CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS

With snow blowing through the air and a dusting of it on the ground, it certainly looked a lot like Christmas.

For the faithful who braved the elements Saturday evening, reflections on the Christmas season were offered during the annual Candlelight Christmas Tour of churches in Ironton.

Pastor Dennis Strawn, pastor of First Baptist Church, noted that the birth of Jesus Christ was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament some 700 years before Christ was born.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government will upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” Strawn read from Isaiah.

At Christ Episcopal Church, Richard Walton spoke of how the Advent season, which began Nov. 30, is meant not only to invoke reflection on the birth of Christ 2,000 years ago but also the return of Christ some day.

He spoke of how the birth of Christ is tied to the Easter season and Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection; these two events in history are a part of the same story.

“The Nativity,” Walton said, “can’t be separated from Holy Week.”

Walton also briefly spoke of the late Bob Price, a Lawrence County Historical Society member who died this week. Price often led the church walk each year and was active in numerous other museum activities.

“It was a great loss to the community,” Walton said.

At First United Methodist Church, Dr. Wayne Young, pastor, told the church walk participants that Christmas is the celebration of the gift of the son of God, the Prince of Peace.

“I pray that each of you might know that Prince of Peace and the peace that he gives,” Young said.

At some of the churches, participants were given a brief history of the building and/or congregation. The churches on the tour are among the oldest in the city. At First Presbyterian Church, speaker Herb Rose noted that the circular windows in the back of the sanctuary were donated by the founder of Ironton, John Campbell, in honor of his nephew, a missionary who dedicated his life to serving Christ and who died on the mission field in Africa.

The tour also made stops at St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church and Gateway Baptist Church before ending at the Lawrence County Historical Museum.

Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church is usually the last stop on the tour but this year is being remodeled and therefore was not included this year.

The church walk is sponsored each year by the Lawrence County Historical Society.