Clear Midnights

(It Came Upon A Midnight Clear)


Hymn of the Day

"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"

Author: Edmund Hamilton Sears
Based on Luke 2:13

"And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host praising God ... "

It came upon the midnight clear

That glorious song of old,

Of angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold.
"Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven's all-gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing

And ye beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow.
Look now! for sad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road
To hear the angels sing!


For lo! The days are hasten'ing on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Her ancient splendors fling
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Meditation ~ "Clear Midnights!"

This very popular Christmas hymn was written in 1849 by a Unitarian Minister named Edmund Hamilton Sears. He was born at Sandisfield, Massachusetts, April 6, 1810, and spent most of his life in the ministry (27 years at Wayland, MA. For some twelve years of his life, however, he was associated with the Rev. Rufus Ellis in the editorial work of the monthly "Religious Magazine", and it was there that most of his work was published. His lineage dates back to Colonial Days as he was a descendant of Richard Sears, a Hollander who joined the Plymouth Colony in 1630.

After graduating from Union College in New York, Edmund Sears began to study law. A call to the ministry was more interesting to him than his law studies, so he entered Harvard Divinity School. After Harvard, he served several small pastorates in the central part of Massachusetts.

He wrote and published numerous works, but only two hymns - - -
both of them intended for Christmas. The first one was entitled
"Calm on The Listening Ear of Night" and is actually very similar, textually, to "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is one Christmas hymn that should be sung year round because it bears a message of social service that is both timeless and seasonless. It is just as true that no Christmas season would be complete without the singing of this well-beloved carol/hymn. Since its writing in 1849, scarcely a hymnal anywhere has been published that does "NOT" include it. It was one of the first carols ever written by an American writer. It is something of a surprise to find such a text written by a Unitarian. It was often said of Sears that he was more of a Unitarian by name than by conviction. Being a Unitarian Minister did not keep him from believing in the divinity of Christ or from preaching it from his pulpit.

This hymn is generally considered to be one of the finest hymn/carols to emphasize the social implications of the angels' message - - - that of achieving peace and good will toward our fellowmen in the midst of social difficulty. The writing of Midnight Clear occurred at a time in American history of great unrest and strained peace. In New England the Industrial Revolution was causing all sorts of social upheaval. It was the year of the California Gold Rush and all that attended that. It is to these that the hymn refers - - - those "beneath life's crushing load". The hymn text urges them (and us who have followed them) to listen once again to the singing of the angels. It is a distinctly American trait, by the way, to write hymns that stress this social message of Christmas - this "peace on earth, good will to men". Carols from England and other parts of Europe reflect no such concern.

The final verse is the great verse of hopeful optimism, speaking as it does of that golden age - - - 'when peace shall over all the earth, its ancient splendors fling, and the whole world gives back the song, which now the angels sing." The peace of Christmas, proclaimed by the heavenly chorus of angels, is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. In II Corinthians Chapter 5, verse 19, we read that "God was reconciling the world unto Himself". This message of reconciliation involves us on three different levels: (1)Peace with God, (2) Peace with our fellowmen; and (3) Peace within ourselves. It is this wonderful and blessed concept that Edmund Sears wanted to emphasize in this unusual carol.

Just as the angelic announcement of peace was given at a time of much turmoil caused by the iron-fisted rule of the Roman Empire, and just as this hymn was written during a time of serious social turmoil in American society, so today does God's message of peace come despite all of life's crushing load and stormy circumstances. The hymn is distinguished by the omissions - the things it does not say . . . no mention, for instance, of Christ the newborn King . . . no elements of the scriptural account of the birth of Jesus from Matthew or Luke.

One of the things I am thinking about tonight as I ponder the words of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is how many things that seem so dark - - - so "midnightish" - - - can be transformed into the joyous or the miraculous. We fear the darkness of life - - - the midnight hours - - - those hours just before dawn that are said to be the darkest of all.

