Introducing the Jesse Tree tradition

I love connecting with other writers, sharing learning, and gleaning from collective wisdom. So I was delighted when, earlier this year, a group of us committed to collaborate and create a brand new book for Advent, The Jesse Tree Anthology, which has just been published.

The Jesse Tree Anthology is based on an Advent tradition, known as the ‘Jesse Tree’ tradition, which helps families prepare for Christmas – by considering characters from the Bible, all of whom were part of Jesus’ family tree, and thinking about how their stories pointed towards Jesus, over the generations leading up to his birth.

Each day involves reading and reflecting on one of these Bible stories, and then hanging an ornament, symbolising that day’s story, on a Jesse Tree, providing a visual reminder of how God prepared Jesus to be born.

The tradition is rooted in Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of David, who went on to become one of the most famous Kings of Israel. Jesus was a descendant of King David, and the ‘branch’ that God promised would grow from Jesse’s family tree.

The book was the brainchild of Rachel Yarworth, author of Friend of God. She has cast vision, compiled our contributions, cajoled us into action, and coordinated the whole thing – in ways that, quite honestly, deserve some sort of award!

Today I am delighted to welcome Rachel to the blog, to answer some questions about her life, her writing and the back story to The Jesse Tree Anthology.

I will also be giving away a free copy of The Jesse Tree Anthology to one lucky winner in my next monthly newsletter – so please sign up to my mailing list to be in with a chance of winning it!

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It’s lovely to have you here today, Rachel. Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I live in Worcestershire with my husband Mike and our three sons. I have been writing for many years, predominantly in blogs, but I published my first book, Friend of God, in December last year. When I’m not writing or home educating, I like taking long walks in the countryside.

What inspired you to approach so many writers to invite them to work together on an anthology like this?

I had already been considering the idea of writing a Jesse Tree devotional book, when I realised it would be so much better for multiple different voices to share their reflections on the stories, rather than just my own voice. Then I came across an article about ways to promote books and writing for free and, as I don’t have a budget for advertising campaigns, this was of real interest. One of the suggestions in the article was to take part in an anthology. ‘I could do that,’ I thought, as all my writer friends and contacts came to mind. So I planted the idea, people seemed keen, and that’s how I came to compile the Anthology. It’s such a simple way for all of us to take part and promote our books, and it all fell into place from there.

Why do you think we need to understand the Jesse Tree in order to understand Jesus?

For me I think it’s about being able to better understand the Old Testament, and how Jesus is the thread of salvation that runs through it. When I was younger, I used to struggle with how the God of the Old Testament stories seemed a bit strict and angry, but the God who sent Jesus in the New Testament seemed so much more loving and kind.  It was only when I got to know Jesus better for myself that I would read the Old Testament and realise Jesus was there too, and I had just never seen it before. Then, when my boys were little, we discovered the Jesse Tree as an Advent tradition, leading up to Christmas, and we felt it worked really well as a picture of how the Old Testament stories build up to Jesus, and I am excited about other people discovering it too.

Please can you give us some suggestions for how to carve out time in what, for many of us, can feel like one of the busiest seasons of the year?

Firstly, find a time that works for you. In our family, it’s after our evening meal, while we are still gathered together, and we keep it short so it doesn’t become a burden to anyone. I followed this principle with the Anthology too, deliberately keeping the entries short, so that busy people can read it in a hurry! Obviously, if you have a bit more time, you can take longer over the questions, prayers, colouring in the decorations, etc.

Secondly, make it fun and cosy, a treat you look forward to, whether that’s five minutes peace and quiet in your PJs before the day starts, a mid-morning treat with a cuppa, or a bedtime snuggle under the duvet before falling asleep. You could maybe save colouring in the decorations for a rainy Saturday afternoon, and do several at once – or download the pre-coloured decorations from the Jesse Tree section of my website, if you don’t want to do colouring!

Thirdly, beware the temptation to feel like you must fully complete every section of every day. This is just a book for people to use in whatever way helps them feel closer to God. Even if you are in a hurry, just take those few minutes to remember he is with you, he loves you, and he wants to bless you. Then thank him for it, before you have to move on.

How can readers find out about the writers who have contributed to the book, and get hold of a copy?

All the websites of those who have contributed to the book are printed in the Anthology after their respective entries. There is also a Jesse Tree section on my website, where you can download the decorations, either pre-coloured or blank, and a photo gallery of all the writers involved. Clicking on each contributor’s photo will automatically take you to their website or bookshop.

Copies of the book can be purchased from many of the contributors’ websites, Amazon, and most good bookshops. It is also available as an e-book on Kindle.

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Finally, don’t forget that I will also be giving away a free copy of The Jesse Tree Anthology to one lucky winner in my next monthly newsletter – so please sign up to my mailing list to be in with a chance of winning it!

If you’re unsuccessful in the giveaway, you can buy a copy through my website shop.

Also, I have written elsewhere on my blog about my contribution to The Jesse Tree Anthology, for those who are interested.

As ever, constructive comments are welcome below.

Image from Conger Design via Pixabay