Jesse Tree

Jesse tree ornaments will be returned in January 2018.  Please ask Cathy for your decoration(s) if you have not received them back.

2017 Advent Reflections

for the Jesse Tree

November 27

“A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1

The first Jesse Tree symbol is a dove, reminding us of the peace and harmony of creation as God intended. You can read the full story of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1-10 and David in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Jesse is the father of David, beginning a line of descendents that will lead to Jesus, the Messiah.

November 28

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.”  Genesis 3:6‐7

The Jesse Tree symbol for this reading is an apple, representing original sin.  Christ is called the “second” or “new” Adam because he ushered in a new creation, forgiving sin and restoring humanity to God’s grace. The whole story of Adam and Eve can be found in Genesis 2:4‐3:24.

November 29

“Then God said to Noah: ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your

sons’ wives with you.  Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and  animals and very  creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” Genesis 8:15‐17

The Jesse Tree symbol of the ark reminds us that although God was displeased with the wickedness of the men and women he had created, he also sees the best in us and renews his covenant with us through forgiveness and mercy.  You can read the full story of Noah and the ark in Genesis 6:11‐22, 7:1‐8:22.

November 30

“He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.  Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.”  Genesis 15: 5‐6

The symbol for today’s reading is a field of stars, representing God’s promise to Abraham, the father of our faith, whose descendants became the chosen people of God. You can learn more about Abraham’s great faith in God in Genesis 12:1‐7 and 15:1‐6.

December 1

“But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said ‘Abraham, Abraham!’  And he said ‘Here I am.’  He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only on, from me.’” Genesis 22: 11‐12

The ram depicted on today’s ornament is the sacrifice God provided Abraham when he saw Abraham was willing to give up his only son, if that is what God required of him. Read about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:1‐19.

December 2

“And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And the Lord stood beside him and said, Ï am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.  Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Genesis 28: 12‐15

After his dream, Jacob awoke and exclaimed, “Truly, the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it!” The miraculous ladder in his dream reunited the earth to the divine. You can read the dramatic story of Jacob’s life and faith in Genesis 27:41‐28:22.

December 3

During the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.  He gathered up all the food of the seven years when there was plenty in the land of Egypt, and stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it.  So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance-like the sand of the sea-that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.

Genesis 41: 47‐49

Today’s symbol is a sack of grain. Joseph, the son of Jacob, is cast out by his brothers. But through his faith in God’s providence, he has enough food to feed all who are hungry in times of famine, with sacks of grain bursting at the seams. Read the story of Joseph’s life in Genesis Chapters 37 to 50.

December 4

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.  God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’  Then he said, ‘Come no closer!  Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.   Then  the Lord said,…‘So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:2‐10

Moses, raised as an Egyptian by the pharaoh’s daughter, is witness to God’s word when an angel appears to him as a burning bush, depicted in today’s symbol, and instructs him to lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land.  Read Moses’ story in Exodus 2:1‐4:20.

December 5

“This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly.  It is the Passover of the Lord.” Exodus 12: 11

Today’s ornament has a lamb on it. God instructs Moses and Aaron to slaughter a year‐old male lamb for each member of Israel, smearing the blood to mark every doorpost, thus beginning the tradition of Passover and marking the exodus of the Israelites out of slavery. You can read the whole Passover story in Exodus 12:1‐14:31.

December 6  (Feast of St. Nicholas)

“The Lord said to Moses: Thus you shall say to the Israelites: “You have seen for yourselves that I spoke with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.’”  Exodus 20: 22‐23

God delivered the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai and Moses brought the resulting tablets—and the commandments—back to his people. The ornament depicts the tablets on which the commandments were written. You will find the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments in Exodus 19:1‐20:26.

December 7

“As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it..”  Joshua 6:20

Today we hang a trumpet on the Jesse Tree. According to God’s instructions to Joshua, the walls around the besieged city of Jericho crumbled at the trumpets of ram horns blown by holy men and the spoils were left for the Israelites. Read the story of Joshua and the fall of Jericho in Joshua 1:1‐11, 6:1‐20.

December 8  (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

“So the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, Á sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ Every man stood in his place all around the camp, and all the men in camp ran; they cried out and fled.”  Judges 7: 20‐21

God chose to reveal his power to Gideon, who came from a poor family, by letting his army of 300 men defeat more than 100,000 at Midian. Gideon followed the Lord’s instruction to have his men approach the town with their torches hidden under pitchers. The people of Midian were so startled when the pitchers were broken and the soldiers made themselves known, that many began fighting among themselves. The pitcher ornament reminds us of how Gideon became an unlikely leader and judge, helping his people cast aside false gods and obey God’s true laws. Read Judges 7 for more details.

December 9

“As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.” 1 Samuel 3:19

Samuel, son of Eli, was repeatedly called by God. When at last he recognized the Lord’s call, he adhered to it without fail, and proclaimed the coming of Christ the King who would have dominion over all earthly kings. The symbol of the Jesse Tree to illustrate Samuel’s story is a crown. Read about Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1‐21, 7:1‐8:22, 9:15‐10:9.

December 10

“Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’…He sent and brought him in.  Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.  The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one!’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and  anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David.”