So many things constitute midnight hours for us. We abhor the darkness. We are often frightened by the darkness. When I had surgery in 1998, I kept my best friend on the phone almost ALL night the night before my surgery. It was a dark time for me and I was terribly frightened. Morning "did" come, though, and life and light "won" for me. It's so often that the darkness is something terribly frightening. We run from it, and yet, there are those things that "come upon a midnight clear" that are beautiful. The words to another wonderful hymn come to mind here. In the refrain to "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations", we find the words . . . "and the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday light . . ."

Two personal examples come quickly to my mind. A few years ago, Terry and I were on the way back from Helen, GA, on a very dark, moonless, completely gorgeous night. The stars appeared to be close enough to touch. We pulled off the road and stopped to look at them, and just observe the beauty. Things in the night that might have been fearsome on another occasion were awesome in their beauty this night. We had only to stop and take the time to see what was actually in the darkness.

Secondly, December brings with it an annual major meteor shower. A few years back, Terry and I were eagerly anticipating the "show" only to be presented with rain and fog on the night of the "peak" showers, and it was all but impossible to observe anything at all of the meteor shower. I was quite disappointed when I went to bed, but the next night was clear, with lots of stars in the sky. On the way home from eating dinner, Terry and I went out to a road in our neighborhood that has no street lights, etc., and found a place to stop away from traffic. We watched and waited as our eyes adjusted to the darkness.

We were a bit too early for the meteors to be showing up, I suppose, 

but the night was gorgeous. We watched for awhile, and then left, thinking we might come back after midnight when they are supposed to be more active. Something to look forward to on a clear night at midnight?? On the way to the spot we had chosen to do our sky-watching and star-gazing, we saw a beautiful Stag Deer with a six-point rack of antlers cross the road in the headlights of the car. Here again was something beautiful to come out of the darkness of the night. Something unexpected, and to us, at least, something wonderful and awe-inspiring.

What other wonders await us in the midnight hour? During those times of darkness in our lives, what might be found in the midnight hour if we could but allow ourselves to tune in to it and to look for the beautiful that might be found?  

 

What might we find in those times when life is at its darkest if we can push ourselves to look the midnight square in the face and really find what's there?All they had to do to find that wondrous joy was to be willing to go looking for it. Isn't that all we have to do as well? Be willing to go look for the wondrous things that can come to bring light and life to us even in our darkness? Maybe even because of our darkness? 

 

What I have found in some of the experiences I have had the past few years, as I struggled with my health and had many of those midnight
hours is that the darkness may be exactly as it appears to be - - -
full of danger and reasons to fear it, but it may contain much 

more than that.

It is my job to look at what is actually there before I curse the darkness. Someone has said, you know, that "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." Maybe what I am saying is that I have learned to look for those candles that have been lit for me in my darkness before I curse that darkness. It's not possible to observe the beauty of a meteor shower in the daytime, and the deer and other creatures of God's kingdom don't as often come out in the daytime in the same way as they do at night. Some beauty may just possibly require the nighttime to display

itself in its best light.

Prayer - Our Father, we are reminded of the words of this hymn and others, including one great Southern Gospel hymn, written by Mosie Lister, She wrote, and we feel, "In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my eyes . . ." We hide, Father, from Thee and from the darkness of the midnight hours of our life. We pray that You will grant us greater understanding of the midnight, and teach us to look beyond the obvious, and the things that frighten us, for the blessings that may be there. We thank you for your love for us, and for your steadfastness to us in redeeming us and our darkness over and over again. Bless us so that we may in turn be a blessing to others in the name of the Light of the World, your Son, Jesus Christ, who came to bring everlasting Light into the darkness of our world, for we ask it in His holy name, believing that even as we ask, it has been accomplished. Amen ~

Activity ~ Call a nursing home and get the names of ten people who don't often get mail. Send each one a beautiful card, signed "From, Santa!"

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come to All of Us!

First Sunday in Advent  

"Waiting and Watching"

COLOR: Purple ~ CANDLE: The Candle of Hope

The candle we light today symbolizes Israel’s hope
for the coming of the Messiah,
and our hope as Christians for the coming again of
Christ in final victory.

