Advent: a season of waiting & wondering what’s in the making
On Sunday, we celebrated the past year of The Well’s life together. Given our tendency - my tendency - to race toward what’s next, it’s easy to skip the pause that helps us see what’s been quietly unfolding without our even noticing it. I’m so glad we stopped to see just how much connection, creativity and care has been flowing through our little community. As we listened to a variety of voices share about some shifts and new possibilities stirring, I was reminded that as individuals and as a community, we are always in the making.
We are not only in-the-making, we are also a community of people who enjoy making together. This year, we kept making space for racial justice learning, space to reimagine how we relate to money, space for us to share the hard and holy moments of our lives and space for rest. We made room to rethink our images of God. We made vision boards, intuitive painting projects, black-out hymns, new friends, Pride Fest decor and so much more together. We are a community of makers, each bringing a little piece of the Whole.
And it’s no wonder this is true. Making is such a big part of what it means to be human. At least that’s what the story told through scripture tells us. We are made in the image of One who loves to create. From the very beginning, God is described as a Designer who speaks light and life into being. Whether weaving new stories, making food appear in the wilderness, turning water into wine or mud into a sight-restoring medicine, images of Divine making abound. God is pictured as a Maker inviting us to make, too.
This Advent, I’m wondering … what would happen if we leaned in and paid more attention to what’s in the making.
In the stories we encounter in scripture this time of year, what is in the making? In our own still-unfolding stories, what is in the making? In the deep pain and the overwhelming beauty of the world around us, what (please tell us something!) is in the making?
And in our own making - whether we are baking, singing, building, planting, writing, spread-sheeting or creating to-do lists - what would happen if we were more mindful to the process & the Presence with us there? And in our gift-giving, what might we make instead of buy? and when we do buy, how can we shop local & support the many makers among us?
We’ll welcome Advent this Sunday during our monthly church in the wild gathering and you can learn more about each upcoming way to connect here and enjoy our Advent playlist here. Whether you gather with us or not, I pray you experience the mystery, the wonder, and the hope of God-in-the-Making this season.
