09 East – Fleur de Lis | First Christian Church – Disciples of Christ

Celebrating Fellowship at First Christian Church – Anonymous Donors

The fleur-de-lis, the lily or the iris, has been a symbol for centuries of an ancient flower from which new life springs forth. Its sturdy stem represents the ever-present God who is our strength and our source of sustenance. The three petals of a heraldic design reflect a widespread association with the Holy Trinity, with the band on the bottom symbolizing Mary. The tradition says that without Mary you can not understand the Trinity since it was she who bore the Son. A tradition going back to 14th century France added to the earlier belief that the petals also represented faith, wisdom, and chivalry. Alternatively, the cord can be seen as representing the one Divine Substance (godhood) of the three Persons, which binds Them together.

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! —2 Corinthians 5:17