Mistletoe

Every day this year I have managed to take a photo that I have uploaded to this blog. During Advent I've been on the lookout for mistletoe to add to the series of images in December but it has proved extremely scarce this year. I did see some on Saturday and took a photo and the thought crossed my mind that I may have to cheat and upload a photo not actually taken on the day but fortunately there was a market today and the same stall was here again so I was able to get another photo:

It's a strange plant really being an evergreen semi-parasite and relying on the Mistle Thrush to sow its seed. The Druids believed it belonged to the sun god and their name for it meant "all healing" which was interpreted as bringing enemies together. In turn a kiss under the mistletoe became a kiss of peace. It is seldom used in church decorations but a Christian story relates that the mistletoe was once a tree from which the Cross on which Jesus was crucified was made. In shame it shrank and only continued to live as a parasite.

Joy

Following the candles of hope, peace and love lit on the previous three Sundays in Advent, the Candle of Joy became the fourth on this final Advent Sunday before Christmas. The candle also represents Mary the mother of Jesus. Since last week, the pulpit has been decorated ready for the Christmas services and a nativity scene erected which can be seen in the background of today's picture.

Candle Power

Although candles are now a feature of many different Christmas decorations including the Advent Ring or Wreath and of course the Christingle, they are another pagan symbol that has been adopted by the Christian religion. They were used in pre-Christian days to represent the light of the sun but after Simeon's words to Mary, the candle came to symbolize Christ's presence and have found a place in Christianity all through the year and not just at Christmas.

Holly

When we first moved into our house over forty years ago, there was an old wooden shed at the top of the garden that looked as though it had been built from disused orange boxes. Eventually we decided to buy a new shed thinking that we would only have to lean on the old one and it would fall down. How wrong we were but we did manage to dismantle and dispose of the old one. At the back of the shed we found a small holly sapling no bigger than a twig really but it had a good root system so we transplanted it to the other end of the garden. It thrived! Here is is now dwarfing another shed still going and growing strong. No wonder the carol "The Holly and the Ivy" says of all the trees in the wood the holly bears the crown.

In Christmas and Christianity terms, the white flowers, thorny leaves, red berries and bitter bark symbolise the life of Christ but before Christianity, bunches of holly were fastened to front doors to guard and keep out witches and evil spirits. Today holly wreathes on front doors are regarded more as  a sign of welcome to visitors than a deterrent.

Three For Love

On the third Sunday in Advent, another candle was lit on St Mary's Advent Wreath this morning. Following on from the candles of Hope and Peace, this was the Candle of Love to celebrate the love we have in Jesus Christ. It is also traditionally known as the candle for John the Baptist.

Bananas

There was a market in Ilkeston today but it was left to the traders to clear walkways through the snow so that it could take place. When we were in Nottingham earlier this week it was hard to tell that snow had fallen at all so it's a shame our councils whether county or borough didn't see fit to make Ilkeston's town centre a safer place for the population. It's well over a week since the first snowfall and although the main roads are clear the Market Place was still snow and ice covered which is a disgrace for the town centre. I bet a council worker was there today collecting the fees for the market stalls yet we are told that the local council are working hard with the traders to improve the markets. Maybe they studied at the University of Nick Clegg's Pledges! rake in the money but don't provide the service. Bananas!

One of the traders who was on site today was actually selling bananas which had been imported from Costa Rica. In the U.K. bananas aren't usually associated with Christmas but in another banana producing country, Uganda, it's a different story. In Uganda the birth of Jesus Christ or Sekukkulu is celebrated with a feast of chicken cooked in smoked banana leaves and serves with matoke which are steamed green bananas. Different countries, different traditions but all celebrating the same thing.

Number Two

Another week closer to Christmas Day and it was time to light the second candle on the Advent Wreath in St Mary's this morning. Following on from last week's Candle of Hope this is the Candle of Peace to celebrate the peace to be found in Jesus Christ.It is also the candle for the Old testament Prophets.

God Is Love

The Ilkeston Area Churches Together banner proclaimed "God Is Love" as the annual procession of Christian witness made its way through the streets of the town this morning despite the cold, the wind and the rain.

The event this year took the form of a silent procession with frequent stops for hymn singing and drama presentations that told the story of Jesus' last hours and attracted hundreds of followers. I felt sorry for the man portraying Jesus who, clad in little more than a loin cloth, stood in the inclement weather. God is love and he played his part for his love of God.

Palm Sunday

Like many other places Palm Sunday was celebrated in Ilkeston with church services and in the sunshine this morning the congregation at St Mary's began their service by holding their palm crosses aloft outside the entrance as a sign of Christian witness.

Magi

The feast of Epiphany is actually January 6th and celebrates the visit of the magi to the infant Jesus but I caught this image of the Three Kings after the morning service in St Mary's toady. Do you realise though that nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three of them or that they were kings?


January 6th of course is the twelfth day of Christmas and the famous carol about the twelve days has a hidden meaning for Christians:
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens reppresent faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds are the Gospels.
The five gold rings stand for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying represent the six days of creation.
The seven swans a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The eight maids a-milking are the Beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The ten lords a-leaping stand for the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven Apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming re[resent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.