An Outdoor Nativity Scene And The Christmas Story
An outdoor nativity scene is a way to remind ourselves and our children of that first Christmas night when it all began. Many people nowadays bemoan the fact that Christmas has become so commercialized that we no longer remember the real meaning of it or even how it started.
It seems so sad that the birth of the Christ child, the one who was to redeem the world, should be overshadowed by Santa, Rudolph and the elves. After all Santa is the only the modern descendant of St Nicholas who filled little children’s shoes and stocking in memory of Christ’s gifts to the world.
One way to remedy this is to create a visible, life size witness to the meaning of Christmas. We all know the figures so well: Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the Kings, the angels who brought them to that place and the quiet adoring animals, the ox and ass and the little lamb. In the middle of them all lies the baby Jesus, the focus and the inspiration of that magical scene.
How wonderful to have this scene as a daily reminder of what Christmas is truly all about! How inspiring for friends and neighbors and even strangers passing your home to see the origin of the Christmas message.
Outside Christmas scenes are readily available in a range of weather proof materials such as poly resin and fiberglass in sizes and prices to suit every budget. Whether you have a small yard which needs only an inflatable model, or you are buying for a church or community center and can accommodate life-size painted figures you will be able to find something that will be a magnificent addition to your home and bring meaning to your Christmas season. A selection of shining stars and other lighting are also easy to acquire and they will add brilliance to your display as well as ensuring that in the dark hours your inspiring tableau will continue to light up your home.
For children especially these scenes create memories of Christmas that they will carry with them as they become adults and create their own families. You can be sure they will never forget the sight of the Nativity and it will act as a reminder of the faith they hold dear and the happy times they have had.
It is interesting in these secular times that the trend to creating outdoor nativity displays at Christmas seems to be on the rise. Of course many families have lighted figures of Santa and reindeer, as well as fairy tale characters from stories such as the Nutcracker. For many others, however, the addition of a nativity scene with lighting and even decorative foliage will bring peace and joy for many years.
Looking after their nativity figures and bringing them out each year can become part of their Christmas ritual with the birth of Jesus center stage where He belongs. An outdoor nativity scene in this way brings families together and spreads the joy and hope of the Christmas season just as the angels did all those years ago.
3 Comments
I have seen nativity scenes outside at my church, but not in any yard decorations in my neighborhood. But i think it’s a nice idea to bring Christmas back to nearer the original message – especially at a time when it sometimes seems to be all about shopping and holiday sales!
There seems to be a trend not only to forget Christ during Christmas, but to be politically correct and forget Christmas altogether. Many no longer acknowledge Christmas at all, but instead say ‘Happy Holidays’ rather than ‘Merry Christmas’. I will continue to say ‘Merry Christmas’ whether it is politically correct or not.
From careful study of the Scriptures, it seems Christ may very well have stepped out of the glories of Heaven and been incarnated on Christmas day, an even more important event than His birth which likely occurred in the Fall.
I enjoy remembering Christ at Christmas and encourage others to also. That said, but our Lord asked us to remember His death, not His birth. His body was broken and His blood shed as a ransom for us, that those who humbly accept His unspeakable gift may be alive forever with Him.
I enjoy the Nativity scenes that light up at night. I also like the ones that are the “living” Nativity. Last year the Nazarene Church in neighborhood had one. One night the farm animals got lose and roamed all over our neighborhood. It was a hoot! This year they had a much bigger fence.