Advent 2021
Advent begins this Sunday! Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and it refers to the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. During Advent, we light candles, sing songs, revisit ancient scriptures and share stories as we wait for “the Light of the world”. It’s a time to lean in, to pause, to look, to listen & to pay attention.
Some of us have been hearing these stories since birth and could recite them in our sleep. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it can keep us from hearing anything new. Instead of leaning in with eager anticipation, we are tempted to merely go through the motions.
Some of us are hearing these ancient stories for the first time, but without much background they can seem irrelevant and too detached from our reality. We can feel left out or out of place. It can be tempting to tune out.
And for still others, this time of year just may not be our favorite. Maybe it causes grief or makes us miss loved ones or dredges up difficult memories. Or maybe it can seem so full of busyness, commercialism & consumerism that it does little more than leave us exhausted & in debt.
We are invited to experience an alternative to going through the motions, tuning out or making this season all about buying & busyness. We are invited to enter Advent.
Our theme for this Advent is “Illuminate”.
il·lu·mi·nate
/iˈlo͞oməˌnāt/
1. make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up.
2. help to clarify or explain.
During our Sunday gatherings, we’ll pause together to pay attention to what is being illuminated in and around us. We’ll hear stories from some in our community who dare to share what is being brought to light on their journeys. We’ll lean in & listen to the unlikely characters who play huge roles in Jesus’ birth story, noticing how these are the kinds of people often marginalized today. Together, we’ll seek to make visible new meanings and shed light on surprising and often overlooked truths. We’ll make space to share what hopes & dreams are stirring in us - some which have been dormant, but are ready to re-emerge.
There are a few ways you can participate in our Sunday gatherings. You can show up either in person or on Zoom. You can be added to our rotation of readers, set up helpers, communion servers, etc. (just email suerogers17@gmail.com to be added). You can also participate in helping us illuminate voices that are “calling out from the margins”. Each Sunday, we’ll make space for us to share pre-written quotes, longings, wisdom and prayers that come from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color), women, children, LGBTQ, immigrants, refugees and other voices that tend to be marginalized in our society and in the church.
We’ll also be gathering in other times & places to attend to our wounds & weariness, to experience community & to celebrate together. You can find a full list of gathering places and times here.
In addition to these gatherings, you can also practice alternative gift-giving with us by giving to Amani Sasa and receiving a card to let loved ones know a gift has been given in their honor.
Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, we look forward to welcoming you and to what might be brought to Light in us & through us this season.