The Twelve Days of Christmas

Of course we are still in the midst of Advent but in preparation of Christmas and the twelve days beyond that we call the season of Christmas we are sharing this Christmas message now. 


The popular song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is usually seen as simply a nonsense song for children with secular origins. However, some have suggested that it is a song of Christian instruction with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Christian Faith. So based on a little research we've compiled the following that might make you think differently the next time you hear this tune:


The First Day of Christmas:
One partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. Celebrate His birthday!


The Second Day of Christmas:
Two turtles doves are the Old and New Testament together that tell the story of God to the world.


The Third Day of Christmas:
Three french hens stand for faith, hope and love. (1Cor. 13:13)


The Fourth Day of Christmas:
Four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Proclaim the Good News!


The Fifth Day of Christmas:
Five golden rings recall the first five books of the Old Testament--the Torah. These give us the history of God's grace.


The Sixth Day of Christmas:
Six geese-a-laying stands for the six days of creation. (Genesis 1)


The Seventh Day of Christmas:
Seven swans-a-swimming remind us of the seven gifts of the Spirit--prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, compassion. (Romans 12:6-8)


The Eighth Day of Christmas:
Eight maids-a-milking can help us think of the eight Beatitudes. (Matthew 5:3-10)


The Ninth Day of Christmas
Nine ladies dancing reminds us of the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)


The Tenth Day of Christmas
Ten Lords-a-leaping stands for the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17)


The Eleventh Day of Christmas
Eleven pipers piping are the faithful eleven disciples.


The Twelfth Day of Christmas
Twelve drummers drumming is symbolic of the twelve points in the Apostles Creed.


Blessings for the remainder of your Advent and Merry Christmas!

Why Are There So Many Religous Paintings?

For hundreds of years the art of painting in Europe really only existed as a function of the Christian religon, which played a dominant role in society. The Church commissioned and used paintings to spread its message. Books were extremely rare and many people did not know how to read. So, most people learned about the scriptures through paintings. Even then it was well understood  that a picture touches emotions more directly than speech and impresses itself more on the memory.

This is The Visitation by Dieric Bouts the Elder painted in 1445. It is a perfect example of "church art" with an Advent theme of Mary and Elizabeth. 

• what title would you give this work?
• what do the colors remind you of?
• are there any visual metaphors in the artwork?
• would you like to meet these people?
• what does the art tell you about the subjects? Is this truth or myth based on the Biblical telling of the story?
• what does this art mean to you?

Tips For Engaging Children in Art in Sunday School-Part Two

This week we continue our look at how to incorporate art appreciation into a Sunday School curriculum to enhance children's understanding and life application of the scriptures. Here are three more ideas:

• Don't avoid the scary, the painful or the sad. You can create a safe, loving environment to explore these themes and their hopeful alternatives. Discuss what you see in the art and then explore alternatives through conversation, drawing or acting.
• Use art to connect a family's story to the story of God. When looking at images of families play the "I wonder" game so children can wonder what the different characters might have been thinking or wanting to do next.This is a great one for the season of Advent when images of a family in art can be related to the stories of Jesus and his family.
• Let the art suggest different ways to pray. For example, show a film clip (yet another form of art!) of a great dance scene and relate it to David dancing for joy for God and then create your own dance for joy. Or another Advent themed idea is to focus on waiting and watching. Look at Salvador Dali's Girl Standing at the Window as shown in this post. Ask the children if they ever stand at a window and daydream. Have the children draw the window they stand at and what it is they wait and watch for. Relate this to talking to God through the window (praying).

If you've never incorporated master works of art into your curriculum you should try it....with your enthusiasm for this experience the children will deepen their understanding of God and their relationship with one another.