"The Haning of the Chrismons"

Dear Friends in Christ,         

INTRODUCTION:  The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree has been around for a long time.  Many feel it actually had its beginning with Martin Luther.  According to this tradition, on his way home one Christmas Eve, Dr. Luther saw a beautiful fir tree covered with snow, glistening in the moonlight.  It was such a breathtaking sight that he decided to cut the tree down, take it home, and decorate it with candles to show his family how it had sparkled in the starlight.  Christmas tree decorating then spread from Europe to the U.S.  And while many people see no religious significance in the Christmas tree, the truth of the matter is that it is filled with all kinds of Christian symbolism, if you look hard enough.

   For example, just the tree itself reminds us of our sins, for in the Garden of Eden sin entered our world by means of the tree of which God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat.  But the tree can also remind us of our salvation, for the Bible speaks of Jesus being crucified on the tree of the cross to deliver mankind from the eternal consequences of sin.  The fact that the tree is evergreen reminds us that the life we have in Jesus is one that never ends.  And the shape of the tree points us toward heaven where we shall one day rise to live with our Savior forever.

   The decorations we use on our Christmas trees also contain much symbolism.  The star that many place atop their trees reminds us of the star the Wise Men followed to find the Christ-Child.  And the angel that others put on the top of their trees calls to our remembrance the angel who appeared to the shepherds to announce to them those good tidings of great joy which had come to them and all people that first Christmas night.  The lights, which already adorn our Christmas trees up front, remind us of the words of Jesus who once said of himself:  “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  So remembering the brilliant light that Jesus brought to our sin-darkened world so long ago, let us now light our Christmas tree.  (Acolyte plugs in tree)

   A Christmas tree would not be complete without decorations, right?  Well, our Xmas trees here at Salem Lutheran are traditionally decorated with Chrismons.  The word Chrismon is the combination of 2 words:  CHRIST and MONogram.  A Chrismon then is a symbol of Christ, or of our Christianity.  They are traditionally made of white and gold materials.  WHITE is a symbol of our Lord’s purity and perfection, while GOLD symbolizes his majesty, glory, and triumph.

   So at this time we want to take a good look at some of these very special decorations that we will be placing on our tree this morning, beginning with ones that symbolize the Trinity. 

GOD THE FATHER:  As we learned from our Confirmation instruction, however many years ago that may have been, the work of Creation is usually ascribed to God the Father, though the Bible makes it quite clear that all 3 Persons of the Trinity were present and active.  So the symbol for the Father is the creating, blessing hand of God.  But as we place this Chrismon on the tree, we also remember that it was God the Father who loved the world so much that he sent his one and only Son to our world on Christmas Day so that all who believe in him might not perish, but have everlasting life.

GOD THE SON:  Next, to symbolize the 2^nd Person of the Trinity, God the Son, we use a Lamb.  This reminds us of the day when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  But it also reminds us of how Jesus willingly became our sacrificial Lamb who was offered in our place on the altar of Calvary’s cross.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT:  The 3^rd Person of the Trinity is, of course, the Holy Spirit.  To represent him we use the dove because of how he manifested himself in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism.  In the secular world, the dove is also a symbol of peace though.  And so as we place the dove on our tree this morning, we do so with a special prayer that the Holy Spirit will bring to our hearts this busy Christmas season that special peace that we long for and that only he can give.

CIRCLE AND TRIANGLE:  Our final symbol of the Trinity consists of an equilateral triangle surrounded by a circle.  The circle, which is without beginning and without end, symbolizes the eternalness of God.  And the triangle which has equal sides and equal angles reminds us that each Person of the Trinity is equal to the others.  None is greater or lesser than the others.

HYMN – 168, vv. 1,3 (LW)

STAR SYMBOLS

Next, we will place the star symbols on our tree and there will be 4 of them.

