ADVENT 2025 - Practicing Presence
WHAT IS ADVENT?
The word “Advent” means “coming.” We await the coming of Christ at Christmas. Advent is a season of watchful waiting, practicing trust in the God who comes in. The color of Advent is deep blue, (or, historically, purple) to represent the darkest night before the dawn.
This Advent, we watch and wait for Christ's presence here and now, with
Mary, the Mother of God, Theotokos (ie, God-bearer).
WHAT IS ADVENT?
The word “Advent” means “coming.” We await the coming of Christ at Christmas. Advent is a season of watchful waiting, practicing trust in the God who comes in. The color of Advent is deep blue, (or, historically, purple) to represent the darkest night before the dawn.
This Advent, we watch and wait for Christ's presence here and now, with
Mary, the Mother of God, Theotokos (ie, God-bearer).
Here's an interesting article that gives background and context to the Nativity
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ADVENT MUSIC
Enjoy music from our Advent Playlists: * ADVENT 2025 * ADVENT 2024 ADVENT 2023 (Lullabies) ADVENT 2022 Christmas 2021 |
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS WORSHIP GATHERINGS:
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ADVENT 1: Hope
Sunday, November 30, 10 am SANCTUARY & GATHERING ROOM Waffle Worship ADVENT 2: Peace Sunday, December 7, 10 am SANCTUARY & ZOOM |
ADVENT 3: Joy
Saturday, December 13, 5 pm SANCTUARY Followed by Dinner at Carbones ADVENT 4: Love Sunday, December 21, 10 am SANCTUARY & ZOOM |
CHRISTMAS EVE
Wednesday, December 24 SANCTUARY & ZOOM 4:00 pm - Musical Prelude 4:30 pm - Lessons & Carols CHRISTMAS 2: Candlelit Carols Saturday, December 27, 5 pm SANCTUARY |
In addition to our gatherings of worship, our Advent experience this year is shaped by four communal practices of presence:
1. Digital Mini-Retreats
We're taking breaks from our phones and devices.
What & Why?
By taking breaks from our devices, we're making ourselves available to God, each other and the moment at hand, ready to receive.
Life feels loud, tense, and fraught, and our commercial Christmas practices just add more noise and clamor. We're stirred up, never really still, dominated by our phones and devices, never really here. Advent's pre-dawn darkness and stillness invite us to rest our minds and hearts in belonging and being, in truth and love, in ready waiting to be met by Christ. To be here now.
How?
- We will turn off our phones together each time we gather in worship.
- Every person will receive a copy of our Cell Phone Liturgy and an Advent Phone Bag - to symbolically 'put away' our phones.
- Each person or family will set their own rhythm and perimeters that are both do-able and also a bit uncomfortable.
Some ideas are:
We're taking breaks from our phones and devices.
What & Why?
By taking breaks from our devices, we're making ourselves available to God, each other and the moment at hand, ready to receive.
Life feels loud, tense, and fraught, and our commercial Christmas practices just add more noise and clamor. We're stirred up, never really still, dominated by our phones and devices, never really here. Advent's pre-dawn darkness and stillness invite us to rest our minds and hearts in belonging and being, in truth and love, in ready waiting to be met by Christ. To be here now.
How?
- We will turn off our phones together each time we gather in worship.
- Every person will receive a copy of our Cell Phone Liturgy and an Advent Phone Bag - to symbolically 'put away' our phones.
- Each person or family will set their own rhythm and perimeters that are both do-able and also a bit uncomfortable.
Some ideas are:
- setting a whole day each week to have phones and devices off
- shutting down the household internet access for 3 hours every Sunday
- making evenings phone-free
- choosing not to turn phones on for the first two hours after waking up
- using all driving time for silence or instrumental music
- taking all social media apps off of phone
- not checking email or social media on weekends
- taking an Advent-long break from certain sites, apps or channels, asking, What apps or sites do I need a break from to remember God is God? What streams or voices could I silence to remember we belong to each other? Where might I be digitally 'unavailable' in order to truly be available?
2. Praying with an icon
We're praying with Theotokos Vladimir, aka, The Madonna of Kiev
What & Why?
Praying with an icon is one way to bring ourselves into God's presence and dwell there with our hearts, minds, senses and relationships, with God and all others.
We are journeying through the Nativity story with Mary, from the Annunciation to her time with Elizabeth and Zechariah, to the birth of Jesus, so we will use this icon of Mary to expand our prayer.
Icons are "theology in line and color." When we pray with icons, we don't pray to them, we use them as windows - allowing ourselves to see and be seen through them. We're reminded that we are part of a community of saints that extends throughout time, and that the presence of God and the community of faith is always with us.
How?
We will have this icon displayed in worship, and each person will receive one to use at home.
Here are instructions for Visio Divina, or praying with an image.
(See more about this below).
