ADVENT COUNTDOWN 20

Hush — listen! If you look close with me

I'll show you this magical Christmas tree —

This tree of God, with its branches wide,

The flame for the angels at Christmastide.

Oh, its great, wide branches are powdered white

With silver dust from the stars at night —

Branches laden with wealth untold —

Wreaths and ribbons and ropes of gold!

Chain on chain of luminous things —

Suns and satellites — moons and rings —

Hung high up where the angels are —

Can you trace the branches from star to star?

And look — hung low for our mortal sight,

A luminous globe of silver white!

And yonder — sheer in the frosty air —

A dipper of diamonds dazzling fair!

Oh, if you and I could look and see,

With souls bared clear to its mystery —

This tree, with its millions of jewelled strands,

And its tapers lighted by cherub hands —

Who knows what marvels might beam and blaze

To thrill our souls with a rapt amaze!

—Angela Morgan

"The Christmas Tree of the Angels."

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[The word "Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, which means "coming." In the Christian church Advent is that period of expectant waiting leading up to the Nativity of Jesus. Some prefer to think of it as a "Countdown to Christmas." If you've ever had an Advent calendar, you know that each day prior to Christmas has it own window, usually hidden behind a little flap or door, behind which is a scene or verse from the Scriptures. I thought it would be fun to take that idea and post a daily photo with a bit of text below—a stanza or two from a Christmas poem or a few lines of prose from a favorite Christmas story. The photos aren't intended to be tied with the text. Some are just ones I meant to run with a post this past year, but for whatever reason, didn't. To set these posts apart from my regular—or irregular!—ones, I've given them a different typeface and look.]