At the church where I grew up, we had a number of traditions to help us celebrate the Advent season. One tradition was the “Hanging of the Greens” service, held early every December. This Sunday evening service featured a number of Christmas musical presentations on the night when we decorated the church for the holiday. Our church was really blessed by a Music Director (Lauren and his wife Juanita) who did a fantastic job leading the choir and musicians for this special night.
On this night each year, Lauren would make the same joke . . . and it would make me laugh every time. Lauren would make sure we understood the true meaning of the name of that service. “Hanging of the Greens” referred to the placement of the holly, not an execution of the Music Leader – Lauren GREENE and his wife Juanita (the featured vocalist). Worship wars are real inside churches (i.e. “sing more hymns” vs. “sing more current songs”) but at Christmas time it was “Peace on earth” and goodwill toward the greens AND the GREENES!
While no one at East Cross United Methodist Church ever REALLY made that mistake, it was funny to joke about. In church circles, we do use a lot of jargon and terminology that can be misunderstood. Take the word “Christ” for example. What does it mean? Is it Jesus last name? Is it something else? Does it matter?
Well, it does matter what that word means, and at CHRIST-mas time, it is especially important for us to know its definition. This Sunday at Wildwood, we will be continuing our “The Christmas Carols” series by looking at the song “What Child is This?” This song asks a question and provides an answer.
Q: What child is this?
A: This, this is CHRIST the King!
So, what is the “Christ” that this song sings about? Sunday, December 16 we will see. Hint – it is NOT Jesus’ last name, but a title full of rich significance. Join us as we look at that together this Sunday in our 9:45 and 11:00 services. Also, make sure you stay to the end of the services, as our worship team will be performing their special rendition of “Carol of the Bells” this weekend. Make plans to be with us Sunday . . . and bring your friends!