Advent Begins

This week we are preparing to step into the season of Advent with intention, leaning into a worship resource from A Sanctified Art, “How Does a Weary World Rejoice” as our guide. This description of how this particular resource came to be provides a nice entry point into the theme: 

“This year, we are paying close attention to how the Gospel of Luke begins the story of Jesus: by interweaving Christ’s birth with the parallel story of Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John the Baptist. As we looked closely at both of these birth narratives told side by side, we saw the full scope of human emotions: isolation, fear, disbelief, as well as connection, trust, and joy. …The Christmas season is often an emotionally-charged time when we feel many things deeply—sometimes all at once. 

“As we studied the scriptures, we asked out loud, “What is the message we will need to hear this season?” Sarah Speed, one of our founding creative partners, referenced a poem she had written a few years ago titled, “How does a weary world rejoice?” In it, she lists many seemingly mundane actions that fill our days: stretching your body awake, looking at the night sky, making room on the subway, helping a neighbour on the street, and so on. In the last stanza, she concludes: How does a weary world rejoice? I would guess soul by soul and day by day. But if you ask me, I bet most of it counts.

“After Sarah read her poem aloud, we heard the answer to our question: we need to hear that it all counts. We need to acknowledge the weariness of our world, while also seeking real and daily moments of joy. We need to remember that all of life can be a prayer. And so, we found ourselves compelled by the question Sarah’s poem poses: How does a weary world rejoice? 

“In each week of our series, we respond to this question with a statement inspired by our scriptures. These texts bring us into a space of possibility; in them, we find rhythms for rejoicing, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Each weekly sub-theme is a “we” statement because joy is deeply relational and rooted in the fact that we belong to God. As we move through our series, we hope to create space for acknowledging the weariness of our world while celebrating God’s closeness with great joy.”