{"id":2318,"date":"2024-12-12T18:11:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T23:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/?p=2318"},"modified":"2025-01-10T11:38:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:38:36","slug":"christmastide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/christmastide\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmastide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;true&#8221; custom_padding_t=&#8221;30&#8243; custom_padding_b=&#8221;30&#8243; row_hide_sm=&#8221;yes&#8221; row_hide_md=&#8221;yes&#8221; row_hide_xs=&#8221;yes&#8221; css_zindex=&#8221;999&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1706567709549{background-color: #faf5eb !important;}&#8221;][vc_column]<div class=\"templatera_shortcode\"><div class=\"container-fluid row_section vc_row_cp_lr_15 vc_row_cp_t_0 vc_row_cp_b_0\"><div  class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_column-gap-15 rdy_vc_row-o-equal-height 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Mason<\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/blog\/\">Articles & Magazine<\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/the-ambleside-difference\/\">Video Series<\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.sharepoint.com\/sites\/ASIAllMember\">Member Resources<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row_content&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;true&#8221; custom_padding_t=&#8221;45&#8243; custom_padding_b=&#8221;45&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_single_image source=&#8221;featured_image&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; img_size=&#8221;stretch&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_column_text]Nativity by Fra Angelico.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_separator width_in_percentages=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Browse more Ambleside Schools International <strong>Resources<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_separator width_in_percentages=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;]<div class=\"templatera_shortcode\"><div class=\"container row_section vc_row_cp_lr_15 vc_row_cp_t_0\"><div  class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_column-gap-30 vc_row-6953abd256f3c914693432\"   style=' text-align:left; z-index:0;'><div class=\"row-container container-fluid\"><div class=\"row-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12 vc_column_container_6953abd257037679190126\" style=\"z-index:0\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_custom_heading_6953abd2571b7839304913\" ><h5 style=\"font-size: 17px;color: #000000;text-align: left\"><span class=\"hilight\"  ><a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/resources\/\">Resource Library<\/a><\/span><\/h5><\/div><div class=\"vc_empty_space  vc_empty_space_2\"   style=\"height: 10px\" ><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_custom_heading_6953abd25732d004153519\" ><h5 style=\"font-size: 17px;color: #000000;text-align: left\"><span class=\"hilight\"  ><a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/charlotte-mason\/\">Charlotte M. Mason<\/a><\/span><\/h5><\/div><div class=\"vc_empty_space  vc_empty_space_3\"   style=\"height: 10px\" ><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_custom_heading_6953abd257430758080471\" ><h5 style=\"font-size: 17px;color: #000000;text-align: left\"><span class=\"hilight\"  ><a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/blog\/\">Articles<\/a><\/span><\/h5><\/div><div class=\"vc_empty_space  vc_empty_space_4\"   style=\"height: 10px\" ><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_custom_heading_6953abd257524110496633\" ><h5 style=\"font-size: 17px;color: #000000;text-align: left\"><span class=\"hilight\"  ><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amblesideschools.com\/main\/educator-support\" target=\"_blank\">Members<\/a><\/span><\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/amblesideschools.org\/blog\/\"><span style=\"color: #003865;\">&gt; Return to Articles<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Christmastide&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h1|font_size:30|text_align:left|color:%23020202&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_separator width_in_percentages=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][rdy_button text=&#8221;Listen to Bill Read the Blog&#8221; size=&#8221;large&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; margin_top=&#8221;0&#8243; margin_bottom=&#8221;0&#8243; background=&#8221;#003865&#8243; background_hover=&#8221;#a94425&#8243; border_radius=&#8221;10&#8243; link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Famblesideschools.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F12%2F2024-Dec-BSC-reads-Christmas-blog_01.mp3|target:_blank&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]Love came down at Christmas,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">Love all lovely, Love Divine;<\/p>\n<p>Love was born at Christmas,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">Star and Angels gave the sign.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Worship we the Godhead,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">Love Incarnate, Love Divine;<\/p>\n<p>Worship we our Jesus:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">But wherewith for sacred sign?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Love shall be our token,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">Love be yours and love be mine,<\/p>\n<p>Love to God and all men,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 20px;\">Love for plea and gift and sign.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2013 Christina Rossetti<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Given the rightful concern over the devastating effects of sin and the proper appreciation of the salvation which Christ secured for us on the cross, there is a danger of treating the incarnation as merely instrumental, a means to an end, Christmas as only a necessary precursor to Calvary. If Christ was to die for us, He had to be born. It is certainly true that Christmas points to Calvary. (Mary knew a sword would pierce her soul.) Still, a fuller theology sees the light of Christmas shining more broadly, if not more brightly, than on Calvary alone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Consider the Baby in a manger: born of a virgin, only begotten of the Father, one in being with the Father. Fully God and fully man, in Him, divine nature seizes human nature. A New Adam recapitulates the human story, restoring human nature to its rightful relations. Goodness, Truth, Beauty, and Love reign once more in a human life, an infant human life. No wonder angels sing. Human history begins to work backwards. The tragedy of The Fall is both instantaneously undone and definitively destined to be undone. This undoing will take the Baby to the cross and will require much undoing in the lives of His saints. Still, at Christmas, the undoing is assured. It is a torrent that will not be stopped. Let us rejoice!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This Christmas may the torrent that is His Spirit flow in us and through us, advancing the restoration of humanity that began on the first Christmas. This Christmas, our nature united to His, may love be for us our &#8220;plea and gift and sign.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">And may joy abound. 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