Hymn of the Day -

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

"O Come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear."
"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel"


"O Come, O Come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things far and nigh.
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go."
"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."


"O Come, Thou Root of Jesse's tree, 
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call."
"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."


"O Come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight."
"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."


"O Come, Desire of Nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind.
From dust Thou brought us forth to life;
Deliver us from earthly strife."
"Rejoice! Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel." 
 (Public Domain) 

Lectionary Readings for the
First Sunday of Advent ~ Year A

Isaiah 2:1-5    Psalm 122    Romans 13:11-14    Matthew 24:36-44

Based on Luke 1:32-33

"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the highest;

and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,

and of His kingdom there will be no end."

~Meditation ~

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come to All of Us!"

When this hymn was published in 1851, it bore the name of John Mason Neale as the author, but the hymn was actually inspired by a Latin hymn of an anonymous writer.

The hymn was based on seven antiphons dating to the 9th century or even earlier. Antiphons are short verses, sung at vespers before and after the "Magnificat" - - - part of the Advent season (between December 16th and Christmas Eve).

The seven antiphons were called the "Great O’s" because each one began with an "O", and each one was an address to Christ with one of His titles from the Bible – Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, King, God with Us . . . Some of the verses were made into a hymn by an unknown writer around the 12th Century and John Mason Neale made the English paraphrase we find familiar today.

The Messiah’s coming (Advent) was prophesied to Jews who were held captive in Babylon some 600 or more years before His birth. Jews of that time faithfully believed that their Deliverer, their Messiah, would come to free them from slavery. Their hopes and celebrations centered around their great longing and expectations - - - echoes of their prayer for a Messiah to "ransom captive Israel."

This hymn tells us that Advent is a joyous season because it is the time when God draws near to everyone to deliver them from bondage with the coming of Emmanuel.

Bondage? Are we in bondage in this day and age? If so, to what? Bondage is a very strong word . . . it means things like "captivity" and "slavery" and "servitude" and "enslavement" . . . are we any of those things? I know that I am at times enslaved, and I don’t like it when it happens. People become enslaved by their jobs, by the lure of money and "things". They become captives to substances and lead miserable existences. Sometimes people are held captive through no fault of their own. The Israelites were being held captive by cruel slavedrivers. They longed for the promised Messiah, a Savior, to come to them and free them from those who held them captive.

Do we also "long" for the coming to us of the Savior? Do we seek out His presence, and LONG for Him to come to us again, as He has in the past, and afresh as we so desperately need?  Do we joyfully anticipate His arrival anew in our hearts and lives during Advent? How are we like the Israelites? How are we not like them at all?

Prayer ~ Gracious God and loving Father of us all, we pray for spirits of joyful anticipation during this Advent season as we wait for the coming anew in our midst of the divine Gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. We confess that we are far too often willing to be enslaved by the things of this world, and that we too often fail to live the abundant life You have promised to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and who follow His teachings. We thank you for providing our Messiah - - - our Savior - - - and the means of salvation from these sins. We praise your most holy Name and look with expectant and thoughtful hearts toward His coming again. Amen ~

Activity ~ Start reading a long book. Find a book, novel, etc., you’ve been wanting to read, the longer the book, the better the choice. Advent and Christmas are full of stress because there is so much we think we must do. One of the first things to "go" is personal time. Committing yourself to reading a good book during the season, a little bit each day, will insure you some personal private time each day in a sea of chaos.  Light a candle and sit quietly in a cnadlelit room with just enough light to see your book . . .

"I feel strongly that all the arts, and particularly music, should be used in the service of Him who has created and given them." Martin Luther

What are Christian Symbols?

Symbols and Symbolism

There is no other season of the calendar, or of the heart, that contains more symbolism than Christmas. Learning something about the symbolism of the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seems logical. Many of them have grown out of the same events we recall throughout the year. Church symbolism has a veritable wealth of depth and of rich meanings and moods.

