"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" as the song goes, and indeed it is a blessed and glorious time of year. We celebrate the most precious gift ever given, God's Son!
With today's post I am continuing with a series of brief articles about the various elements usually involved in our preparation for the season, or Advent as it is called. Our first post explained what the season of Advent is about. The second dealt with the Advent wreath and candles. Today, let's focus for just a moment on the Evergreens. I am drawing from the readings which I wrote for the "Hanging of the Green" service at our church (Central Park Baptist in Decatur, AL) on November 29th.
Perhaps the most striking and universal feature of Christmas is the use of evergreens in our churches and homes. Among ancient Romans evergreens were an emblem of peace, joy, and victory. The early Christians placed them in their windows to indicate that Christ had entered the home. Laurel and Ivy, along with pine and fir, are called evergreens because they never change color. They are ever-green, ever-alive, even in the midst of winter. They symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, and they remind us of the everlasting life which is ours though Jesus Christ.
In Isaiah 60:13 we find these words: "The Glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the fir tree, the pine tree and the box together, to beautify the place of Your sanctuary." Tonight we beautify this place (and our homes) as we celebrate His everlasting glory!
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