9-POINTED STAR:  We first consider the 9-pointed star which some of you may have never seen or heard of before.  And I think it would be kind of fun to go around the church this morning to see how many different suggestions we could get to explain the meaning of this star.  But since we don’t have time to do that, I’ll just tell you its meaning.  The 9 points of this star symbolize the 9 fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5.  These fruits of the Spirit consist of actions that the Holy Spirit brings forth in the lives of those who follow Christ.  And they consist of:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

7-POINTED STAR:  Next we consider the 7-pointed star, which is not a very easy one to make.  But this star symbolizes the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit that are mentioned in Is. 11.  Those 7 gifts include Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, the Fear of God, and Delight in serving him.  As we look forward to the Christmas presents we will receive in a few weeks, may the 7-fold gifts of the Spirit be among them!

6-POINTED STAR:  The 6-pointed star is known as the Creator’s star, the 6 points symbolizing the 6 days in which God created the heavens and the earth.  It is also commonly used among Jewish people as the Star of David – David, of course, being the royal ancestor of Jesus.  As we hang this star on our tree may we be reminded to pray for all Jews who have yet to recognize and confess Jesus as their Messiah and Savior.

5-POINTED STAR:  Then finally we come to the 5-pointed star, also known as the Star of Bethlehem.  It was this star that caught the attention of some Eastern astrologers whom we call the Wise Men and that led them to Bethlehem where they found him who had been born King of the Jews.  And let us never forget that just as Wise Men followed Jesus back then, so also wise men and wise women and wise children will continue to do the same today!

HYMN – 148, vv. 1,5 (HS) “We Three Kings”

SYMBOLS OF THE SAVIOR

Now we move on to him who is the real reason for this season, to symbols representing our humble Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The 3 Chrismons that I’ve selected for this part of the service actually contain symbols of Christ that the early Christians used to use during the days when they were severely persecuted for their faith.  These symbols enabled Christians to identify one another when Christianity was an outlawed religion.

CHI-RHO:  The 1^st of these symbols is called the Chi-Rho and consists of 2 Greek letters superimposed over one another.  What looks like a P and an X to us are really the 1^st 2 letters of Christ in the Greek language.  The X is the Greek letter “chi” and is the equivalent of our 2 English letters “ch”.  And what looks like a P is really the Greek letter “rho”, which in English would be an “r”.  So the Chi-Rho stands for Christ, which was not really a name, but rather a title given to Jesus which literally means “Messiah” or “anointed one.”

ALPHA AND OMEGA:  Our next symbol for Jesus is that of the Alpha and Omega.  Most Christians have heard Jesus referred to in this way before, but not many of them really know what it means.  Well, alpha and omega are the 1^st and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, so when the Book of Revelation calls Jesus by this name, it is telling us that Jesus is the 1^st and the last, the beginning and the end of God’s plan of salvation.  Like one Christmas hymn puts it so well:  “The hopes and dreams of all the years are met in Thee tonite.”

THE FISH:  The final symbol of our Savior is the fish, one that I’m sure you’ve all seen and perhaps wondered about.  Well, here you need to understand that the Greek word for fish is ICHTHUS.  Early Christians, though, used this as a secret symbol for Jesus to once again identify one another in a very hostile culture.  Actually the word ICHTHUS is an acronym, which means that each letter of this word stands for another word.  The 1^st letter, what looks like an “I”, is the 1^st letter for Jesus in the Greek language.  The 2^nd letter, as we’ve already learned, is the 1^st letter for Christ.  The next letter is the 1^st letter for the Greek word for God.  The next letter is the 1^st letter for the Greek word for Son.  And the final letter is the 1^st letter for the Greek word for Savior.  So when we put it all together, the fish symbol tells us that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is our Savior.

HYMN – 36 (HS) “His Name Is Wonderful”

SYMBOLS OF CHRIST’S COMING

Next, we wish to place on our tree symbols that remind us of Christ’s coming. 

MANGER:  The 1^st one is the manger.  This symbol reminds us of that busy and fateful night so long ago when a poor, weary couple named Mary and Joseph made their way into Bethlehem, only to be told that there was no room for them in any of the inns.  So they spent the night with the animals and it was there, amid the smell of hay mixed with manure that Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son.  She then wrapped him in strips of cloth, as was the custom back then, and gently placed him in a manger, a feeding trough out of which those animals ordinarily ate.  May we be reminded by this symbol to always have room in our heart for Jesus.