1 Samuel 16: 11‐13

David was first a shepherd of livestock, but when God called him to lead the nation of Israel, he became a shepherd of people to help them become what God wanted them to be. The shepherd’s crook on today’s ornament symbolizes Jesus as the Good Shepherd who will lay down his life for others.  Read 1 Samuel 16, 17 and 2 Samuel 7:1‐17.

December 11

“At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me so  that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God,  and that you have turned their hearts back.’  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench.  When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.’”  1 Kings 18:36‐39

The prophet Elijah is called by God to dispel the myths of false gods increasingly worshipped by the people. On today’s ornament we see a representation of the stone altar Elijah built, consecrated by the Lord with fire, showing people the true light of God. To read the full story, turn to 1 Kings 17:1‐16, 18:17‐46.

December 12  (Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

“’For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ That very night the angel of the Lord set out and struck down one hundred and eighty‐five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians.”  2 Kings 19:34‐35

King Hezekiah put his trust in the Lord. Through his faithfulness his people were saved and his enemies destroyed, leaving their tents—like the one on today’s ornament—empty on the battlefield. The story of Hezekiah can be found in 2 Kings 18:1‐18; 19:32‐37.

December 13

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

The prophet Isaiah is called to holiness, but fears he is not worthy of revealing the living God. Isaiah sees angels around the throne of the Lord and one of them takes a hot ember—like the one on today’s ornament—from a fire with tongs and touches it against Isaiah’s lips. He is able to go forth, forgiven of his sins, to deliver the Word of God. Read about Isaiah and some of his

prophesies about the Messiah in Isaiah 1:10‐20; 6:1‐13, 9:1‐7.

December 14

“‘Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!’” Jeremiah 8:23

The Lord speaks to Jeremiah while he is in exile, describing his grief as an endless fountain of tears regarding the return of his people to worshiping idols. Read more about Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:4‐10, 2:4‐13, 7:1‐15 and 8:22‐9:1‐11.

December 15

“I will stand at my watch-post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.” Habakkuk 2:1

The ornament today shows a watchtower, reminding us that the prophet Habakkuk stood upon an allegorical watchtower, waiting for the anointed one the Lord would send to end violence and wickedness. Find details that help us understand the church’s desire for us to experience waiting during Advent in Habakkuk 1:1‐2:1; 3:16‐19.

December 16

“Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.’”  Nehemiah 1: 8‐9

The prophet Nehemiah urges the chosen people to change their ways and return to the true faith. On the ornament for today, we see a wall reminding us of the wall that was rebuilt around Jerusalem in order to keep the Sabbath Day a holy day of rest. Read more about it in Nehemiah 1:1‐2:8; 6:15‐16; 13:10‐22.

December 17

“John answered them all saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16

John the Baptist proclaims the coming of a new savior and renewed life for all through the repentance of sins. The ornament today features a scallop shell, a traditional symbol of baptism in addition to pilgrimages and spreading the word of the Gospel. Read more about John the

Baptist in Luke 1:57‐80, 3:1‐20; 7:18‐30.

December 18

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son; and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1: 30‐33

The angel Gabriel tells Mary she will be the handmaiden of the Lord, mother of our savior, Jesus. The white lily on today’s ornament symbolizes new life and resurrection—hope for the future. Read about Gabriel’s visit with Mary and her response in the Gospel of Luke 1:26‐38.

December 19

“And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’”Luke 1:41‐42

Mary travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who has conceived a child in old age through a miracle. The child in her womb, John the Baptist, leaps with joy when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, arrives. Our ornament today celebrates the motherhood shared by these women. The story can be found in Luke 1:39‐56.

December 20

“His name is John.” Luke 1: 63

When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, family and friends expected him to be named after his father, Zechariah. But Zechariah, unable to speak, wrote on a tablet, as seen on today’s ornament, that the child should be named John.  Because of his obedience, Zechariah regained his voice, and proclaimed anticipation of the coming of the Lord. You can read the whole story in Luke  1:57‐80.

December 21

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the “Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1: 20‐22

Joseph trusted God that Mary had conceived a child through the Holy Spirit and would bear the Savior who would bring salvation to all. The carpenter’s hammer on today’s ornament represents Joseph’s profession and his unique role in the story of our salvation. Read more in Matthew 1:19‐25.

December 22

“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” Matthew 2:2

The three magi look for Jesus, guided by the light of a star, shining brightly above his birthplace. They prostrate themselves before the manger and do not turn the child and his parents over to King Herod. The white candle on today’s ornament symbolizes Christ; the glow recalls the halo of light signifying divinity and power. You will find the story in Matthew 2:1‐12.

December 23

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you;  you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’” Luke 2: 10‐12

Christ Jesus is born and laid in a lowly manger, depicted on our ornament today. Shepherds are instructed by angels to witness the miracle of this child’s birth, to show homage and spread the good news. Read the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1‐15.

December 24

“And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34

Merry Christmas! The apostle John bears witness to the coming of the Light of the World, the only Son of God, briefly retelling some of the history we have learned through the Jesse Tree. The Chi‐Rho monogram is a combination of the first two letters for the Greek word of Christos, Christ. The introduction of St. John’s Gospel, verses 1‐34, will take you through John’s testimony.