Happy New Year

Sunday is the first week of Advent and the Christian New Year! As we enter the worship space, you'll see all the beautiful decorations placed by the volunteers this past week. (Thank you to everyone who made soup, stayed to eat, and helped decorate the campus.)

Evergreens

I hope you'll notice the evergreens all around the room. Evergreens represent new life, renewal, and rebirth. Plants like pine, fir, holly, ivy, and mistletoe are all considered evergreens because they do not die through the cold winters. Isaiah tells us that there will be no end to the reign of the Messiah, so we place evergreens all around to remind us of life in the bleak of winter.

Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is in a circle of evergreens to emphasize the "no end" image. The wreath has 5 candles: 3 purple and 1 pink in a square on the outside and 1 white candle in the middle. Purple (or blue or violet) is the traditional advent color, representing repentance and fasting. The pink (or rose) color represents joy, often referred to as the Mother's Candle. The white one in the center is the Christ Candle, representing purity, light, regeneration, victory, and godliness.

Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree has become the center of decorations for many homes. The traditional colors for the church are gold and white. White is the color of Christ, and gold is the color of kings and majesty. The lights on the tree remind us of the constant light shining in the darkness of winter.

Nativity

The center of everything is the nativity. It's unique in every home and church. It's believed that St. Francis of Assisi created the manger scene about 800 years ago as a visual aid in telling the story of Jesus' birth for those who could not read. Some sets only have the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus). Other sets have all the characters: Holy Family, Shepherds, Wise Men, Angel, and Animals.

Share your set with us on Social Media as you get them set up. We'd love to hear what makes it unique and special to you.

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