We're praying with Theotokos Vladimir, aka, The Madonna of Kiev
What & Why?
Praying with an icon is one way to bring ourselves into God's presence and dwell there with our hearts, minds, senses and relationships, with God and all others.
We are journeying through the Nativity story with Mary, from the Annunciation to her time with Elizabeth and Zechariah, to the birth of Jesus, so we will use this icon of Mary to expand our prayer.
Icons are "theology in line and color." When we pray with icons, we don't pray to them, we use them as windows - allowing ourselves to see and be seen through them. We're reminded that we are part of a community of saints that extends throughout time, and that the presence of God and the community of faith is always with us.
How?
We will have this icon displayed in worship, and each person will receive one to use at home.
Here are instructions for Visio Divina, or praying with an image.
(See more about this below).
3. Daily Devotions
We're starting (or ending) our days with prayer and reflection.
What & Why?
A guided structure (daily readings) in a specified season (Advent), can help us slow down and be present to God not just in the moment, but throughout our day.
A daily ritual of prayer, is something we know is good for us but it's hard to do on our own. Doing this 'together apart' is a great way to try out daily devotions, or to practice being in a rhythm that holds us for a season.
This book, offers a very short daily reading with a scripture, insight, prayer and a suggested simple practice each day.
How?
Whatever rhythm works for you / your family, (recognizing sometimes a rhythm is just "at some point in each day" and "oops, we missed a day, oh well, here we are today.")
These books are available for all in the Narthex. (Donations accepted but not required).
We're starting (or ending) our days with prayer and reflection.
What & Why?
A guided structure (daily readings) in a specified season (Advent), can help us slow down and be present to God not just in the moment, but throughout our day.
A daily ritual of prayer, is something we know is good for us but it's hard to do on our own. Doing this 'together apart' is a great way to try out daily devotions, or to practice being in a rhythm that holds us for a season.
This book, offers a very short daily reading with a scripture, insight, prayer and a suggested simple practice each day.
How?
Whatever rhythm works for you / your family, (recognizing sometimes a rhythm is just "at some point in each day" and "oops, we missed a day, oh well, here we are today.")
These books are available for all in the Narthex. (Donations accepted but not required).
These practices are all optional. Don't be afraid to
DO NOTHING this Advent.
STOP.
BE.
REST in GOD'S GRACE.
and
WAIT FOR CHRIST'S COMING.
DO NOTHING this Advent.
STOP.
BE.
REST in GOD'S GRACE.
and
WAIT FOR CHRIST'S COMING.
History of the "Madonna of Kiev" (aka, "Our Lady of Vladimir") icon:
A 12th-century icon created in Constantinople and brought to Kiev in 1131, it was then relocated to Vladimir in 1155, and finally to Moscow in 1395. The artist is unknown, but legend (dating back to 1512) holds that the icon was painted by Luke the Evangelist.
"Reading" icons:
"Reading" icons is a form of Christian "literacy" that predates widespread word-based reading, which most modern Christians, especially Protestants, have lost over time.
"Reading" the Madonna of Kiev:
For example, in our Advent icon, Many have seen the icon representing both the birth and impending death of Christ - nativity and Calvary, especially noting that Mary's eyes combine maternal tenderness with poignant sorrow. Henri Nouwen, points out that Mary's eyes appear to "look inward and outward at once." He also notes that her free hand gestures towards the baby to "open a space for us to approach Jesus without fear"; and, that the baby Jesus is shown as "a wise man dressed in adult clothes." We may perceive Jesus's humanity in his bare feet and his divinity in his gold garments, and note that he both receives care from Mary and also seems to be imparting care to her.
Henri Nouwen's book on icons, and one by Rowan Williams, are both available in the sanctuary for Contemplative Worship.
A 12th-century icon created in Constantinople and brought to Kiev in 1131, it was then relocated to Vladimir in 1155, and finally to Moscow in 1395. The artist is unknown, but legend (dating back to 1512) holds that the icon was painted by Luke the Evangelist.
"Reading" icons:
"Reading" icons is a form of Christian "literacy" that predates widespread word-based reading, which most modern Christians, especially Protestants, have lost over time.
"Reading" the Madonna of Kiev:
For example, in our Advent icon, Many have seen the icon representing both the birth and impending death of Christ - nativity and Calvary, especially noting that Mary's eyes combine maternal tenderness with poignant sorrow. Henri Nouwen, points out that Mary's eyes appear to "look inward and outward at once." He also notes that her free hand gestures towards the baby to "open a space for us to approach Jesus without fear"; and, that the baby Jesus is shown as "a wise man dressed in adult clothes." We may perceive Jesus's humanity in his bare feet and his divinity in his gold garments, and note that he both receives care from Mary and also seems to be imparting care to her.
Henri Nouwen's book on icons, and one by Rowan Williams, are both available in the sanctuary for Contemplative Worship.
