4th Sunday of Advent – 22nd December 2013

No doubt, by now, most of you will have decorated your Christmas tree, or you will have seen those belonging to family and friends – but are you aware that many if not all, decorations, have a meaning?

The True Story of the Candy Cane

A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness,

so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols

for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of

pure white, hard candy: white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless

nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the Foundation of the

Church and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious
name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the 
staff of the Good Shepherd with which He reaches down into the ditches of the 
world to lift out the fallen lambs who like all sheep have gone astray. Thinking 
that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes.
He used three small stripes for the blood shed by Christ on the cross. So that
we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as the Candy Cane. It became a 
meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But meaning is still there for 
all those who “Have eyes to see and ears to hear.” We pray that this symbol will
again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and His great love that came 
down at Christmas.

May you experience the full joy of Christmas – the hope and wonder of Emmanuel, God with Us!

Love and Blessings to you all for Christmas and the coming year.

Reverend Shan