Chancel flowers

[1] These chancel flowers are often paid for by members of a congregation as an offering of thanksgiving to God.

[2] Chancel flowers are sometimes dedicated to the memory of someone who has died by the purchasing family.

[3] Certain species of flowers are used during the various liturgical seasons of the Christian Kalendar, such as poinsettias during Christmastide (symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem) and Easter lilies during Eastertide (symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus).

Anything that expresses falseness or pretence, or that is gaudy or cheaply ornate, should be avoided.

—United Methodist Altars: A Guide for the Congregation[6]The Catholic Church likewise teaches that “the use of living flowers and plants, rather than artificial greens, serves as a reminder of the gift of life God has given to the human community.”[7]