Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church Advent Devotions
Tradition Tuesday: Chrismon
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
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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,
Thank you for all of the hands who labored to create our Chrismons at Christ our Shepherd. Help us to feel the love that the Chrismon trees represent. May we feel the special blessings of Christmas during this time of Advent.
Amen