ANGEL:  Angels played a very important role in that 1^st Christmas event.  Recall that it was an angel who appeared to Mary and announced to her that she had been handpicked by God to bring his Son, the long-awaited Messiah, into the world.  It was an angel that told Joseph, when he was troubled about Mary’s pregnancy, to not be ashamed to take her as his wife for that which was conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit.  And it was another angelic messenger sent from heaven that announced to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord.”  It’s only fitting then that an angel should appear on our Christmas tree.

CHALICE:  Then the final symbol for Christ’s coming is the chalice.  And why the chalice?  Because Jesus did not make his visit to our planet just a one-time event.  Rather, he still comes to us today through his Word and Sacrament.  The chalice in particular reminds us of how he gives us himself in the Holy Supper of his body and blood.  May we recognize that each time we come to the Lord’s Table and thus partake of this meal frequently for the strengthening of our faith and the personal assurance of his love and forgiveness!

HYMN:  140 (HS) “Away In a Manger”

CROSS SYMBOLS 

As we celebrate the birth of the Christ-Child in a few weeks, it’s very easy for us to get all caught up with this image of a cute and cuddly infant peacefully asleep on a bed of straw.  But let us never forget why that infant was born.  As he himself put it, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  And the only way he could accomplish that was through his suffering and death on the cross.  So we next place on our Christmas tree Chrismons that portray the various crosses of Christ and Christianity.

LATIN CROSS:  The first one we consider is known as the Latin cross.  This is the cross that is traditionally portrayed as the one upon which Jesus died.  And while back then it was seen as a cruel instrument of torture and execution, today it is proudly worn and displayed as a symbol of victory for every believing child of God.

JERUSALEM CROSS:  Next we focus upon the Jerusalem cross.  This symbol consists of a large Greek cross with a smaller cross on each corner.  The larger cross symbolizes the large wound in Christ’s side when the Roman soldier pierced it with his spear.  And the 4 smaller crosses represent the wounds in his hands and feet.  There’s a Lenten hymn that asks a very thought-provoking question:  “Alas! And did my Savior bleed, And did my Sov’reign die?  Would he devote that sacred head  For such a worm as I?”  And the answer to that question is “Yes, he would, and yes, he did!”

ANCHOR CROSS:  Our final cross symbol is my favorite.  It’s called the anchor cross.  This is the cross of hope.  It reminds us that in Jesus Christ we have a living hope, as Peter calls it in his 1^st Epistle.  That means that the hope Christ gives us can never be shaken and will not disappoint us.  And the reason it won’t is because it is founded upon the sure and certain promises that God himself gives to us in his Holy Word.  Therefore, this hope serves as an anchor to hold us steady and to keep us steadfast whenever the storms of life come our way.

HYMN - 126, vv. 1,4 (HS) “The Old Rugged Cross”

SYMBOLS OF GOD’S WORK FOR US 

The final Chrismons we will be looking at this morning symbolize some of the things that God has done and will do for us.

THE CIRCLE OR WHEEL:  The 1^st one is called the Circle, or the Wheel.  It symbolizes the world which God created.  And what a beautiful world it is!  Here we find all that we need for the support and wants of our physical lives.  And when man fell into sin and ruined God’s original perfect world, God didn’t abandon it, but instead redeemed it.  He bought it back and paid the incredible purchase price that consisted of his own Son’s holy and precious blood so that one day the Paradise that was lost might be regained again.

10 COMMANDMENTS:  Our next Chrismon symbolizes the 2 tablets of stone on which God wrote the 10 Commandments.  Unfortunately some people don’t like those commandments.  They’d prefer to be on their own and do their own thing.  But let me ask you something, my friends.  What kind of parent would let their child have that kind of freedom?  Not a very loving one, I dare say!  So these tablets of stone remind us that God, our Heavenly Parent, loved us enough to give us rules and guidelines to follow for our own good and our own protection.

BUTTERFLY:  Next we consider the butterfly.  This calls to our remembrance Christ’s resurrection victory on Easter morning which in turn assures us and all who believe in him the same victory over death.  Just as the caterpillar spins a cocoon and lies encased in a seemingly dead shell, only to emerge in the spring as a beautiful butterfly, so Jesus was entombed on Good Friday, but rose from the dead on Easter morning.  And so shall it be with us.  Death has no power, no claim over us, not even our bodies, for on the Last Day we too shall rise.

