Enlightened by Joy - Luke 2:8-11

The Advent Wreath is a reclamation of God’s creation from pagan ritual by transforming it into a story of living symbols through the truth of Scripture. The circular shape of the wreath symbolizes the victory of Christ over death in the past, his victory in empowering us to overcome spiritual death now, and the victory over death in the eschaton (the coming age). This third week of advent we will study how the overlay of the evergreen, the meaning of the thorns and berries, and the place of the pine-cones point to the resulting joy from God’s manifold blessings of salvation.