Repost: Jesse Tree Introduction

This is a repost from 2008, as will be the readings for the Jesse Tree. We’re using our Christmas tree again, and it’s all set up and ready to go now! Tomorrow I’ll begin the readings daily. I hope you enjoy them! (Also, we’ve made new ornaments, which means new pictures!)

One more update for 2012: I’ve uploaded all the readings in a PDF format here, in case you’d like to print them off and keep them in a little folder or notebook, as our family does, for easy reference around the tree. (If you need it, download Adobe’s PDF Reader for free here.)

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I mentioned before that we’d made ornaments for the Jesse Tree. This year, we decided to use our Christmas tree as the Jesse Tree and create dough ornaments that will last for years to come. The results of the ornaments are beautiful! I’ve taken a picture of each one and will post it with our readings and theme for each day’s readings and ornament.

The Jesse Tree’s history can be read here and here. In short, it’s a way to look back through our salvation history and see the anticipation of the Savior that was held throughout history, just as we anticipate the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus, at the end of time. One day, He will come, and all the world will be judged. As today’s Gospel warns us, let us not be caught sleeping when the Master returns!

(Note for 2009: The reading of being caught sleeping is not in this year’s cycle, but all the readings caution us to not be comfortable in our faith. We should always be striving to improve. Our work as Christians, our faith journey, is not finished until Christ comes in glory. We cannot simply declare our belief and fool ourselves into thinking that our work is finished! For more commentary on today’s Gospel, go here.)

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