CROWN:  And that takes us to our final symbol which is the crown.  This reminds us 1^st of all of Christ who is our King, as we celebrated a week ago on Christ the King Sunday.  But it also reminds us of the crown of victory that every faithful child of God will receive whenever he or she dies and leaves this world behind.  Like Rev. 2:10 says:  “Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.”

SONG – “The Perfect Tree” by Ray Boltz

CONCLUDING REMARKS (thank those who helped hang Chrismons on the tree, along with Doris Stein and her crew who put up the decorations the day before and then go into “The Talking Christmas Tree.”)

THE TALKING CHRISTMAS TREE

P = Pastor; T = TREE

P:        (concluding remarks thanking those who helped with Christmas decorations is interrupted by the talking tree)

T:        HEY!  WAIT A MINUTE, PLEASE!  COULD I SAY SOMETHING?

P:        (acts confused, looking around for voice, while continuing to speak)

T:        PLEASE, I WONDER IF I COULDN’T HAVE A MINUTE TO SPEAK.

P:        Just who is it that wants me to stop talking?  Please identify yourself.

T:        IT’S ME, OVER HERE, THE OTHER CHRISTMAS TREE THAT’S ALREADY BEEN DECORATED.

P:        I’m not sure I believe this, but could that Christmas tree really be alive and talking?

T:        THAT’S RIGHT, PASTOR MEYER, BUT I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME AND I DID NOTICE THAT YOU USUALLY DO MOST OF THE TALKING, AND WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING WHILE I STILL HAVE THE CHANCE.

P:        I suppose that would be alright, as long as it’s ok with everyone else.  I mean, it’s not everyday you find a Christmas tree that can talk.  So let’s all be extra quiet and listen to what our Christmas tree has to say.

T:        FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME ALL TRIMMED UP AND DECKED OUT THE WAY I AM.  I REALLY FEEL GREAT, AND IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF, I LOOK PRETTY GOOD TOO!  NOW, HOW COULD ANYONE BE IN CHURCH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME THE WAY I AM, AND MADE TO LOOK SO NICE, AND NOT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO EVERYONE?

P:        I guess you’re right, Miss Christmas Tree.  But still, you sure have caught us by surprise today.  You must be a very unusual tree to be able to speak to us this way!

T:        WELL, I FEEL I AM.  YOU SEE, I FEEL I WAS CHOSEN FROM AMONG MANY, MANY TREES FOR A PURPOSE.  THAT PURPOSE, OR “MISSION,” AS YOU MIGHT CALL IT, WAS TO HELP YOU CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

P:        Well, indeed, that is a noble purpose.  But weren’t you frightened when you knew you were going to be cut down and taken out of the woods, not knowing what would happen to you then?

T:        WELL, YES, ACTUALLY I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED, ESPECIALLY WHEN I SAW SOME PEOPLE COMING TOWARD ME WITH A SAW.  I GUESS THE REASON I WAS SO SCARED WAS THAT I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE CUT DOWN AND PUT IN A STORE SOMEWHERE.

P:        A store?

T:        WELL, I KNOW I’M TOO BIG TO FIT IN A HOUSE!  BUT IF I WERE IN A STORE, PEOPLE WOULD BE RUSHING AROUND DOING THEIR SHOPPING AND THEY PROBABLY WOULDN’T EVEN NOTICE ME, AND I WOULDN’T GET A CHANCE TO MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY FOR CHRISTMAS.  OR WORSE YET, I COULD BE LEFT ON A LOT SOMEWHERE AND NOT GET DECORATED AT ALL FOR CHRISTMAS.  BUT INSTEAD, I WAS CHOSEN TO BE BROUGHT HERE AND GET DECORATED WITH ALL THESE NICE THINGS, TO SHOW HOW REALLY BEAUTIFUL ONE CAN BE WHEN PRAISING GOD.

P:        Did it ever cross your mind that you might not get cut down at all?

