The Cost of Grace
"212 degrees of Fidelity, Today and Beyond"
"212 degrees of Fidelity, Today and Beyond"
As I sat in church and listened to our Pastor Steve Brown during the Hanging of the Greens Celebration I looked at our Chrismon Tree I began to think how another tree would also be used in the life and celebration of Jesus Christ. Chrismons were first developed by Frances Kipps Spencer in 1957 of Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville Virginia. It was her desire to create appropriate decorations for the Christmas tree which would be placed in her church. She fashioned centuries old symbols into white and gold ornaments. This revelation quickly spread to other denominations and now 62 years later can be found in many houses of worship.
Hanging of the greens is a custom where people would bring green boughs and branches indoors to sustain their spirit during the dark days of winter without electricity. This custom carried through to the Christian Era. This became prevalent where homes, stores, and churches would accomplish much to decorate with evergreens. Remember the Church has always led the way in community, and not the reverse. Therefore, for centuries the church has led the way with the remembrance of Christ's incarnation through evergreens being placed during the Advent season. We the church prepare for the one who has come, whom we expect to come again, and who has come into our lives through grace, love and forgiveness of our sins when we excepted HIS call to follow him. Therefore we prepare our hearts, and churches so that all will see the Messiah has come. In the Hanging of the Greens we share with all Christians throughout the ages the memory and anticipation of Christ coming. We decorate our Chrismon trees with symbols of everlasting life, love, hope, peace, and joy so even our decorations proclaim Jesus is born!
Hanging of the greens is a custom where people would bring green boughs and branches indoors to sustain their spirit during the dark days of winter without electricity. This custom carried through to the Christian Era. This became prevalent where homes, stores, and churches would accomplish much to decorate with evergreens. Remember the Church has always led the way in community, and not the reverse. Therefore, for centuries the church has led the way with the remembrance of Christ's incarnation through evergreens being placed during the Advent season. We the church prepare for the one who has come, whom we expect to come again, and who has come into our lives through grace, love and forgiveness of our sins when we excepted HIS call to follow him. Therefore we prepare our hearts, and churches so that all will see the Messiah has come. In the Hanging of the Greens we share with all Christians throughout the ages the memory and anticipation of Christ coming. We decorate our Chrismon trees with symbols of everlasting life, love, hope, peace, and joy so even our decorations proclaim Jesus is born!
GOD is with us! Praise his name forever!
Masons are to be men of faith, never faltering in their devotion to GOD. Never conforming to a dark world, rather led by our GREAT LIGHT While I respect the faith my brothers have if it differs from Christianity, as a Christian I share my faith daily. Often I simply share a song, book or text which lifts my soul in hope it does the same to others. This is what I shared in a simple Chrismon ornament I made for our pastors of St. Mark, our bible study class and several friends. I placed three nails on an old weathered board and on the other side I placed a card containing what I penned entitled The Cost of Grace.
Masons are to be men of faith, never faltering in their devotion to GOD. Never conforming to a dark world, rather led by our GREAT LIGHT While I respect the faith my brothers have if it differs from Christianity, as a Christian I share my faith daily. Often I simply share a song, book or text which lifts my soul in hope it does the same to others. This is what I shared in a simple Chrismon ornament I made for our pastors of St. Mark, our bible study class and several friends. I placed three nails on an old weathered board and on the other side I placed a card containing what I penned entitled The Cost of Grace.
I hope placing the ornament on each tree as the first ornament would soon become a tradition for each family.
The Cost of Grace
Looking forward we celebrate the dawn as promised at Bethlehem. We hang our first ornament on our CHRISTmas tree. Looking back we realize from Bethlehem, to Egypt, to Nazareth, and then to Calvary three nails would soon be placed on another tree, this one not with ornaments and tinsel. This will be an old rugged cross draped with Our Savior. Six miles, yes a two hour walk from the humble stable where he was born up the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha; not in defeat for he freely offered his life. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5” Now the chasm is bridged by a crimson cross our debts paid as sin and death have been defeated. The cost of grace was paid not by three nails, rather One Empty Tomb.
Another object which reminds me of grace at Christmas is a song Where Shepherds Lately Knelt by Jaroslav J. Vajda.
1. Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel’s word,
I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred;
But there is room and welcome there for me,
But there is room and welcome there for me.
I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred;
But there is room and welcome there for me,
But there is room and welcome there for me.
2. In that unlikely place I find him as they said:
Sweet newborn Babe, now frail! And in a manger bed,
A still, small voice to cry one day for me,
A still, small voice to cry one day for me.
Sweet newborn Babe, now frail! And in a manger bed,
A still, small voice to cry one day for me,
A still, small voice to cry one day for me.
3. How should I not have known Isaiah would be there,
His prophecies fulfilled? With pounding heart I stare;
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me,
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me.
His prophecies fulfilled? With pounding heart I stare;
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me,
A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me.
4. Can I, will I forget how Love was born, and burned
Its way into my heart unasked, unforced, unearned,
To die, to live, and not alone for me,
To die, to live, and not alone for me?
The answer is no I cannot forget how love was born, suffered and died for my sins, and the good news is Jesus did the same for you. We are each on a journey, and life is short and full of twist and turns. While we may be able to fool others its only for a short time. We know ourselves and when we lay our head down each night only we will know if we acted upon the square with all humanity. This prompted me to think that we are all on our way somewhere and the challenge is to live each day accountable to GOD our father. With this in mind I picked up my pen and wrote the following poem. I hope indeed I pray you will find the place where there is room and welcome there in Jesus, after all we are all on our way somewhereIts way into my heart unasked, unforced, unearned,
To die, to live, and not alone for me,
To die, to live, and not alone for me?
On Our Way Somewhere
From the dawn of life we are on a journey, a destination for certain
What shall we each accomplish before the final curtain?
After all - everyone is on their way somewhere
In tender youth condemnation is certain - but grace will never die
Relinquish your firm grasp emptying yourself of all futile pride
After all - everyone is on their way somewhere
The time for committed – faithful - valiant men is at hand
Our best - our all - our devotion is what GOD demands
After all - everyone is on their way somewhere
When we arrive will it be a warm embrace or utter despair
Recalling each act done or undone in love - and gentleness we shared
After all - everyone is on their way somewhere
When evening falls waiting in the darkness will be a saint or fiend
The result from our youth what we embraced - nurtured and trained
Strangely it seems as if we just began this road of pitfalls everywhere
Peering back we see more clearly now his mercy - love and sheltered care
After all - everyone is on their way somewhere
Our ransomed soul for all eternity God’s amazing love now declares
For then we will greet ourselves this man we have prepared
Only to walk together - on our way somewhere
Soli Deo Gloria
Jay Adam Pearson
