Eagle's Wings: December 18, 2011
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- Published on Thursday, 29 December 2011 16:34
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. -Revelation 22:1-2
"Hey, that's a funny looking Christmas tree." Have you ever heard that remark about a chrismon tree, and wondered to yourself, "where did it come from?" A variation of the Christmas tree, the chrismon tree was developed by Frances Kipps Spencer in 1957, as a member of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia, when she set out to create decorations appropriate for a church Christmas tree.
So what is a chrismon anyway? A chrismon is a monogram of Christ -- Christ+Monogram=chrismon -- symbols reminding us of Christ. But chrismons as ornaments are more than monograms; they also tell about Jesus the Christ, and refer to life, ministry, nature and teachings of Jesus.
So how does it all come together? The evergreen tree, which symbolizes eternal life, forms the background for tiny white lights and gold Chrismon designs. The lights speak of Christ, the light of the world, and the chrismon ornaments proclaim the name, life, and healing acts of Jesus Christ, which is God's constant presence in our ever changing world.
Peace,
Pastor Mark