Ship of Fools: Hanging of the green

Thread: Hanging of the green Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Circuit Rider (# 13088) on :

The first Sunday of Advent found many UMC joints around here observing the "Hanging of the Greens," a quaint little service of assigning meaning to the various elements of holiday decoration in the sanctuary, such as the Chrismons, wreaths, and the Chrismon tree itself. I guess this is alright, but the service has been traditionally conducted in an evening services before Advent actually begins.

This year a representative of our women's group came to me with a prepared service to be included in Sunday morning worship. Her rationale for including it on Sunday morning is that no one would come to it on Sunday night.

Then I discovered several other churches did the same thing. Some of them proudly posted on Facebook they capped it all off by singing "O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem." Is there no decency?

Since I am on the way out (praise the Lord!) I took off and went to an Episcopal chapel service where the liturgy of the First Sunday of Advent was kept in fine style. They had already decorated the worship space without having a church service to do so. I left my associate to deal with the service of blessing the Christmas decorations.

How do others handle decorating the worship space? Have hanging the green services or just do it? Do we need a liturgy to plug in the lights on the Christmas tree? Do we need a Christmas tree, even with Styrofoam and bead ornaments called Chrismons? And on the first Sunday of Advent? [brick wall]

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

This is so foreign to me that eventually (when you came to the Chrismons) I had to go off and google.
And there they were: http://www.umcs.org/chrismons/
My commiserations.

Posted by Arch Anglo Catholic (# 15181) on :

In my odd little part of the Church of England, it's Advent not Christmas so there are no flowers, no greenery (except around the around the Advent wreath with its candles). All is decked in penitential/preparatory Purple. There are no glorias, the tree is unlit and there will be no carols until Christmas Eve.

Our tradition is to build the an....ti....ci......pation for the great day itself and to prepare in prayer and reflection for the coming of Our Lord through consideration of the Four Last Things. It's quite nice to be out of step with the world, and to find an oasis of calm amidst the madness of the commercial high street.

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

I've seen a 'greening' service in a church before, but not Chrismons. In the service I was at the people brought in holly and decorated the screen with it and the advent wreath stand. The Christmas tree was brought in, but it was used as a Jesse tree that transformed to a Christmas tree on Christmas eve. It all looked a tad Lutheran to me, but I'm told it's associated with American thanksgiving???

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

I kind of sympathise at some of these manifestations of tweeness, but a bit of searching on the Web suggests that the 'Hanging of the Green' is often performed in churches which may not be marking the season in the ways commonly encountered by RCs or Anglicans. UMC and Baptist churches seem to be the most prominent (there is a Baptist service on YouTube if anyone cares to take a peek). I'd suggest that it is, at least, better than nothing, and in some cases I'm sure it is done in a very moving manner!

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Just so - not everyone has the benefit of belonging to the True Church!

I'll get me coat....

......but before I do, I'll just remark that we have our Christmas Tree up and running, but in the church porch. No greenery in church, except around the Advent wreath, but I expect the holly and the ivy will appear in time for Christmas Eve.

Ian J.

Posted by PataLeBon (# 5452) on :

Our church does a "hanging of the green" but it's not a service, but more of a "we need to get the church ready for Christmas". It happens after the last service on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, so it's a lot closer to Christmas.

Posted by Circuit Rider (# 13088) on :

Among American Methodists, particularly in my neck of the Southern woods, Advent is a confused season. To most Methodists Advent is "pre-Christmas" and the time, just like the culture around us, where we are actually celebrating Christmas up until the climax on Christmas day. Anticipation has given way to out-and-out revelry, and we have brought it to church.

I grew up in a Southern Baptist setting where Advent was never acknowledged. Becoming a Methodist and learning of the Christian year has been an eye-opening experience. I don't appreciate the way our culture has destroyed Christmas with overcommercialism, so the separation and the holding off has been a good discipline and deeply rewarding for me. But it is an uphill battle convincing Methodists to understand Advent, much less observe it. We want to Christmas all through Advent, and be done with it after Christmas Day. The twelve days of Christmas are a huge let down, and Epiphany goes unnoticed.