 

What are symbols, anyway? How do we define the word "symbol"? A symbol is defined as a "character, sign, attribute, or emblem." It is something, as an object, that represents something else, something more than what is readily apparent.

 

We are speaking of much more than mere representational art, with which most of us are quite familiar! Symbolism is quite different. Representational art seeks to "show" or "depict" an animal, plant, person or object. The language of symbolism seeks to call to mind an entire thought, idea or concept which far exceeds the mere representation of the object on a given surface. For example: a symbol often used in the church is that of a woolly lamb. The intent of this symbol is to call to mind the Lamb of God, not a fuzzy barnyard creature. The use of a woolly lamb in this way demands a "distinct" picture for use as the symbol. This is why symbols are often "stylized", much like caricatures, always more like an artist's drawing than like a photograph.

 

The idea of the use of a symbol is to lead the person seeing the symbol away from the world of "senses" and into the world of thoughts, ideas, concepts, truths, etc., and the context from which is emanates. If, for example, a photograph of a woolly lamb was used in the church as a symbol, it might tend to lead us more to thoughts of the barnyard lamb or a pasture of lambs on the hillside or of pet animals. In context, this would be fine and an appropriate use. However, in the context of the church, the lamb is intended to lead through these things to a deeper thought or idea, in this case to the Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself on the cross for the sins of the world. When seen in this context, we begin to think of the Innocent Christ being sacrificed for our sake, victorious over sin and evil, over death and the grave.

 

Pushing forward in this same vein might bring to mind thoughts of the sheep and shepherds --- all we know about shepherds --- the stories, the songs, etc. It might bring to mind thoughts of Jesus as Lamb and as Shepherd.

 

Who knows what else might come to mind? This is one of the beauties of our minds - one example of how mind and memory work!! Maybe this is a place we can discuss this a bit in order to help us look for what we associate with things and how and when these associations are made.

 

In his landmark work, Vital Lies, Simple Truths, Daniel Goleman goes a long way toward helping us understand how memory works and how we remember what it is that we do remember. He talks about schemas and lacunas. A schema, simply stated, is a set of associations that we make about a given thing, and a lacuna is a gap or break in memory.

 

Examples of schemas we may have can be seen in a sort of exercise we can do with word associations. This begins with taking a word and listing in rapid-fire fashion all of the words that come to mind. You don't think about what you're writing, and when the words and phrases stop coming quickly and automatically, you quit listing and look at what you have written. If you have others making lists to the same word, it can be interesting to compare them. There will undoubtedly be similarities and differences. I may, for instance, immediately think of "angel" when you say "Christmas" to me, while someone else might say "Jesus", and someone else "Santa Claus", and someone else "December", etc. Try this sometime during the holidays - - - you might be really surprised to discover just what you pay particular attention to and just what it is that distracts you! There's a great board game that's based on this same premise - - - it is called "Scattergories", and it's one of my favorite games.

 

These associations all come out of our various experiences . . . seldom, if ever, will we all associate the same things to the same words or events even if we have the exact same experience. Symbols, when they are understood in the same way by those observing them, add appreciable depth and richness to worship.

 

The use of pictures to convey thoughts and ideas is not new although there are many new applications and a lot of renewed interest in symbolism, especially in the church. All of life is lived with symbols - - - think of all the places we see them, use them, need them and expect them. Someone has said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." We depend on symbols - on "picture words" - in many area of life. We encounter symbolism when we are out driving our cars (remember, for instance, the Scallop shell logo of the Shell Oil Company or the torch in the logo of the Amoco Oil Company?) - - - in the church - - - in our homes - - - in our relationships - - - in music, which is one of the most symbolic languages of all - - - in our work - - - in the shopping malls - - - in the language of computers (the whole operating system known as "Windows" relies on a symbolic language and uses "icons" to active entire computer programs in an instant) - - - in short, everywhere we go, in everything we do. The "Clip Art" industry, for instance, is a multi-billion dollar industry as people rush to buy tools to help them communicate with each other.

