With just 53 days to go to Christmas Day, this is a final repeat (in 2025) of an invitation to turn a church or chapel Christmas Tree into a vibrant narrative of the Nativity.
Here’s what to do.
First, invite all local craftspeople to make angels which will feature on your tree. These will hang just below a star topped tree - for about one third of the tree’s height.
Cover the centre-third with some of those lovely Palestinian Olive-wood tree hangings. I hope you are beginning to get the picture.
On the bottom third, place hangings of Christmas ‘CLIMERICKS’. These are an idea you will find on my companion blogspot, Eco-verses. You will find lots of these at http://eco-verses.blogspot.com/
Put any you find particularly meaningful in a Christmas border -several can be found on the web, so they look something like this
This bottom third of the tree represents our responsibility for the beautiful planet given to us by the `Creator God, Father of the child whose birth we celebrate with the NATIVITY TREE.
TO recap
FROM EYE LEVEL to about 1metre off the ground, put Palestinian Olive wood tree hangings, thus vividly recalling the very land where Christ was born
BOTTOM QUARTER OF TREE - hang CLIMERICKS speaking of our responsibility for Climate Justice and Stewardship.
In the diagram, there is a further option
AROUND THE TREE - CLIMCUBES (See the same Eco-verses site) to be given away at maybe an Epiphany service - symbolic of our sending Christ’s message of stewardship, and love for our planet, where he lived, further into our communities.
So the prettified church Christmas Tree (not the tree in your home - those are often part of family history) becomes a NATIVITY TREE - a multi-faceted symbol of HOPE and OUTREACH: a glorious transformation.
Please pass this idea on far and wide if you think it has merit
