For this week’s Weekends in the Word, I thought it would be nice to tell you about our Jesse Tree tradition.
I had never heard of a Jesse Tree until the year I purchased my 12 Week Holiday Planner. Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree devotional came with it (It no longer contains this, but the planner is still my favorite holiday resource!)
It was our first Christmas without Emily and we needed something to heal the pain of her absence. We needed a new tradition and doing the Jesse Tree devotional became that for us.
Last year, Ann released an updated version of her devotional and I was so pleased with the updates that I quickly printed off my brand new copy and slipped it into plastic covers inside my 12 Week Planner, ready to use.
I had no need to reprint the ornaments because I had long ago printed the ornaments off, laminated them, punched a hole through the top, and made hangers from pipe cleaners. Fancy isn’t in my vocabulary {unless we’re talking homemade baby carriers}.
Every evening during family worship time I take out my holiday notebook and begin reading that day’s devotional. Then the Child of the Day hangs our Jesse Tree ornament on our Christmas tree. This is the same child who opens the Advent drawer, plugs the ornament into the talking snowman’s tree, and gets to dole out the candy and blessings for the day. It’s just easier to have one child designated per day rather than one child per event.
And yes, I did say we hang the ornaments on our own tree. We don’t have a special Jesse Tree and I doubt we ever will. The ornaments hanging on our tree are meaningful and these ornaments add to that meaning quite nicely.
If you are unfamiliar with what a Jesse Tree devotional is all about, let me take a moment to explain. It is intended to point your hearts and minds to Christ from the beginnings of Scripture at the beginnings of the Advent season. It shows the woven tapestry of the Gospel from the beginning of time. It is truly a beautiful experience.
I know there are many, many Jesse Tree devotionals and ornaments and “trees” out there. I would encourage you to look into beginning this family tradition in your own home as a way to keep Christ at the center of this season.
Related posts: Free Advent Devotionals for Children
Melissa says
We heard about the Jesse Tree last year, and started following this tradition with our family. We love it. It’s wonderful to see how all of scripture points to Christ, and a great way to focus on Him through the season. Last year, while my kids were still in school, we used this as a daily family devotional. This year, our first homeschooling, we do it as Bible class.
Last year, we made ornaments out of felt and put them on a miniature stuffed felt Christmas tree that was designed to be used as an advent calendar. This year, the kids are coloring ornaments from the Jesse Tree guide off of http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com . Even my two year old can enjoy making her own ornaments and participating in the Bible story of the day. I love that she includes songs to sing, it works great for my kids who are all little. This year, I think we are just going to tack the ornaments on a wall, since with three kids making one each day there will be over 80 ornaments.
Laney says
I heard about the Jessse Tree several years ago and just never got around to getting the stuff together and pulling it off during our already busy scheudle. This year I finally decided to make it a priority. I found some super simple ornaments for the kids to color themselves (I didn’t want pre-colored ones because I don’t have colored toner.) One day we sat down and I divided the pictures between the kids and they colored them all. I cut out green circles for each ornament and arranged them in the shape of a Christmas Tree on red background paper and hung it on the wall. Each day we do our reading the child that colored the symbol for the day gets to tape it to the tree. It has been super simple and has replaced our other methods of counting down Advent. The kids seem to love it and I plan on continuing this tradition in the years to come. I posted a picture of our empty Jesse Tree on fb in our Christmas album.
Amy says
I’m so glad you took the time to do it because it really is a wonderful addition to the Christmas season! I’ll have to go look at your tree.
Stacy says
I had heard about Jesse Tree devotions in years past and even saved and read through Ann’s last year but couldn’t wrap my head around it for some reason. This year I was looking for *something* other than our shouting countdown each night after dinner and toss of chocolate coins. We started Ann’s Jesse Tree devotional and I am so pleased! I had an extra small tree that I placed in the middle of our table, a simple ribbon that I’ve always used on our advent wreath wraps around it and each evening after dinner we read and hang our ornament *then* countdown and share our chocolate coins.
Amy says
Wonderful! You’re going to have fill me on the chocolate coins…not familiar with that.
Stacy says
Chocolate coins are just from the bulk department of our local discount shopping store. They are chocolate wrapped in gold foil. A highlight of Christmas around here though. Here’s a blog post I wrote about the little holder we use…http://worldofwiedz.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-december-first-anyways.html
kelly @ In Everything says
just what I needed to hear. WE’ve been reading through the Jesse Tree this year and we’ve been coloring the ornaments as we go (I printed it off in B&W). BUt I just haven’t figured out what kind of “Jesse tree” we were going to hang the ornaments in… so they sit on my desk for reviewing:/
They will be going onto our tree!!! Perfect plan:) Thanks!
Amy says
You are so welcome! 🙂
Serenity says
We actually read Jothams Journey during Advent. We started the tradition last year and we have all looked forward to it since then. My hubby and I were still talking about it in July and looking forward to reading it again. There is a devo included each night after the story. Is this the same idea as the Jesse tree? The Jesse tree sounds wonderful but I don’t want to be redundant. Thanks!!!
Amy says
I’ve heard wonderful things about that book! I may have to order that and read it to the kids next year. 🙂
Anita Chamblee says
We have used an Advent wreath for about 17 years now with devotionals every night led by my husband. About 10 years ago we started doing a Jesse tree for morning devotionals. I printed off ornaments, colored them and glued them onto scrapbooking paper. For a Jesse tree we used a table top Christmas tree. After a while daddy decided to meld the Jesse tree and Advent wreath together, so every evening possible we gather around the piano singing Christmas carols and then move to the dining table where we light the candles on the wreath. After the devotional, discussion and prayer the youngest two boys take turns blowing out the candles and hanging the Jesse tree ornament.
Amy says
Oh, that sounds lovely Anita! 🙂 Very peaceful.
Sarah says
We have always done the Jesse Tree, my parents did it with me and my siblings when we were kids too. We also hang our ornaments on our Christmas Tree. What we do is set up our tree and put the lights on it and then throughout Advent the only thing on it is the Jesse Tree ornaments, and then on Christmas Eve we (Santa) decorates the tree with our Christmas ornaments (our kids are all very little and it works better for mommy and daddy to decorate, but as they get older it may become a family Christmas Eve tradition). Then we leave our Christmas Tree and the Christmas ornaments all up until Epiphany (when the three kings visit).