Please join the staff and flower guild members on Wednesday, November 29th to celebrate our second annual Hanging of the Greens ceremony in the church sanctuary. We will begin the evening with dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall followed by decorating the church for Advent, including the Chrismon Tree, in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. This is an intergenerational event that will include music, stories, and fun!

Hanging of the Greens, a long-held tradition of decorating with winter evergreens of pine, cedar, fir, holly, and laurel at Christmas time, dates back to Martin Luther's ministry in the early 1500s. Martin Luther saw evergreens as a symbol of the unchanging nature of God. Luther encouraged people to decorate their homes and churches with evergreens during the Christmas season to symbolize everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Many churches began to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season with a ceremonial "Hanging of the Greens." Sprays, garlands, wreaths, and trees were hung and displayed in conjunction with Advent, a time of expectant waiting in preparation of the celebration of Christ's birth.  

We celebrate the first Sunday of Advent on December 3rd. As a circle, the Advent wreath is a reminder of God who has no beginning or end. The evergreens of the Advent wreath speak to the hope and renewal of eternal life. Advent candles symbolize Christ as the light of the world.