Sing Christmas Dec 7

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:

O, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom,
White as the lily flow'r,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet Saviour:

The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To do poor sinners good:

The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas Day in the morn:

The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all:

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:

Traditional

Holly and ivy have been used in Christmas decorations for centuries, along with other evergreen plants like rosemary, bay and mistletoe. They would be brought into the house on Christmas Eve (any earlier was thought to be unlucky) and left there either till Twelfth Night (Jan 5) or, in earlier traditions, Candlemas (Feb 2). Robert Herrick’s poem from 1648, which starts “Down with the holly, ivie, all,/ Wherewith ye drest the Christmas hall.” is titled “Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve”.

Evergreens provided welcome colour in the gloom of winter, and gave reassurance that life had not been entirely extinguished by the cold. For that reason, they spoke to people of the everlasting love of God, which was with them in the wintry seasons of life just as much as in the summer.

·         Do you decorate your house for Christmas? What do the decorations you use mean to you? Do some of them hold special memories?

·         Go outside and look around you. What signs of life can you see in nature? What are the special joys of the winter landscape for you?

·         Think of a “wintry season” in your life. What brought you comfort and reassurance at that time? Were you aware of God with you then, or did he seem completely absent?

Bible Reading: St Paul said: “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8.38