Articles - Miscellaneous
The Jesse Tree Week 1
The Jesse Tree has been a feature of our Advent
observance for the past few years at St. Edmund's. The Jesse Tree takes
its name from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump
of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." The tree is a way of telling
the story of God in the Old Testament, and of connecting Advent with the
faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. The branch, the first
symbol on the tree, is a biblical sign of newness out of discouragement,
which became a way to talk about the expected Messiah. It is therefore an
appropriate symbol of Jesus Christ, God's anointed one, who is the revelation
of God's grace and faithfulness. Each day in Advent a symbol will be added
to our Jesse Tree that represents an aspect of God's faithfulness. These
will be listed each week, with their biblical references.
Week 1
| Day |
Person/Theme |
Symbol |
| Sunday |
The Jesse Tree |
stump & branch |
| Monday |
God/creation |
sun & moon |
| Tuesday |
Adam & Eve/first sin |
apple & snake |
| Wednesday |
Noah/flood |
ark & rainbow |
| Thursday |
Abraham/God's promise |
tent & camel |
| Friday |
Isaac/sacrifice of Isaac |
ram |
| Saturday |
Jacob/assurance of promise |
ladder |
Biblical References
Sunday - Isaiah 11. 1-10
Monday - Genesis 1.1 - 2.3
Tuesday - Genesis 2.4 - 3.24
Wednesday - Genesis 6-8
Thursday - Genesis 12. 1-7
Friday - Genesis 22. 1-9
Saturday - Genesis 27.41 - 28.22
The Jesse Tree Week 2
The Jesse Tree takes its name from Isaiah 11:1: "A
shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his
roots." The tree is a way of telling the story of God in the Old Testament,
and of connecting Advent with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years
of history. The first symbol this second week is the star of David, a reminder
of God's people Israel and of his faithfulness to them. The symbols for
the rest of the week remind us of some of the key figures in the Old Testament
who responded to God's call. The fact that there is something morally ambiguous
about the behaviour of all of them should be a source of encouragement to
God's people today as we struggle to be faithful to our own calling.
Week 2
| Day |
Person/Theme |
Symbol |
| Sunday |
God's people |
star of David |
| Monday |
Joseph |
coat of many colours |
| Tuesday |
Moses |
10 commandments |
| Wednesday |
Ruth |
sheaf of corn |
| Thursday |
Samuel |
horn of oil |
| Friday |
David |
crown |
| Saturday |
Solomon |
Jerusalem temple |
Biblical References
Sunday - Genesis 35. 9-15
Monday - Genesis 37. 1-4
Tuesday - Exodus 20. 1-17
Wednesday - Ruth 1. 15-18
Thursday - 1 Samuel 16. 1-13
Friday - 2 Samuel 5. 1-5
Saturday - 1 Kings 3. 3-14
The Jesse Tree Week 3
The Jesse Tree takes its name from Isaiah 11:1: "A
shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his
roots." The tree is a way of telling the story of God in the Old Testament,
and of connecting Advent with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years
of history. The first symbol of this third week, a candle and a rose, reminds
us of the role of prophecy in the Old Testament: the prophets brought the
light of God's word to the people (the candle) and, so Christians understand,
pointed towards Jesus Christ (whose birth is represented by a rose). We
then meet some of the prophets in the Old Testament, whose symbols are drawn
from the biblical texts referenced below, before encountering Nehemiah,
one of the key figures in the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile, and
Zechariah and Elizabeth whose son, John the Baptist, was the forerunner
of Jesus Christ and has the characteristics of an OT prophet.
Week 3
| Day |
Person/Theme |
Symbol |
| Sunday |
Prophecy |
candle and rose |
| Monday |
Elijah |
burning altar |
| Tuesday |
Isaiah |
hammer and sword |
| Wednesday |
Jeremiah |
heart and word |
| Thursday |
Daniel |
lion |
| Friday |
Nehemiah |
trowel and spear |
| Saturday |
Zechariah & Elizabeth |
praying hands |
Biblical References
Sunday Isaiah 42. 5-9
Monday 1 Kings 18
Tuesday Isaiah 2.4
Wednesday Jeremiah 31. 31-4
Thursday Daniel 6
Friday Nehemiah 4. 15-23
Saturday Luke 1. 5-17
The Jesse Tree Week 4
The Jesse Tree takes its name from Isaiah 11:1: "A
shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his
roots." Until this point in Advent the symbols on the tree have concentrated
on demonstrating the faithfulness of God to his people throughout the Old
Testament. In this final week of Advent we move to the world of the Gospels
as the Christmas story begins to unfold and we prepare for the coming of
the Christ-child in Bethlehem. This story, of course, is much more familiar
to most Christians than much of the Old Testament; but it is important that
we should see the birth of Christ as fully integrated into the wider story
of God's relationship with his people that we have been reflecting on through
the Old Testament texts. Important, too, that we should see ourselves as
part of that continuing story, as leaves on a still-growing Jesse Tree if
you like.
Week 4
| Day |
Person/Theme |
Symbol |
| Sunday |
Mary |
Lily |
| Monday |
Joseph |
carpenter's tools |
| Tuesday |
John the Baptist |
baptismal shell |
| Wednesday |
Angel |
-- |
| Thursday |
Shepherds |
sandals/crook |
| Friday |
Bethlehem |
star |
| Saturday |
Manger |
-- |
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©
St Edmund's Church, Roundhay - Charity Number 1131904
|
15 December, 2005
