A Christmas Cruise – mission to explain.

Jan 20, 2017 by

Christmas Cruiseby Chris Sugden, CEN:

Celebrating a Christian Christmas can be difficult in twenty-first century Britain which has developed a warm oasis in the middle of winter into a retailers’ bonanza, office parties, and welcome family get-togethers (though with some strains attached). Civic authorities bring pressure to call the whole thing “Winterval” with no reference to the religious side at all – always winter and never Christmas – because offence would be caused to those of other faiths.

How can we communicate that God has come to save our world from itself amidst people in Santa costumes, masses of fir trees and Christmas wreaths, lights ( now often cold blue and white), and revisiting the year past and hoping for better things next year?

This challenge awaited as my wife and I (as chaplain) embarked on a Christmas Cruise in the Arabian Gulf.  Chaplaincies for cruises are part of the ministry of the Mission to Seafarers.  A cruise is basically a visit in a floating hotel to a number of day destinations. The ship visited Dubai, Doha (Qatar), Muscat (Oman), Khaboos (Oman) and Abu Dhabi.   These are the Bradford, Leeds and Manchester of the 21st century, cities that have grown up due to the proximity of resources needed for the industrial revolution, coal and water in the nineteenth century and oil in the twenty-first.  Now that there is downward pressure on the price of oil, tourism is becoming a major industry.

The tone was relentlessly secular. The crew all wore Santa hats; there was (fake) greenery everywhere; gala dinners and showtime entertainment; and the piped music featured no Christmas carols.  Guests were a cross-section of society. Many were from the north of England. One couple referred to some as ‘the tattoo-brigade’. The ships crew included people from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Poland, and Nepal.  Many couples were forthcoming about this being their second (but long lasting) marriage. A Christmas cruise avoids the complexities of who spends Christmas where with whom.

But they had asked for a chaplain. So as “Chaplain Chris” I worked with the cruise director, since technically I was a member of the entertainment team.  My first slot  was a lecture on the Day at Sea on “The Meaning of Christmas and the meaning of life”.  A short video of Bethlehem, starting from the Church of the Nativity and Mary and Joseph’s journey, then focused on the wall of separation now around the town and its diminishing Christian population.  I explained the date of Christmas, just after the longest night symbolising that light has come into the world in Jesus and will overcome the darkness; the date at the turn of the year which gives solid hope for a bright future because Jesus has brought the kingdom of God; the evergreens which are the only vegetation alive in a European winter and symbolise the victory of life over death through Jesus; and Santa Claus who though dressed by Coca Cola in a red suit, really existed as Bishop Nicholas of Myra whose gifts as dowries for  three daughters landed in stockings and shoes put by the fire to dry. Rico Tice on a Christianity Explored video tied the whole thing up by setting out the arguments for a creator from the creation and the extraordinary story of the ministry of Jesus.

The Cruise Director in his Santa hat introduced a Christmas Carol Service at  2345 on Christmas Eve in the main theatre.  He expressed surprise and delight that the theatre was completely full on both floors with between 250 and 300 people.  He read his own version of “On the night before Christmas”, imagining Santa Claus visiting the ship.   I  gave a ten minute “Thought for the Day” whose  main theme was the angels’ message “Do not be afraid”.  Before the service I found myself sitting next to a man who told me his mother in law had died two weeks ago, and that his wife was in their cabin as she could not face the service. So I tailored part of my talk and prayers for those who mourn.

I also covered the reality of angels ( those who are helped see them and others do not), rehearsed again the symbolism of the date, of Christmas trees and lights, and illustrated hope for the future at the turn of the year by playing Johnny Mathis’ song “A child is born” over the sound system and noting that the longed-for child has been born. The service ended with a prayer, the Lord’s Prayer which most joined in, O come all ye faithful, a Christmas blessing (“May the Wisdom of the Wonderful counsellor guide you….) followed by “Unto us a Child is born” from the Messiah on the sound system. A very nice and generous touch from the cruise company were the mince pies and mulled wine laid on afterwards. Both ran out.

I was delighted at the response to the evening throughout the rest of the cruise. People noted that not many Christmas Carol services take place with drinks being brought around from the bar. Immediately afterwards a young Muslim female crew member in a headscarf who had been in the crew choir came up literally bubbling with enthusiasm for how the service had touched her heart; a Christian  nurse came up with husband with almost tears in her eyes to say how her heart had really felt the emotion of the service; at dinner one evening a passing male guest in his 40’s said  “The Christmas comedian/magician on main stage earlier on Christmas Eve had been excellent but you were the business”. A retired couple with strong church connections spoke of how much they appreciated the carol service and asked what was arranged for Christmas Day since they were going on an excursion on Christmas morning.

Christmas morning service took place at 1000 in the main theatre. I invited the two children present under 13 onto the stage to lead the singing of Away in a Manger ( next step for them “The X Factor”? ). At the end of my talk in which Bishop Nicholas featured  I offered a booklet with the Christmas story from the bible.  The Alleluia chorus broadcast through the theatre sound system closed the service.

About 20 attended a communion service for the crew in the Officers Bar, most from Catholic and Orthodox backgrounds. One of  the engineer’s department enthusiastically read the lesson.  The atmosphere was very reverent.

It was straightforward to  rearrange a room for a Christmas evening Communion Service. Twelve people came.  I spoke on the right to become children of God through choice as the foundation of all freedoms, and the distribution of the word of God as the source of democratic freedoms in world history. Voluntary offerings at the three services raised funds for refugees in the Middle East.

My wife and I had Christmas Eve lunch ashore with the Anglican Chaplain in Muscat who also invited a Muslim Imam and his family who came with Christmas related gifts;  the chaplain read the Christmas story and the Imam read the same text in Arabic. The lounges in Dubai International Airport were still playing real Christmas carols on 27 December. Only religious illiterates suggest that such public displays of the Christian message cause offence to those of other faiths.

A Christmas cruise  in the Arabian Gulf gave a very acceptable opportunity to speak of the reality and meaning of the Christian story in a holiday setting, especially as guests had seen and smelt frankincense in the souks, the wise men came from the area and the temperature was the same as Bethlehem.  Unwrapping the symbolism of the accoutrements of Christmas set up an acceptable “Mission to Explain” to many who would not otherwise encounter the Christian  dimension of Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

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