I am praying to be sent to an odd corner of Methodism where they are at least willing to listen and try to keep Advent and Christmas in their respective places. [Votive]

[ 04. December 2012, 13:10: Message edited by: Circuit Rider ]

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

I wasn't terribly gung-ho about it, either, but I didn't fight it because frankly it's not worth the effort. I found a decent explanation on the Interpreter Magazine website, along with a way to include it in our normal Sunday morning service, so I went ahead and did it. It was twee, but not revoltingly so.

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Arch Anglo Catholic:
In my odd little part of the Church of England, it's Advent not Christmas so there are no flowers, no greenery (except around the around the Advent wreath with its candles). All is decked in penitential/preparatory Purple. There are no glorias, the tree is unlit and there will be no carols until Christmas Eve.

Our tradition is to build the an....ti....ci......pation for the great day itself and to prepare in prayer and reflection for the coming of Our Lord through consideration of the Four Last Things. It's quite nice to be out of step with the world, and to find an oasis of calm amidst the madness of the commercial high street.

Same in my RC shack, except that there is not even a tree, undecorated or otherwise, until Christmas Eve.

Posted by Wm Dewy (# 16712) on :

As long as I can remember, we put out some Christmass decorations in the church after the latest mass on Advent Four. There usually isn't much going on in the church until Christmass Eve, so the greens and pointsetia don't get in the way of Advent. I know we plan this sort of "greening of the church" after the late service on December 23.

I was nonplussed to see purple flowers at the altar in my parish on Advent One. Change and decay in all around I see....

Posted by PD (# 12436) on :

This year putting the decorations up is likely to occur on Sunday the 23rd after services have finished for the day. It is usually Christmas Eve in the morning. They then stay up until the Octave of the Epiphany (13th January) with the Shepherds being swapped out for the Magi on Epiphany.

I wonder whether we will finally have a Christmas tree in the church this year. It always gets discussed but never happens. My preference would be for a pair either side of the altar, as that is about the only place to put one (or two) in our shack. One at the back is inevitably in the way of either the main door or the fire exit. By the side altar means the processional cross is homeless... you getta the picture?

PD

[ 04. December 2012, 16:27: Message edited by: PD ]

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

No service for the hanging of the greens at my place.

We have a "giving tree" in the back, where members pick up a paper ornament with a request for a present from a needy child, and bring it back before Christmas. In the past, it has been an evergreen, although this year it is a collection of sticks without leaves bunched together in floral foam to make something that looks like a tree.

At first, I thought they were just trying to be chic. But maybe they are trying to avoid the rushing of Christmas. I am just going to assume the latter and not ask.

Posted by Alogon (# 5513) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Circuit Rider:
How do others handle decorating the worship space? Have hanging the green services or just do it? Do we need a liturgy to plug in the lights on the Christmas tree? Do we need a Christmas tree, even with Styrofoam and bead ornaments called Chrismons? And on the first Sunday of Advent?

In my 20s, I played the organ for a large, prosperous Disciples of Christ church that made a big deal out of this observance. It always seemed like a preciously concocted pagan-pantheist excuse to join the shopping malls in celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving. The congregation's allergy to most of the rich devotional and liturgical practices of the church left them so starved for a sense of tradition as to seize upon junk food like this. So American middle class, the poor dears...

As to where I play and belong now, I suspect that the details of decorating the church for Christmas or other great occasions are a little like making sausages and laws... for those of us lucky enough to be spared the knowledge, the ignorance is bliss. We're just happy that it gets done, however unceremoniously. [Smile]

[ 04. December 2012, 17:08: Message edited by: Alogon ]

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

I am sure I have told this story before, but here it goes again. 'Tis the season...

I had a good friend in law school who was raised in a pentecostal church. His particular branch made a point of not celebrating Christmas for many years. The celebration wasn't in the bible, so they weren't going to do it.

Finally (it would have been about five or six years ago), his church decided that it couldn't ignore Christmas any more, and decided to have a service on Christmas eve. Jay (my friend) was picked to help with a skit, where he was going to play a delivery truck driver, going from house to house, dropping off presents and hearing from the people at each house a little bit more of the Christmas story.

When his Mom heard about the service, she was livid. My friend was able to convince her to attend solely because he was in the skit, but she made sure that everyone knew she was there under duress.

