Chrismon Brochure 2015 - Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Atlanta GA

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer 1

Atlanta, Georgia www.redeemer.org

CHRISMONS What are Chrismons and what do they mean?

Chrismons are symbols of our faith, a combination of two words, CHRIST and Monogram, meaning a monogram of Christ.

Where did they originate?

Chrismons were first used in 1957 to decorate a Christmas tree in the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Danville, Virginia. Ascension graciously shared their patterns with the WELCA Redeemer circle who presented the first chrismon tree in 1966.

In 1999-2000 Betty Davis, Ann Martin, Elisabeth Bryant, Helen Streunsee and Frances Huss organized the Chrismon Guild to replenish the aging Chrismons.

They assembled “kits� and offered them to anyone in the congregation! Thanks to many busy hands, we now treasure more than 200 beautifully crafted symbols of our faith that enhance our nave trees during Advent through Christmas.

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The evergreen tree represent eternal life, the lights, added in 1991, remind us of Jesus- the light of the world, and provide a background for the basic gold and white Chrismons. The traditional liturgical colors of gold and white symbolize the glory and the majesty of God (gold) and the white - the innocence, purity and perfection of our Savior.

O Come,

O Come, Emmanuel!

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Chi Rho: The first two letters of the Greek word for Christ.

Owl: The symbol of wisdom.

The Celtic Cross: The circle at the top of the cross represents “eternal life.”

The Shepherd’s Crook: The symbol for Christ the Good Shepherd.

The Manger: The symbol for the birth of Christ.

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Apple: The Forbidden fruit symbolizing sin.

The association between 'apple' and 'sin' possibly derives from the similarity of two Latin words malum and malus meaning “apple” and “sin” respectively.

The Living Cross: A symbol of Resurrection and new life.

Coptic Cross: It is shaped like the letter T surmounted by an oval or circle. Originally theEgyptian symbol for "life", it was adopted by the Copts. (Egyptian Christians)

The Fleur-De-Lis: The conventionalized form of the lily, the flower of the virgin Mary, and the symbol of the annunciation of Jesus.

The Standing Lamb: The symbol of Jesus Christ. (John 1:29) “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

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The Angel of God: Many kinds of messengers who announced Christ’s birth and resurrection.

Dove: The symbol of the Holy Spirit and used especially in representations of our Lord's Baptism and the Pentecost. It also symbolizes the release of the soul in death, and is used to recall Noah's dove, a harbinger of hope.

Fish: Ichthus (ikh-thoos) the Greek word simply meaning “fish”. The Greek spelling for ichthus is -- Iota,Chi, Theta, Upsilon, and Sigma. The English translation is IXOYE. The five Greek letters stand for the words meaning, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

The Tau Cross : A simple cross formed by the Greek Letter “Tau”. It is the most ancient of the forms of crosses. It was the traditional sign made by the Israelites on the door posts of Egypt on the night of the Passover.

The Three Circles : Intertwining circles symbolize the eternal quality of the Trinity since the circle has no apparent beginning or ending. The circles represent Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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Alpha and Omega: Symbolizes the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. God is the “beginning and the end�.

Dove and Shell: Symbols of Baptism.

The Maltese Cross: Formed of four spearheads with points touching at the center. The eight points symbolize the Beatitudes. The cross is the emblem of St. John the Baptist.

The Christmas Rose: A symbol of the Nativity and of Messianic prophecy.

The Harp: A symbol for joy and praise.

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Bells : Used for a variety of purposes- to celebrate, to call to worship, and to honor life events .

The Crown: Symbolizes the kingship of Christ and His victory over sin and death — “The King of Kings:, the “king of Glory”, “The King Eternal”. It also symbolizes the reward of the faithful.

IHS: The first three letters of Jesus in Greek.

The Pelican : An exclusive Christian symbol that denotes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is representative of atonement and redemption. The pelican is said to pierce its breast to feed its young ones.

The Shell with Drops of Water: Represents Baptism. The drops represent father, son and holy spirit.

The Peacock: A symbol of immortality and resurrection.

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The Latin Cross with Fish: These symbols are the Latin Cross which is believed to be the type used for crucifixion and the Fish, symbol used by Christians.

The Descending Dove: Symbol of the Holy Spirit and the Baptism of Christ.

The Torch: Symbolizes the truth of the Gospel carried into all the world.

The Passion Cross: The points of this cross remind us of our Lord’s suffering.

The Latin Cross: This cross is believed to be the style of the cross used for Crucifixion.

The Sun of Righteousness: The circle of eternity with flames shooting in every direction.

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The Sacrificial Lamb: The scriptural symbol for Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

The Five-Pointed Star: The great symbol of the Epiphany; the star that led the three wise men to the nativity.

The Dogwood: The Center is symbolic for the crown of thorns and the reddish tips of the flower petals Christ’s wounds.

The Poinsettia: The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem,and the red color represents the sacrifice of Jesus.

The Christian Flag: Symbol for Christianity. The red cross is the Jerusalem cross and red for Christ’s sacrifice.

The Victorious Lamb: Represents Christ’s victory over

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The Trinity: Triangle representing Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Iota Chi: The first letter of the Greek word for Jesus and the first letter of the word for Christ.

The Greek Cross: It is a very early form of Christian cross and the circle denoting eternity.

The Ten Commandments: The laws given to Moses for the people of Israel.

The Bible: God’s Holy Word.

The Cross with Orb: Symbolizes Christ's dominion over the world.

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The Ship: This symbolizes the Church. The main part ,the nave, is called “skibet”, Danish for ship.

The Tau with Serpent: This refers to John 3:14, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so

The Hand of God: pointing down stands for God the Father and is called the creative hand of God.

Maltese Cross : Is a symbol within a symbol in that it is made of the initial letters of the Greek words for, "Jesus Christ, God, Son, Savior."

The Christmas Rose: Symbolizes the Nativity of our Lord.

Eight Pointed Star: Symbolizes Regeneration. The number eight is traditionally associated with the baptism.

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The Chalice : Used to symbolize the Passion of Christ and the sacrament of the altar.

The Butterfly: It symbolizes the resurrection and life everlasting for the believer.

The Burning Heart: Symbolic of Christ’s love for humanity and our love and devotion to Christ.

The Jerusalem Cross :Symbol of unity of all Christians.

The Candle: “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven”.

The Messenger Angel: According to religious tradition, angels live in heaven and act as God’s servants and as messengers between God and human beings.

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Chariot of Fire: The fiery chariot calls to memory how the prophet Elijah was carried into heaven.

The Calvary Cross: This is the Latin cross standing on the three steps which represent Faith, Hope, and Love.

The Greek Cross: The trefoil ends are symbolic of the holy trinity.

The Holly Leaf: The prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified.

The berries are the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus.

The Dogwood: The Center is said to stand for the crown of thorns and the reddish tips of the flower petals Christ’s wounds.

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Cover Photo: The parament featured is used on our lectern. It includes the Jerusalem Cross, Alpha and Omega, the Lamp and the Iota Chi, as the handle of the Lamp. The blue brocade fabric is the Tudor Rose pattern.

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731 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308 (404) 874-8664 www.redeemer.org

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