MANNA: Flowers in Church

Why do we decorate the church with flowers?  That question comes up from time to time.  When church councils compare the costs of fresh flowers to that of silk flowers, an even more common question comes up.  Does it matter if the flowers are fresh, or can we get by with saving money on silk?

Flowers can cheer up someone who is sick.  They can speak of love to a sweetheart, share sympathy for a loss, communicate honor for moms, and respect for veterans.  When it comes to the use of flowers for communicating emotions, well...flowers speak for themselves.

There is a way in which this is true for the flowers in church as well.   Imagine the insides of most any cathedral you've ever been inside.  Beautiful architecture, but a room made of marble, stone and wood is also a bit cold with emotion.  The stained glass windows help to add color and light, but it's the flowers that add warmth and life.  Today's churches are made with an array of different materials including vibrant colors in fabrics on seating, tapestries, and carpeting.  Modern churches do not need flowers as much as the old Gothic cathedrals did to bring life and warmth into the room, but the tradition is still a good one to keep.

One of reason to keep this tradition is as a symbol of new life.
Gordon Lathrop, my seminary professor for worship and liturgics used to say, "Every Sunday should be treated like a little Easter."  Every Sunday we worship the crucified and risen Lord.  One way this weekly celebration of the gospel promise is communicated is by symbols.  Fresh flowers, particularly those that are seasonal, i.e. just like the ones we see outside, are a great way to symbolize our new life in Christ.  The Easter lily is perfect for the spring, but as the seasons change the same message is spoken through the seasonal change of flowers on the altar.

This is one very good reason to resist the financial pressures of saving money with silk flowers.  Consider the Genesis story where God created all things and called them "good".  God's way of creating real flowers is beautiful, fresh and creative.  The best humans can do is try to copy what God has already done with silk.  But, real flowers show God's creativity.  Silk flowers can look very real, but this will not fool the congregation for long.  Awareness of the use of silk flowers communicates a sense of falseness.  They may look life-like, but this is phony, and everyone knows it.  So, the emotional effect is no longer one of new life in Christ.  Instead it is a measure of scarcity, cheapness, and falsity.  Please understand, I'm not referring to actual responses from parishioners.  I'm referring more to the subconscious, emotional, and possibly visceral message that this symbolizes.  Think of it this way.  If your mom were in the hospital and you brought her fresh flowers she is likely to respond with joy and cheer.  However, what if instead of real flowers you brought her a similar bouquet of silk and plastic flowers?  The message you communicate is dramatically different between the two, even if they look the same.

One other reason to use fresh flowers in church is that flowers are used in various Biblical citations as metaphors for God's love and care for His creation and His church.  In the Song of Solomon the lily of the valley and the rose of Sharon are metaphors for God and Israel.  In the gospels Jesus references flowers as a symbol for God's care of creation in his teachings for us to not worry.  The flowers we use in our worship services are, on the one hand, reminders of these Biblical stories, but even more importantly they are ever-present symbols of God's love and care for His creation.

Last, but certainly not least, I must make mention of God's command to Moses and the Israelites on the production of the tabernacle and its accouterments.     In Exodus 25 God tells Moses to make a lampstand that will be in the holy of holies.   In verse 34, he commands, "And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers."  The tabernacle was to be like a moble church.  The land the Israelites were travelling through was very barren, stark of flowering plants.  Even so, inside the tabernacle would be this image of Aaron's flowering staff...a symbol of hope and promise for all of Israel.  God commanded that, at least, the image of a flowering plant adorn the altar area of worship.

 So, there you have it, four good reasons to use fresh flowers to decorate your worship space.
1.  To bring the warmth and life of God's creation inside.
2.  To communicate the new life of the gospel promise.
3.  The bible refers to flowers as symbols.
4.  God commanded that, at least, a flowering plant adorn the altar area.

If you would like to order flowers for Sunday worship at Living God Lutheran Church

Please click HERE to be taken to an online order form.
OR,
Please remember to place your order using the sign up sheet in the foyer.

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Thanks!