 

We depend on symbols in so many ways - - - for guidance when we are traveling, for instance - - - think about things like highway signs - "STOP", "YIELD" , a big white "H" on a blue background, a knife and fork to represent the presence of a restaurant; a tent to represent the provision of camping facilities; a bed to represent the availability of lodging facilities, a picture of a gas pump to indicate a filling station nearby; a wheelchair to set apart parking spaces for the handicapped! Think about what you feel when you see the interlocking circles that represent the Olympic Games! Think about what your wedding ring symbolizes!?

 

So, again the question - - - What is a symbol anyway? How and when does a picture change to a symbol? What has to happen? Who decides? What makes a symbol "work"? In the church we find symbols of preparation, symbols of expectation, symbols of celebration, symbols of revelation (Epiphany), symbols of the church and of the faith. What do the symbols we see say to us? What should an effective symbol do? These are but some of the questions we should ask ourselves about the symbols we use for worship. Also, are the symbols we use artistic? Do they have grace and beauty? What is the message that they speak to us? Do they enhance our worship? Are they appropriate for the season? Are they understood properly? Do the people who come in contact with them "know" the message that is being conveyed?

 

Two things must happen in order for symbols to "work" ...

 

Someone must construct and use a symbol, and there must be someone else to see and understand the meaning that is intended in the use of the symbol. When we see them in the church, there must be understanding of what is being said. There must be insight into the meaning or message of the symbols. We have to be able to "read" them.

 

`What are some of the symbols we see? How do we feel when we see one of them displayed? Do you know why we use a clam shell, or a butterfly, or a shepherd's staff, or a cross with a crown, or any of a myriad of things that we place on our banners and Chrismon trees, etc.? Why a cup and a bunch of grapes, a loaf of bread, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, a lion? Why a wounded lamb? A lion and a lamb together? A single candle in a candlestick? A seven-branched candelabra?

 

Do we know what the use of the Greek letters Chi and Rho signifies? The Christmas Rose? The five-pointed star? The fish? An anchor? A hand pointing downward? A descending dove? An eye in a triangle with a circle? A nimbus (halo)? A chalice and passion cross? A crowing cock? A peacock? A Phoenix? A nine-pointed star? A vine and branches? A rock? A harp or a lute? A lamp? Noah's ark with a rainbow? A dove with an olive branch. An open BIBLE? Interlocking rings?

 

Does where we see a particular display in any way effect how we feel upon seeing it? (I guess I'm thinking about the Anheuser Busch commercials which are so beautiful that they tend to make one forget that they are beer commercials. What do you remember about your childhood Christmases, or your "early-married" or about the Christmases when you were raising your own children, or about Christmas with a special pet, or about lonely Christmases, or about your "best" and "worst" Christmases? Are there any of these memories or experiences that come immediately to mind every time you see a particular thing or hear a particular song, etc.,? The symbolism of the season can serve as a reminder of all of these things if we are attuned to them. What do you remember about your faith when you see the symbols of Christmas?

 

Apparent everywhere are angels, stars, trees, lights, mistletoe, wreaths, poinsettias, holly, nuts, berries, red velvet bows, nativity scenes, candles, snowflakes, Santa Claus, evergreens, Chrismons in our churches, carols, bells, Luminarias, reindeer and so on and on the list goes! Why do we use the things we use as symbols of Christmas? How did ordinary objects come to hold so much meaning for us?

 

Years ago I bought a lighthouse ornament at a Christmas shop on Jekyll Island. I like lighthouses anyway, and am always looking for paintings, post cards, statues and anything else I can get my hands on, so, even though I didn't know what lighthouses and Christmas had in common, I bought the ornament. I have come to attach some deeper significance to the lighthouse as a symbol of Christmas.

 

The Bible is full of passages in which "light" occupies a significant place. In The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world, and that a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, that no one lights a light and puts it under a bushel, and to let our lights shine before men. We have heard the expression about lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. In another place Scripture tells us that the light has shone in the darkness and that the darkness could not comprehend the light.

