“More Than Just Flowers: Symbolism” by Carole Hom
Flower Guild Chair

On most Sundays from Easter through the end of the Season of Epiphany, flowers grace the altar at St. Martin’s. In a future article, I’ll elaborate about the Flower Guild and altar flowers. Here, I focus on one particular date.

On the third Sunday of Easter, I was responsible for the flowers. The Spirit moved me to combine foam rings bedecked with greens and yarrow from St. Martin’s grounds, cranes suspended from the altar candles, and a Japanese-style arrangement. The flowers – three sprays of Sally Holmes roses and oakleaf hydrangea – represented shin, soe, and tai (heaven, earth, and humanity) in the Ikenobo school of flower arranging. In the Japanese tradition, cranes symbolize peace, hope, and longevity. As for the greens and yarrow, the hanging strands of cranes needed something around the candles for visual balance.

Japanese themes have been on my mind recently. A year ago, a few folks from St. Martin’s and St. John’s, Roseville, began to discuss what we might do to increase Episcopalians’ awareness of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, including within a notorious camp in our diocese. Our work has led to a free workshop, The Tule Lake Concentration Camp: Reflections and Lessons, planned for 7 June 2025, 9am-1:15pm, in-person at Trinity Cathedral and via zoom webinar. Speakers include our own Ernie Lewis, other clergy, and descendants of camp survivors. It’s too late to register for the zoom workshop, but you can attend in person – please email EpiscDioNorCal_TL@icloud.com to give us a heads up. For more information, please see https://www.norcalepiscopal.org/tule-lake-workshop/.

I hope you’ll join us.