As we approach the celebration of Christmas, the most meaningful and beautiful season of the church calendar rolls in: Advent. And as with every great event we celebrate we feel the impulse to decorate in preparation. Advent decorations represent the traditional themes of Jesus' teaching--hope, peace, joy, and love.
The world around us is filled with natural beauty which helps us create Advent's worshipful atmosphere. Even before Christianity, people understood evergreen as a sign of life in the deep of winter. Borrowed from older traditions and woven into the message of rebirth and divine love at the centre of the Christmas narrative, cedar boughs, evergreen wreaths, holly branches and starlight all carry powerful symbolic meaning and serve as tangible signs of wonder and mystery.
The Wabash United Sunday School will celebrate this tradition by hosting a Hanging the Greens service in the sanctuary on Saturday, November 23 at 5:30 pm. The children will lead much of the service, and a pizza supper for all will follow. The community is welcome to attend, and all children who wish to take part may do so--unlike the Sunday School Christmas Concerts of old, there is no rehearsal required, any and all are invited to participate in presenting the symbols of the Advent season to decorate the church. We look forward to a wondrous evening to prepare our hearts for Christmas.
