Advent 2024

December 1: The First Sunday in Advent — You Are a Blessing

Focus text: Luke 1:26–38

Mary is described as “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28). She is neither wealthy nor powerful, and yet she is chosen to bear God’s child. Her story begins with blessedness, and so does ours, for the prophet Isaiah declares that we are claimed by a God who calls our name. We are a blessing because we belong to God. When blessedness is our beginning, we begin to see the world — and others — through the eyes of a God who says: “You are precious in my sight” (Isaiah 43:4).

This quilt square is a simplified abstract image of the angel Gabriel.

December 8: The Second Sunday in Advent — We Can’t Go Alone

Focus text: Luke 1:39–45

Mary hears the words of the angel and agrees to be God’s partner in bringing Jesus into the world. But she turns immediately from her angelic encounter to her earthly community, traveling to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also expecting a baby. Together they support each other and celebrate with each other, caring for each other in the long weeks of preparation and giving each other strength for the journey ahead. When God calls us to work for new life and new hope, God also calls us into community with each other. We are not alone, and we do not have to journey by ourselves. God brings unlikely people together, and forms us into a covenant community.

This quilt square is called a “log cabin”, and is meant to symbolize that together we can hold one another up and make something greater.

December 15: The Third Sunday in Advent — Hope is Worth the Risk!

Focus text: Luke 1:46–55

Hope is vulnerable and can feel like a tremendous risk, especially if you’ve experienced loss or trauma. But Mary shows us a resilient hope that takes risks — she risks her body to bear a son who will become the hope of her people. Through the ages, people have chosen to hope for a transformed world, and to act in ways that can bring about change. It can feel safer and easier to be a cynic, but the world doesn’t need more cynics. It needs people who say, “It can be better” and make it so.

This traditional quilt square design is called “birds in the air”. Sometimes when we take a risk, hope takes flight. At times it may feel like you’re falling, but you’ll find that, in God’s embrace, you are flying.

December 22: The Fourth Sunday in Advent — Don’t Forget to Share the Joy!

The birth of Christ brings good news of great joy to all people, which is cause for celebration. On this Sunday before Christmas, we invite everyone to share the joy by participating with us in our “Come as You Are Christmas Pageant”. You get to choose which role you want to play in the pageant, and simple costumes and props will be supplied (it will be okay if we have lots of Marys or only a couple of shepherds). Narrators will invite the players to come forward when it’s time. We’ll sing lots of carols, and have a joyful, informal service of celebration as we tell again the great good news of God-With-Us!

From a center point, tulip-like flowers stretch and bloom, referencing the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “The Earth laughs in flowers.”

December 24: Christmas Eve — Love Knows Your Name
Candlelight Communion service, 4:00pm

Christ’s birth makes the vastness of God personal. The God who made the seas and the stars is also the God who made your beautiful hair and striking eyes. The God of creation takes on flesh, which means you are fully known. When the angels visit the shepherds in the fields, their message is global but also personal: “To you … a savior is born.” This birth is good news for everyone, especially those who are ignored or disenfranchised. On this night, God is born, and this God of love knows your name.

The love of God is represented by a heart with three triangles that seem to fold inward, ready for embrace.

January 5: Epiphany Sunday — The Road Isn’t Straight

Focus text: Matthew 2:1–12

Too often, we’ve been told that a successful life is a linear one. But in reality, our lives unfold with many unexpected twists and turns. The Magi follow a star, embarking on a long journey in a foreign land in order to honor the newborn Christ. Instead of returning to Herod as commanded, they trust their dreams and go home by another way. Their road isn’t straight, but God “makes a way in the wilderness” (Isaiah 43:19) as they follow their intuition and diverge from the expected path.

The triangles in this quilt square point in multiple directions. Much like the magi’s journey, the path that lies ahead isn’t always clear or straight. Thankfully, we have the guidance of the Spirit to light our way.

January 12: John the Baptist — Do the Work That Is Yours to Do

Focus text: Luke 3:7–16

As John the Baptist is teaching about bearing good fruit, the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers ask him, “What, then, should we do?” His answer to each group is slightly different, but ultimately the same: “Do the good that is yours to do.” We can each bear good fruit through acts of justice and righteousness. We can all be what Isaiah calls “repairers of the breach” by satisfying the needs of the afflicted.

We are each uniquely gifted, called, and equipped for the work that is ours to do in the world. In the center is the cross, symbolizing Christ’s impact, and surrounding it are individuals reaching out and shining their particular light in the world.