Advent

The Master's Artist: The Last Christmas Without You

December 7, 2010 By heather Leave a Comment

Sixpence None the Richer has a Christmas song called "The Last Christmas Without You." It considers the advent waiting from Mary’s perspective. "I feel you heart beating
/ Inside my own skin," the song says.

This advent, as my own belly swells, I’ve been contemplating Mary.

Who was this woman–this child, really–who so readily accepted God’s
blessing and burden? Who took on motherhood and its accompanying joys,
sufferings, and, in this case, shame? Who set aside her own dreams and
desires so that God’s word might be fulfilled?

Read The Last Christmas Without You at The Master’s Artist.

Filed Under: Advent, childbirth, Christmas, incarnation, Mary

A Silly Advent Poem

December 17, 2009 By heather 3 Comments

The Man in the Front

The boy swings the red velvet rope
first rising to his tippy-toes
then peeking around sets of parents and children
to catch a glimpse of the bearded man in the front.

The boy sees a gold throne, an elf in green,
and an arm in red robe.
He jumps but still cannot see
the full image of the man in the front.

He doesn’t have a long list:
a pair of hopalong boots
and a pistol that shoots.
He’s afraid he’ll never get to tell the man in front.

The smell of peppermint
and the weight of his mom’s hand on his shoulder
cannot squelch his excitement
of sitting on the knee of the man in the front.

The mother leans down
and adjusts his sweater.
She made him promise to stay neat and tidy
for his picture with the man in the front.

The boy hears a "Ho, ho, ho"
and a "Merry Christmas"
and moves a step closer
to the man in the front.

And then–oh, the magnanimous joy!
The desire of nations!
O, holy night! O, star of light!
He’s there on the knee of the man in the front.

The boy whispers his secret in the ear
of the man in the front in his gold throne.
The man whispers a secret back,
then holds his finger to his lips–"Shh, don’t tell."

The boy hops down,
and with head down and arms pumping,
he runs through the mall and out the door,
the true anticipation and preparation to begin.

He has cookies to bake, and, oh! the carrots, for tinsel’s sake!
He’d better not cry and better not pout–
he knows someone will come on a silent night,
for he has met the man in the front.

Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, poetry, Santa Claus

Advent Prayer

December 14, 2009 By heather Leave a Comment

"Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

- from The Book of Common Prayer,

Filed Under: Advent, liturgy, meditation, prayer

Prepping for Advent: The Mosaic Bible

November 25, 2009 By heather 3 Comments

My favorite season is Advent. All the anticipation and waiting. The preparations. Lighting a new candle each Sunday, then, on Christmas Eve, passing the fire from candle to candle.

When I came home from New Jersey, I found a treat in my mailbox (the good kind; not the kind from the neighborhood kids)–a copy of the Mosaic Bible.

The Mosaic Bible uses the New Living Translation. At the beginning of each book, the editors give a short paragraph summary of the content of the book, an outline, the author, the date, a one-sentence purpose statement, and the themes.

But my favorite part of the Mosaic Bible, and the reason I craved it, is the readings and art for the liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent and going through Pentecost. Each week contains suggested Scripture readings, meditations in poetry/hymn form, selections from theologians across centuries and continents, and art.

From the editor’s statement about this project: "The purpose of this Bible is to provide a way to encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian history. Why? Because when this happens, God’s profound and often unexpected work on behalf of his children becomes clear in new and exciting ways. It is important to see that the body of Christ is much bigger than the small piece we each experience in our everyday lives."

Mosaic draws together my favorite things: artistic expressions of God’s word, history, cultural richness, and the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. I can’t wait to begin using the readings this Sunday.

Because the readings can be broken up throughout the week, this is the ideal way for families to introduce their children to theologians and artists.

I highly recommend Mosaic, but you need to hurry and get yours. Advent begins this Sunday!

Filed Under: Advent, bibles, liturgical art, liturgical calendar, liturgy, mosaic

Tapestry: Desire of Nations, Come

December 19, 2008 By heather 1 Comment

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I’m up today at Tapestry, writing about the advent, with all its anticipation and waiting and hope. A taste:

"We’d crack the perforation on the Advent calendar to reveal the day’s
picture–a Nutcracker, perhaps, or a doll, or maybe a wise man
preparing for his journey, depending on that year’s theme. Or we’d
break another link on our homemade chain made of red and green
construction paper. As the chain shrunk, our excitement grew."

Read the rest.

Note: I’ll continue the series on contextual theology after the New Year.

Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, justice, Messiah, peace

Advent Meditation

December 18, 2008 By heather 1 Comment

"God is waiting. Creation is waiting. Humankind is waiting. We are waiting for redemption, for everything to be put back in its proper place in relation to God. We see signs and shadows, aches and groans of what’s to come, knowing that what we wait for is not here yet."

- from The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg

Filed Under: Advent, meditation, prayer

Advent Prayer

December 16, 2008 By heather Leave a Comment

"Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen."

- Third Sunday Advent Prayer from The Book of Common Prayers

Filed Under: Advent, prayer

Artuality: Advent

December 10, 2008 By heather 7 Comments

Advent holds ideas of waiting, anticipation, peace, hope, incarnation, justice. I think of Mary, her hands rubbing her belly. I think of the shepherds, searching Bethlehem. I think of the wise men, following a star. All waiting.

We wait still. We wait for peace on earth and goodwill toward men. We wait for justice. But it’s not an empty waiting. This waiting embodies hope, the kind that is sure of what isn’t seen.

Yet.

We anticipate the day when heaven meets earth, when God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

How does the Advent season inspire you artistically? I’m not a poet (as you shall see!), but in honor if Emily Dickinson’s birthday, I’m celebrating Advent today with a poem. Four pictures came to mind as I thought of this idea of waiting.

His belly round
from hunger,
under his arm, he holds
a suitcase and a
gun.
He searches the
dump
for scraps and pieces
for his sister. She cries
and cries and
cries. Desire of nations,
come.

Her belly round
with child,
in her hand, she holds
a paintbrush.
She prepares the
room
and stacks diapers
on the table. A
suitcase stands
by the door for the
night. Desire of nations,
come.

Her belly round
with cancer,
in his hand, he holds
hers.
She trembles with
cold
and pain. The
machines beep, and needles
pierce
her skin. Desire of nations,
come.

His belly round
with bassdrum,
in his hand, he holds
a mallet,
ready to beat
the rhythm. Mark
time mark.
The lights
in the stadium
shine bright, hiding
the judges
from view. Desire of nations,
come.

Now it’s your turn! How does Advent inspire you? Use Mr. Linky below to link to your posts, and leave a comment so I know when you add your link.

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Second Sunday of Advent Collect, from The Book of Common Prayer)

Filed Under: Advent, anticipation, artuality, hope, incarnation, peace, waiting

December's Glimpses and Artuality

December 1, 2008 By heather 1 Comment

December’s issue of Glimpses goes out tomorrow. This issue has an interview with the band, willowfair, a band I discovered through NoiseTrade. It also has artwork by David Blow. The meditation this month, fittingly enough, is on the Advent season and creativity.

Speaking of Advent, this brings me to this month’s Artuality. This month’s Artuality theme is Advent. From Wikipedia:

Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, in other words, the period immediately before Christmas.

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the
view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.

How does the Advent season inspire you spiritually or artistically? I’ll put up my thoughts and the link early next week, but I wanted to give you a chance to get your brain simmering.

The prayer from the Book of Common Prayers for the First Sunday of Advent (yesterday):

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.