Seasons greening!

Published 4:00 pm Monday, December 9, 2019

As the Christmas season comes upon us, the world is filled with music, joy, light and hope. But the season came a bit early this year for members and guests at Oak Grove Baptist Church as the church held its annual Greening of the Sanctuary on Nov. 24.

I have never been to a Greening of the Sanctuary before, but now, I’d like to go every year, Lord willing. The gist of it is to ready the sanctuary for the Christmas season. Looking upon the decorations, the Christmas tree off to the side, the poinsettias on the altar, and the wreaths hung above the choir area and baptismal as well as outside, it also allows my heart to prepare for the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Greening was simple, yet in it there was a sense of community. I saw new faces I’ve never seen before, family of some of my friends at church. The celebration started with a singing of “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” followed by a congregation reading of Psalms 148: 1-3, 5, 9-14. After a prayer by church member Nat McCalvin, two members of our church began to place the greenery. There were holly vines on the window sill along with battery-operated candles and the wreaths, all as we sang a few verses of “Deck the Halls” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

Then there was a reading from our minister of music, Jason Clements:

“Behold, a virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is God with us.”

Then we sung out “Emmanuel, Emmanuel, His name is called Emmanuel, God with us, revealed in us, His name is called Emmanuel.’

What a great thing to be reminded of: Emmanuel, God with us. God is with us not only in the Christmas season, but always. He watches over us, calls us to be His children, cares and guides us. Often times, even when I feel alone, sad or stressed, I remember that God is with me.

Then church member Billie Setters read:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

Followed by church member Jon Setters reading:

“Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.”

Sometimes in today’s difficult times, it can be easy to forget that the Lord has his hand on everything. There is nothing that escapes his notice, even when, out of anger or grief, we may feel like He’s not watching or noticing. However, the Lord is so many wonderful things: a Counsel, An Everlasting Father, the Mighty God, the Rock of Ages, the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace. No matter where we stand on governmental issues, Jesus bares them on his shoulders. He holds us all in His Hands, and thus, we should praise Him from dawn until dusk, for all the great things He has done and will do in the future.

Then, as I straightened my mind on the messages, letting them sink in, trying to block out any distractions that would keep me from fully enjoying the Greening and its message as well as praying to the Lord to help me do so, poinsettias were placed on the altar as we sung “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” and “Angels We have Heard on High.”

Then came two traditions I was not familiar with but took to heart all the same.

The first was the story of the Christmas Nail. Two members of our church went up to the lit Christmas tree and placed a nail on branch, reading the story as they did:

“This is the Christmas Nail. It is to be hung on a sturdy branch; a branch near the trunk; a branch that will hold such a spike without being noticed by well-wishers dropping by to admire one’s tinseled tree. The nail is known only to the home which hangs it. Understood only by the heart which knows its significance. It is hung with the thought: The Christmas tree but foreshadows the Christ-tree which only He could decorate for us, ornamented with nails as this.”

This brought a solemn note to what was otherwise a joyful occasion, but in truth, the Christmas season is so precious because Jesus did not stay a baby. The birth of Jesus ultimately lead to the death of Jesus on the Cross for our sins. To not reflect on this, if even but for a moment, even with a small nail, is to rob the celebration of Christmas of its true meaning. That peace and goodwill come to all men because Jesus came. He preached to the world for a little while, then he died, but only to be raised again in three days, defeating sin and saving us forever from it. He then went to prepare us a new place, one that we might one day experience; a new joy, the new joy of a new life in Heaven, never to be separated from Him and God again. In this, there is unspeakable hope, in this we sing the carols louder, truer, all in praise of Him.

Next in the ceremony came the hanging of what are called ‘Chrismons’ on the Christmas tree. Chrismons are like ornaments. The word ‘Chrismon’ is derived from two words: ‘Chris’ from Christ and ‘Mon” from monogram, so they are a “monogram of Christ.”  Every ‘Chrismon” is symbolic of Christ. There are stars, fish, crowns, the cross, angels, and the greek symbols of alpha and omega (Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End) to name a few. They are gold and white, and the lights on our tree are white as well.

According to the reading by church member Jo Clements:

“White symbolizes the purity and perfection of Christ. Gold symbolizes His majesty and glory. The white lights remind us that Christ is the light of the world. The evergreen tree itself is a sign of God’s everlasting love. Let us remember Christ as we place the Chrismons on the tree.”

The whole congregation then went and placed the Chrismons on our tree. It was exciting to make the loop around the church to get a cross and angel to place on the tree. Then, as I went to get another, I was called by one of my friends in the back.

They needed my help in the next part of the service: the placing of the Nativity. At our Greening, placing of the individual pieces of the Nativity was done by the children present. The Nativity set is white and gold, matching the Chrismons on the tree.

There are several people represented from angels, livestock, shepherds, the wise men, Mary, Joseph and that in the center, baby Jesus in the manager. I was asked to carefully hand the porcelain pieces to the children, one by one, the final being baby Jesus himself. The children lined the center aisle to place the pieces at the stable while the congregation sung “Away in a Manger.”

After that, for the final event of the celebration, the lights were turned out, and the congregation came into the center aisle to hold hands and sing “Silent Night” and “Alleluia” in the darkness, only the candles as our light, mimicking the dark night of Jesus’ birth.

 After the service, I talked with Charlie Cook, one of the church members and dear family friend. He told me that a few people had once come to see the candles, having seen their inviting glow from the road in the darkness of night. Those people had stopped and asked to come inside to see them.

As I left for my car after the end of the service and remembering how those candles shone as we sung in the darkness, I turned to see the candles in the windows. They were small, but I could see how someone could be drawn in. This Sunday, I watched them again, trying to imagine what the people who stopped must have seen once they got inside and what they must have felt to see the sanctuary all decorated for Christmas.

I can think of no better allegory to the Christmas season and the message of Jesus Christ. That people, lost in the darkness, can be drawn into the light of Jesus’s hope and saving grace, After receiving that light, those people can find a life where the only requirement is to love God, to do His will, and to love others just as we would like to be loved. I will always cherish this celebration, for reminding me of that and of the closeness of believers.