Preparing for Christmas

with Plasticine

By Sue Careless

Photo: Ray Dujardin       

Abraham with descendants like the stars of heaven.

In early December the children of St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver begin preparations for their popular family Christmas Eve service. An art day is held at the church at which the youngest children are encouraged to create paintings and the older ones sculptures and prints of specific biblical scenes. Out come the poster paints and brushes, rolls of modeling clay, and some linoleum, knives and ink for “woodcuts.” At the end of the day their

artwork is carefully photographed and later laid out to illustrate a 12-page glossy colour booklet.

Photo: Ray Dujardin      

Simeon holding the Christ Child

Ten days before Christmas one hundred copies of the booklets are printed and distributed to each parish family with children. The book consists of seven readings to prepare for the Christmas Eve family service. Each day for a week the family can study the pictures, read a short Bible verse and answer one or two questions prompted by the illustrations. They can also pray a brief prayer. Most days also include one verse from a Christmas hymn that can be sung or prayed. The same carol will be used later at the service.

Last year’s book was titled God’s Big Promise Story and traced the story of salvation right from the Garden of Eden, through God’s promise to Abraham, jumping to Jesus’ birth, mentioning his miracles and ending with his death and resurrection. Ruth Flannigan supervised much of the art book production.

On Dec. 24 the long-awaited service begins at 4:30 pm. Teenagers dramatize portions of the biblical narrative rendering in live action what the children have illustrated and studied.

The family service is so popular it attracts about 800 people, many of them visitors to St. John’s. But it is probably the children who began modeling with Plasticine, dabbing with poster paints and carving linoleum weeks earlier who gain the most meaning out of the Christmas Eve service.   And they can treasure their booklets as mementoes for years to come.