T:        YES, IT DID.  AFTER ALL, I’M NOT A PERFECT TREE; I HAVE SO MANY FLAWS.  BUT AS THEY LOOKED ME OVER, THEY APPARENTLY COULDN’T SEE THOSE IMPERFECTIONS.  SO THEY SAID, “THIS IS THE ONE WE NEED!  IT’S PERFECT!”  AND OFF I WENT.

P:        I think I understand your feelings, but still, didn’t you feel sad to be taken away from your other friends in the woods and brought here?  After all, you don’t know any of us, and you are…well, kind of different.

C:        WHY SURE, I WAS SAD AT FIRST.  BUT I WOULD WANT THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN AGAIN IF I KNEW I WOULD END UP IN JESUS’ HOUSE.  HERE IN THE CHURCH, EVEN THOUGH I’M DIFFERENT, I KNOW THAT I WILL BE MADE TO FEEL WELCOME, AS THOUGH THIS IS WHERE I BELONG.  SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE WITH ME.

P:        Well, you are certainly welcome, Miss Christmas Tree!  The Lord’s house is a place where all people are supposed to feel welcome.

C:        BUT THAT’S NOT ALL I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO.  I’M ALSO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR WORSHIP SERVICES.  WHY, AFTER WHAT I’VE SEEN SO FAR, I WOULD WANT TO BE HERE EVERY SUNDAY IF I COULD…EVERYONE SINGING TOGETHER, AND PRAYING, AND LISTENING TO THE WORDS OF JESUS FROM THE BIBLE.  AND THEN I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM YOUR CHILDREN WILL PRESENT HERE 2 WEEKS FROM TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE BLESSED EVENT OF THE SAVIOR’S BIRTH.  IN JUST THE SHORT TIME I’VE BEEN HERE I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH ALREADY.  I’M SURE YOU PEOPLE CAN’T WAIT FOR SUNDAYS TO ROLL AROUND SO YOU CAN BE HERE!  EVERYTHING IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO MEANINGFUL!  SO HOW COULD I JUST STAND HERE AND NOT SAY ANYTHING WHEN YOU PEOPLE ARE SHARING SO MUCH WITH ME? 

P:        But Miss Christmas Tree, you do realize that in a few weeks you’ll be taken down and you’ll no longer be with us? 

C:        OH YES, BUT THAT’S OK.  YOU SEE, I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH ALREADY ABOUT JESUS AND THE WAYS OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM.  I’VE LEARNED THAT IT REALLY ISN’T HOW LONG YOU’RE AROUND THAT MATTERS SO MUCH, BUT HOW WELL YOU FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE AND MISSION WHILE YOU’RE HERE.  AND BELIEVE ME, I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE IN HERE HELPING YOU CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS THAN TO HAVE LIVED AN ORDINARY, DISMAL LIFE OUT THERE IN THE COLD FOR A HUNDRED MORE YEARS.  YOU SEE, NOW I KNOW JESUS CHRIST, AND I KNOW WHAT HE MEANT WHEN HE SAID THAT ONE FINDS THEIR LIFE BY LOSING IT.  HE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, SO I AM HAPPY TO LOSE MY LIFE IN SERVICE TO HIM.

P:        Well, Miss Christmas Tree, you have certainly given us all a very inspiring message today, and I would like to thank you for myself and for everyone here.  I just hope that we can have the same kind of attitude as we seek to live and give our lives to Jesus.  Thank you so much for speaking up when you did, and thank you for adding to our understanding of Christmas this year. 

C:        OH, YOU DON’T HAVE TO THANK ME.  I’M GLAD TO HAVE SHARED MY FEELINGS ABOUT JESUS AND THE LIFE HE GIVES TO EACH OF US.  I WON’T INTERFERE ANYMORE WITH THE SERVICE, BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO WORSHIP IN SILENCE BECAUSE I TRULY DO ENJOY HEARING GOD’S WORD.  AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU OUT THERE ENJOY YOUR CHURCH AS MUCH AS I DO!  THANKS FOR LISTENING AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU WITH A VERY MERRY, CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTMAS!

CONCLUDE with “O Christmas Tree” in worship folder.