Polmont Old
Parish Church - Scotland
Parish Church - Scotland
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 Welcome to Day 9 of our 2010 Advent Calendar - We hope you enjoy exploring the themes of Advent - guiding us each day towards Christmas and the excitement that it brings. I hope you enjoy the Calendar - there are some new things and some older items from previous years - I hope you enjoy Advent and Christmas  I is for Isaiah who told about the coming baby 700 years before it happened. I is for Immanuel - God with us. I is also for the Ivy plant that we use at Christmas. Our Advent Readings for the 9th Day  Luke Ch2 V8 to 14 and 25 to 38: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” - Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.Comment Here we find some other people, Simeon and Anna, both of them well on their journey of life and Faith. Both of them recognised the child as God's wonderful gift for humanity. I love the fact that Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed him. One of the great joys of being a minister is to officiate at the sacrament of Baptism, to welcome and name the new born child and to take the child in your arms and bless them and introduce them to the congregation. The beginning of the child's journey of Faith - a wonderful moment. The same can be said of this cameo in the Temple. Let us take this encounter in the Temple and use it as part of our journey of Faith this Advent.
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Today we are going to find out about the Ivy Plant. Ivy is symbolic in many ways with the festival of Christmas. It symbolizes three facts, it clings; it thrives in the shade; and it is an evergreen. Its clinging has made the ivy a traditional symbol of true love, faithfulness, and undying affection - both in marriage and in friendship. Christian symbolists consider the ivy's need to cling to a support emblematic of frail humanity's need for divine support. Ivy has to cling to something to support itself as it grows. This reminds us that we need to cling to God for support in our lives. Like most of the other evergreens, the ivy symbolizes eternity and resurrection. It has been associated with the Egyptian god, Osiris, and the Greco-Roman god, Attis; both of whom were supposedly resurrected from the dead. Noticing that ivy thrived on dead trees Medieval Christians, symbolizes it with the immortal soul, which lived even though the body decayed. In spite of its use as a symbol of immortality, ivy's association with the grave caused it to be strongly emblematic of mortality. At Christmas time in Germany, ivy is used only on the outside of the building, which represents mortality, because Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the giver of everlasting life and destroyer of death. According to legends in Northern Europe Christmas occurred during the middle of winter when ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter. In Church we often use the Ivy as well as Holy to create our Aadvent Wreathes and other decorations. In Victorian Times they used to make Ivy Garlands by sewing leaves on to long strips of Green Dyed material and these would be hung around the house at Christmas Time.
There is no name more significant than "Immanuel". This name, which Matthew refers to in his Gospel (Matthew 1:23), was first given to Jesus by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before His birth (Isaiah 7:14). And this very special Christmas name, as Matthew tells us, means "God with us." Jesus Christ is Immanuel, "God with us," "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us." Matthew Ch1 v22 & 23. NIV. Immanuel is the Hebrew spelling and Emmanual is a varient spelling meaning the same. 