The point, I think, is that it is impossible to ignore Christmas any more,

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

(Sorry, I wasn't happy with where that was going, and must have accidentally posted while I was trying to navigate away. Perhaps my point was that while some of us see "junk food" eaten up by pitiable middle class Americans, we should be aware that in some traditions, this kind of service is revolutionary, and likely to piss off older members who defined themselves partially by their refusal to celebrate non Biblical holidays. In that case, you may have a church where it really is a longing for a spiritual response to the overwhelming presence of commercial Christmas, rather than something that you do to pander to the masses.)

Posted by Alogon (# 5513) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
you may have a church where it really is a longing for a spiritual response to the overwhelming presence of commercial Christmas, rather than something that you do to pander to the masses.)

Imagine how Jewish kids feel, with this glitter and brilliance all around them and they're expected to say bah, humbug. Hence the popularity of Hanukah as a substitute, which strictly speaking isn't a major occasion for the Jews. Our lot should be easy by comparison. All we need to do is recognize commercial abuse for what it is, resist jumping the gun, and wait patiently a little while to celebrate Christmas at the designated time. Until then, we have Advent-- four Sundays of preparation with some great themes, hymns, collects and colors, and customs in their own right. That's the spiritual "response"-- which historically was in place hundreds of years before the merchants tried to distract us from it.

Posted by cg (# 14332) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Arch Anglo Catholic:
In my odd little part of the Church of England, it's Advent not Christmas so there are no flowers, no greenery (except around the around the Advent wreath with its candles). All is decked in penitential/preparatory Purple. There are no glorias, the tree is unlit and there will be no carols until Christmas Eve.

Our tradition is to build the an....ti....ci......pation for the great day itself and to prepare in prayer and reflection for the coming of Our Lord through consideration of the Four Last Things. It's quite nice to be out of step with the world, and to find an oasis of calm amidst the madness of the commercial high street.

Even more out of step with the world if you are Orthodox on the old calendar, celebrating the Nativity of Christ (not Christmas) on the night of 6th/7th January, after a 5-week fasting period in preparation.

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

I could only wish we could get back to putting up a Christmas tree on Xmas eve.

It has been a tradition in my congregation to put up a tree by the first Sunday in Advent, but it remains dark until the second Sunday in Advent when the lights come on. The third Sunday in Advent we put on Chrismons although this year it is my understanding that the Worship Committee, looking deep within the bowels of our basement found some handcrafted ornaments which will be put up this year.

This has been the tradition of this congregation for at least the past 20 years that I have been here. It is too hard to change the course of this stream.

However, we are not singing any Christmas songs until the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

Posted by Siegfried (# 29) on :

Aside from the fact that you can't copyright a word, the whole Chrismon thing seems to be along the same road that leads to "Hallelujah Houses" on Halloween, and parents not giving presents on Christmas because that's not what Christmas is for.

Posted by georgiaboy (# 11294) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alogon:

quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
you may have a church where it really is a longing for a spiritual response to the overwhelming presence of commercial Christmas, rather than something that you do to pander to the masses.)
Imagine how Jewish kids feel, with this glitter and brilliance all around them and they're expected to say bah, humbug. Hence the popularity of Hanukah as a substitute, which strictly speaking isn't a major occasion for the Jews. Our lot should be easy by comparison. All we need to do is recognize commercial abuse for what it is, resist jumping the gun, and wait patiently a little while to celebrate Christmas at the designated time. Until then, we have Advent-- four Sundays of preparation with some great themes, hymns, collects and colors, and customs in their own right. That's the spiritual "response"-- which historically was in place hundreds of years before the merchants tried to distract us from it.

For a light-hearted musical restatement of this, see the attached. (Sorry it comes with a commercial!)
The Christmas Cancan

Posted by The Riv (# 3553) on :

Circut Rider, I'm afraid you are simply in the wrong denomination, which is difficult enough re: these kinds of things, but made all the more dim by your geographic location. Having once served in a Northern ECUSA parish before moving to a Deep Southern UMC church, I empathize and sympathise with you. Try to communicate to your people that Advent was once a penitential season of the church year...

Posted by Circuit Rider (# 13088) on :

quote:
Originally posted by The Riv:
Circut Rider, I'm afraid you are simply in the wrong denomination, which is difficult enough re: these kinds of things, but made all the more dim by your geographic location. Having once served in a Northern ECUSA parish before moving to a Deep Southern UMC church, I empathize and sympathise with you. Try to communicate to your people that Advent was once a penitential season of the church year...

