Tradition Tuesday – Advent Devotion for December 7, 2021

Enjoy a memory of a beloved Christmas tradition from one of our own Christ Our Shepherd family, Kathie Manes

Isaiah 9:6

The word Chrismon comes from two words: Christ and Monogram. They are ancient symbols of faith and Christ’s name. Chrismons were often used by early Christians as a means of communication to avoid the authorities. Chrismons continue to tell the story of Jesus through these symbols of faith, because each Chrismon recognizes a Biblical truth about Jesus’ ministry, love, and grace. For example, consider the anchor Chrismon. In Hebrews 6:19 it says, “we have this Hope, Jesus Christ, as an anchor for the soul firm and secure.” Another is the fish Chrismon. “Jesus said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

Today at Christmas we decorate three evergreen trees with them. The colors are always gold and white. White, the liturgical color for Christmas,  stands for our Lord’s purity and perfection. Gold represents God’s majesty and glory. The white lights on the evergreen tree stand for Christ as the light of the world.  Traditionally Chrismons are handmade, never bought. The patterns are shared from other sources. Many of ours came from Redeemer Lutheran Church in downtown Atlanta.

In 2008, a group of Christ Our Shepherd women got together to figure a way to freshen our Christmas decorations. We also wanted a way to bring together the church family in a positive spirit. Christ Our Shepherd had previously had Chrismon trees but the ornaments were tarnished and broken. So, we decided to try to make some Chrismons.

In the early days most of the designs were small cross stitch ornaments. Later one of our members connected us with Redeemer Lutheran Church and they shared their patterns with us. Over the years this project has involved families of all ages. Some of Chrismons are fine beadwork and some are labors of love from the children of the congregation. We do have gold balls on our tree as a background to the Chrismons so they will show up better. When you see the trees this year, know that they represent many hours of labor and love!

Dear God,

Amen