 

Light --- starlight, candlelight, tree lights --- has played a highly significant part in the symbolism of Christmas. Just as lighthouses exist to save those who would found at sea and be lost, Jesus comes to us bringing light into our single, despairing lives and saves us who found on the sea of life and who would be lost were it not for His presence with us. What better symbols?

 

Wherever light penetrates the darkness, we are safer --- whether it be the light of a coastal house or the light from our headlights as we drive at night, or the light of a candle in our homes when the power supply is interrupted, or the light of knowledge that penetrates the darkness of ignorance.

 

Parables are some of the most powerful symbols we have in the church.. Jesus teaches us through the use of parables . . . stories that have a message that exceeds the obvious. A parable is a type of illustration, used to teach a greater truth. Aesop's Fables provide another example of great symbolism. Think about some of the Fables you know - - - "The Towne Mouse and the Country Mouse" - "The Lion and the Mouse" - "The Wolf and the Kid" - "Androcles" - "The Fox and the Grapes" - "The Ant and the Grasshopper" - "The Fox and the Cat" - "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" - "The Dog in the Manger" - "The Shepherd's Boy" - "The Goose With The Golden Eggs" - "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf'" - "The Miser and his Gold" - "The Hare and The Tortoise" - all of these and more!! Stories with a moral -- - stories with a lesson beyond the obvious!

 

Preachers use sermon illustrations throughout their preaching. It is always easier to illustrate a great truth with an example that is easily understood than with scholarly dissertation of great philosophical truth. Jesus used the concept liberally in describing the Kingdom of Heaven, beginning many, if not most, of His parables with "The Kingdom of Heaven is like ---". Further, Jesus' use of symbolism includes references to Himself as "the Good Shepherd", the "True Vine", "The Way, the Truth and the Life, "The Light of the World," and others.

 

Abraham Lincoln used a form of parable in his homespun stories and tales. He was a quiet man in most respects, but one who could really "spin a yarn", something he greatly enjoyed doing!!! His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was often embarrassed by his storytelling and obvious enjoyment of his own stories, but people listened to Lincoln, and they learned much from him. He was greatly admired for his wisdom, insight and humor.

 

The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer provide yet another excellent example of parables. They each represent greater truth and more important lessons than the "obvious", like the stories of Aseop which have definite "morals" and the parables of Jesus which have definite lessons.

 

In the days of Elizabeth and Cromwell there were people who objected to the use of symbols in the church. They equated them with "idols" and pagan traditions, and as a result of this, pipe organs, stained glass window, art objects, etc., were proudly destroyed in the name of ridding the church of these atrocities. It can, and perhaps should, be noted here that idols are NOT the same thing as symbols. An idol becomes an end in itself, rather than a representation of something greater. The danger disappears completely when the meaning of a symbol is understood by all concerned.

 

Knowing why we do what we do adds to the richness of the season. Christian symbols and Christmas symbols are simple but powerful reminders of a wonderful story of the precious gift of God's only Son to a hurting sinful world. Perhaps at no other season can we see a simple object and immediately recall the love, the mercy and the grace of a loving, nurturing Heavenly Father.

 

Some of the symbols to which we pay particular attention in our everyday lives are found in things like the handshake, nod, wave, smile, greeting card, flowers and other gifts we give to a friend. Our children in schools receive symbols on report cards in the form of grades that symbolize all that they have learned. In the business world, we recognize checks as symbolic of cash in our bank accounts, and we give credit cards as symbols of our ability to pay later for what we take home and use now!

 

Symbols have great value as far as educating and informing. These may, in fact, be the greatest possible uses of symbolism of all. Symbols also have great value to us in our spiritual and devotional lives, reminding us of our Christian faith, creating an atmosphere of worship and giving us visible ways to express our faith.

 

Have you ever taken the time to find out why we use the symbols we use and how they came to be? Perhaps this is the year to do just that! Use this Advent season to increase your awareness of why the things you find to be important symbols of Christmas for you, personally, are special to you and how they came to be used to represent Christmas.