I am beginning to think you are right. I am seriously rethinking everything. Being Anglo-Methodist in the deep South is a hard row to hoe.

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

Intriguinglyif I suggested any such thing at my very Presbyterian URC not only would the flower lady promptly resign but I would probably be charged with introducing popish ritual!

Jengie

Posted by The Riv (# 3553) on :

You say that as if it was a bad thing. Catholics are still Christians, right? [Help]

Posted by Sober Preacher's Kid (# 12699) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Circuit Rider:
Among American Methodists, particularly in my neck of the Southern woods, Advent is a confused season. To most Methodists Advent is "pre-Christmas" and the time, just like the culture around us, where we are actually celebrating Christmas up until the climax on Christmas day. Anticipation has given way to out-and-out revelry, and we have brought it to church.

I grew up in a Southern Baptist setting where Advent was never acknowledged. Becoming a Methodist and learning of the Christian year has been an eye-opening experience. I don't appreciate the way our culture has destroyed Christmas with overcommercialism, so the separation and the holding off has been a good discipline and deeply rewarding for me. But it is an uphill battle convincing Methodists to understand Advent, much less observe it. We want to Christmas all through Advent, and be done with it after Christmas Day. The twelve days of Christmas are a huge let down, and Epiphany goes unnoticed.

I am praying to be sent to an odd corner of Methodism where they are at least willing to listen and try to keep Advent and Christmas in their respective places.

The United Church of Canada's house rag,
The Observer, had a great article on this last year. Most UCCan ministers learn in Divinity School, if not before, that Advent is penitential. That's why the colour is purple (or blue). But the Advent selection of hymns in our hymn book are in general dreary, not great, or just ho-hum. It doesn't rival the proper Christmas music. A good-sized minority of ministers try to keep Christmas carols out of the service in Advent and try to explain things to their congregations, but it's an uphill battle. They always lose. The best that can ever be had is a draw.

Sometimes you just have to channel your inner Presbyterian and say that the people rule and the minister is that guy we suffer for a few years before he ships out.

On the subject of Anglo-Methodism, my congregation just did a sung communion service using the sung service settings provided in the 900's section of the hymn book. It's not often done anywhere but people liked it, it was different and it gets people out of the rut of their normal communion service and gets them to pay attention. We'll do it again.

Plus I did a children's lesson last year about the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany. One of the mothers (she has four kids) came up to me after the service and said that if her kids asked for twelve days of presents, she was sending them to my house. [Razz]

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :

quote:
Originally posted by The Riv:
You say that as if it was a bad thing. Catholics are still Christians, right?

Hang on I would not be too sure that my congregation connected popery with the Pope let alone being Roman Catholic.

Its just not the way PRESBYTERIANS do things.

Jengie

Posted by The Riv (# 3553) on :

I've always appreciated that 'discipleship' and 'discipline' were so closely related. For me, it's the journey, not the destination (please, no afterlife debates here). I once worked for an Episcopal priest who judiciously delayed any Christmas hymns/music until Advent IV, and even then, it was as small a hat tip as possible. He made up for this by adding an extra carol to the Christmastide services, and we sang fully and often during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. As a church musician I often hear that there aren't any, or enough 'good' Advent hymns. I agree with the latter, but not the former. There ARE good ones! People make the mistake of comparing them to Christmas carols, though, instead of Lenten hymns. I'm sure many folks would only sing Christmas and Easter hymns if left to their own devices! Both are loved for good reason! It takes a few seasons to get familiar with Adventen hymns, but they will take root. When the Rectorship changed, the new priest tried to inject more Christmas into Advent (diff thread), and the people became concerned! Some rejoiced, sure, but many in that parish had grown into a new appreciation of Advent, and I was glad to witness it.

Posted by seasick (# 48) on :

In Ecclesiantics we try to maintain an atmosphere of respect for the different traditions represented here. Various posts on this thread are getting a bit far over on the snarkometer.

In particular, comparing someone's worship practices to junk food is not helpful and the word "popish" should only be used with extreme caution.

Yours expectantly,

seasick, Eccles host

Posted by The Riv (# 3553) on :

I apologize if anything I've added here has caused any offense: sorry, Folks.

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