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| Carving of Boniface in Crediton Parish Church, Devon. |
Here is a story for children about how fir trees came to be associated with Christmas.
This version is by the Rector of All Saints, Canon David Hodgson; as told at the All Saints CE Primary School Christmas service 2015.
1300 years ago in a little town in Devon called Crediton there lived a boy called Winfrid. Winfrid wanted to learn lots of things so he could live a full and happy life. He was a kind person and he wanted to help other people too; so they could live full and happy lives.
The best way to do that in those days was to join a monastery and become a monk - because there were no schools or hospitals or any places like that - there weren't even many churches - but there were monasteries which used to help the people. So Winfrid became a monk. He wanted to tell people about Jesus because he felt sure that what Jesus did and what Jesus said can help people to live well and make a better world.
Winfrid was a good learner he worked well and became a really good monk; he learned a lot about how to help people; and how to tell people about Jesus and about trusting in God.
Then one day he found out that there were a lot of people in the country we call Germany who did not have any monasteries or anyone to educate them and also they did not know anything about Jesus at all. They were struggling; they were often afraid of things. Winfrid was desperate to help them - in fact those people in Germany were not very different from him - they even had a similar language - so he would be able to talk to them.
First Winfrid wanted to get the support of the person in charge of the Church and all monasteries - that was the Pope in Rome in Italy - so he travelled all the way from Devon across the English Channel, through France, over the mountains the Alps, into Italy until he got to Rome and there he met the Pope called Gregory. Gregory was delighted that this dedicated monk from England wanted to go and help the people in Germany and tell them about Jesus and how loved each person is. And the Pope gave Winfrid a new name -Boniface - not because he was good-looking! - in the Latin language of Rome Boniface meant a person who is making good things happen. So off Boniface went into Germany. And Boniface went all over Germany for many years and set up many monasteries there and even as far as the country we call the Netherlands too - and many people learned about Jesus and decided to make Jesus the Lord of their hearts and be baptised - even some of the kings of those people. Boniface did so well Pope Gregory made him the Archbishop in charge of many monasteries and churches in Germany.
What about the story of the Christmas tree? Well Boniface heard about a village where the people had very unusual beliefs. They believed that there was a monster god in the sky called Thor; when they heard thunder they thought that was Thor being angry. In the middle of their village was a big old oak tree they believed was sacred to Thor. Every year in the middle of winter around the time we call Christmas they believed someone from the village had to be killed at the tree to keep Thor happy and they were afraid if they didn't do that the Springtime would not come back again. Boniface decided to go to that village to tell the people about Jesus, not to be afraid of Thor who isn't real, and to stop any more innocent villagers being killed. To prove his point Boniface took an axe and he went and cut down the sacred oak tree.The villagers were amazed - because nothing happened to Boniface -Thor didn't get angry or do anything to Boniface - because of course Thor wasn't real anyway. So, many of those villagers decided to follow Jesus and they were baptised. But an odd thing - when Boniface cut down the big oak tree it revealed hidden behind it a new young fir tree growing up, all green of course even though it was the middle of winter.
Then Boniface said :
“This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace… It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and acts of kindness."
And that is one story of how the fir tree came to be used when people celebrate Christmas the birth of Christ.
“This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace… It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and acts of kindness."
The Prayer of Boniface
Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,
we praise you for all you have given us,
for all you have done for us,
for all that you are to us.
In our weakness, you are strength,
in our darkness, you are light,
in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.
We cannot number your blessings,
we cannot declare your love:
For all your blessings we bless you.
May we live as in your presence,
and love the things that you love,
and serve you in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,
we praise you for all you have given us,
for all you have done for us,
for all that you are to us.
In our weakness, you are strength,
in our darkness, you are light,
in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.
We cannot number your blessings,
we cannot declare your love:
For all your blessings we bless you.
May we live as in your presence,
and love the things that you love,
and serve you in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
