple of links to things I’ve come up with for Christingle:
The original ‘Sparkly Christingle Talk’ (the one with the iron powder)
How to make a Christingle: some prayerful reflections
Looking slightly further ahead:
A Very Simple Epiphany Song (to the tune of Sing Hosanna)
A hymn about light (that might do for Epiphany if you really squint)
And a picture:
reverendally.org 
