Hanging of the Greens (2)
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INTRODUCTION*
How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King?
With branches of cedar, the tree of royalty.
How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the eternal Christ?
With garlands of pine and fir, whose leaves are ever living, ever green.
How shall we prepare this house for the coming of our Savior?
With wreaths of holly and ivy,
telling of his passion, death, and resurrection.
How shall we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Son of God?
By hearing again the words of the prophets, who foretold the saving work of God.
Introduction to the Hanging of the Green
(Narrator)
"Today is a special time of worship in our church which we call 'the Hanging of the Green.' Throughout the world, Christians are beginning to observe what is known as the Advent Season of the Church. Advent is a time of remembering the Birth of Jesus, and it is celebrated during the four Sundays that leads up to Christmas Day.
The main idea of Advent is the belief that God has fulfilled His promise by sending mankind a Savior,.. a Messiah,.. Who we know as Jesus Christ, God's own Son.
As we will transform our church through the Hanging of the Green next week, we should also prepare our hearts for receiving the gift of God's Salvation through Jesus. It is only then that we can allow God to transform us into His people who carrying in our hearts and lives the image of His Son. We can also anticipate the fulfillment of another promise of God which is the Second Coming of Christ at the end of this present age."
First, we will have The Advent Wreath (Narrator)
The purpose of this wreath is to deepen our understanding of Christmas.
The Christian Church has used the wreath to demonstrate how, when the candles are un-lit, that we are a people dwelling in darkness.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
However, as we light the candles one by one, the candles demonstrate how we are magnificently given light by the Son of God.
From the first Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve we will light more and more candles, and the wreath will grow in beauty and radiance as we wait in anticipation and celebration of the birth of Jesus.
There are five candles on our Advent wreath. We will be lighting one candle for each Sunday in Advent, and later this morning we will be lighting the first candle. The first two and the last candles around the wreath are purple in color because purple represents repentance, penitence and royalty. Each one of these candles has an additional meaning. The first candle symbolizes hope, the second candle exemplifies love, There is a third candle that also helps to surround the wreath, and it is pink. Pink is the color of joy.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
Now, why the pink candle? In the earliest years of the church the only church season was Lent, the seven weeks prior to Easter. Lent was a season of fasting and prayer as the church commemorated the crucifixion of Jesus. The traditional color of banners in the church during this time was a deep purple, signifying royalty, repentance, and suffering. During Lent the church lit seven candles, one for each week of the solemn season. However solemn the season, the story of Lent also has a twinge of hope and joy since the death of Christ prefigured the resurrection. So, on the third Sunday of Lent, the church was encouraged not to fast, but to feast. In ancient times on this particular Sunday the Pope would honor a citizen with a pink rose, and as time passed the priests wore pink vestments on this day as a reminder of the coming joy.
When the season of Advent was instituted the church viewed it as a mini-Lent, a time for reflection and repentance (thus the purple). In so doing, the church adopted the first four candles of Lent and changed the third candle of Advent to pink in honor of the Lenten tradition. This is why we have a pink candle in our Advent Wreaths.
The last candle is for peace.
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
At the center of the
wreath is a fifth candle, and it is known as the Christ Candle.
The Christ Candle is usually lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize the birth of our Savior.
This candle is white in color as white symbolizes the purity of the Baby Jesus.
During this time of
worship, let us rejoice in the truth that Christ has given us His light that shines through the darkness of this world as He brings us Salvation and Victory."
The Poinsettias (Narration)
"One of our first decorations which we will bring into the church sanctuary will be our poinsettias. Although these plants originally come from the Americas, they have become one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas.
Poinsettias are known for their leaves which can come in a variety of colors; including green, or red, or white, or pink.
Poinsettias having red leaves are said to symbolize the blood that Christ shed on the Cross.
White-leaved poinsettias represent the salvation that God gave us through His Son. And if a poinsettia has pink leaves, it is said that they represent the joy Christians have because of God's gift of eternal life.
Contrary to general belief, the colorful leaves of the poinsettias are not the blossoms of the plants. The blossoms are the small, yellow flowers in the center of the cluster of the leaves. Christians see the star-shaped formation of the poinsettias' yellow flowers as a reminder of the star which led the wise men to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
We hope you will celebrate the mercy and grace of Christ as we bring the poinsettias into the sanctuary."
The Sanctuary Green (Narration)
"We will continue to transform our church by bringing in the Sanctuary
Green. The green garland and wreathes which we use as decorations have a long tradition of being a part of the ceremonies and the celebrations of Christmas Day.
Evergreen plants and trees are seen as symbolizing the everlasting life found in Jesus Christ. The use of evergreens testified to the continuation of life because they were able to survive the cold winter while all other foliage and plant life, having lost their leaves, seem to wither, or die, or simply become dormant.
People began to hang the boughs of evergreens on doors or place them in prominent locations to remind everyone of the truth that all of life comes from God.
Wreaths are made by bending an evergreen branch so that both ends are touching one another. By forming a circle, which has no beginning or end, the wreath again symbolized life without end. The wreath also demonstrates the never ending love of God.
As we bring the Sanctuary Green into our church we want you to be reminded of God's love for you."
"The next decorations we will use in the Hanging of the Green are the Sanctuary Candles. It is said that the great Christian leader and reformer named Martin Luther, was the first to bring a Christmas tree inside of his house and put candles on it. He did so to remind children of the light Jesus Christ brought into the world. Legend has it that he went outside one night and saw the stars glistening in the evergreen trees. To share the beauty of this sight with others, Martin Luther cut down a tree, brought it inside, and decorated it with lighted candles to suggest the stars which shined in the night over Bethlehem when Jesus was born.
As we light our candles this morning, let us celebrate because Jesus has brought us into His light and into His eternal life. Let us be
reminded that we are to carry the light of Jesus into the world around us. Let us proclaim the peace of Christmas in the Holy name of Christ who came to us that we might live forever with Him."