'The Light Came Down' by Josh Garrels

Advent is a time of waiting and expectation. We know what has been promised and are preparing our hearts to welcome King Jesus. We've each done more than our usual share of waiting this year, much of it done inside, shut away in our houses. We have waited in hope for news of a vaccine so that we can see loved ones, return to work, or simply experience routines that we cherish and make life make sense. This song talks about how Jesus, the light, came down to earth to dwell with us, make all things new and answer our prayers. As you reflect on the words I pray that they bring you hope, joy & peace in a season of expectation amidst uncertainty.

- Jess B

The end of our searching

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I heard the phrase “God of glory, the end of our searching” in a prayer a while ago and it really captured my imagination, so I decided to create a papercut design based on it. I wanted to express the peace that comes with being with God. After being out at sea searching for a place to rest, this bird has finally found land. In Advent, we wait in hope for the coming of Jesus, knowing that his presence is the end of our searching.

- Tessa

Unnamed Girl

A baby is precious, vulnerable, and raises questions by its presence, particularly if that baby doesn't meet all of the expectations society has set. This was true for Jesus. This is a spoken word piece about parents picturing the life-to-be of a girl yet-to-be-born and the questions her life asks them, and asks us.

- Stephen

Lamentations - a painting and a poem

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Pressing into the waiting.
Making it comfortable with holly and hope.
Flooding our plans with positive expectation. 
Pushing back the possibility -  that this time he might not come.

What if the manger were to lie empty
Mary join the ranks of the heartbroken. The stunned
and shunned. The crossed by to the other side.
New life stopped in all its terrifying fragility.

The world left saviour-less,
Un-moored from its calendar axis.
What would we pivot on then?
Where would we look to for a moment of eternal change?

But that was not her fate.
After her wait she had life.
Her horror and loss was to come.
The embalming myrrh sitting in the back of the cupboard like a needle in her soul.

But for now we can bask in hope.
Hold our hands out to it like a warm fire.
We can squeeze into the stable.
Nothing for now, quiet now. still empty, still waiting.

Molly (age 12): I really like this verse as it reminds us of God’s promises, but that it’s ok that God isn’t always quick to respond - we can wait and give him time. This is a peaceful and relaxing thought and the painting is something you can meditate on, lose yourself in - a peaceful place.

Charlotte: I wrote this poem as a meditation on the waiting of Advent in the light of the fragility of life, the miracle of any new birth and especially that of Jesus.

Waiting with expectation

If advent is a time of waiting, what is it that you are deep down waiting for? There may be worries that we would love to have peace of mind about, or a longing that we have not yet put into words. What are the things on your mind that can be turned into a prayer, a prayer so important to you that you would wait expectantly for an answer? Jesus was born in Bethlehem and is now alive forever, asking us 'what is it that you truly want'. He is himself the source of all good things.

- Pieter-Bas

Pregnant Pause

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The last few weeks of waiting for my daughter’s birth felt like waiting for Christmas. Perhaps this make sense - after all Advent marks the waiting for the coming of the new-born Jesus. This year we are also awaiting the end of the pandemic, a chance to be together again. We wait with expectation – I expected to meet my baby, we will celebrate Christmas, Covid restrictions will be relaxed. So, too, can we wait expectantly for the return of Christ. I hope this time of waiting provides a time of pause to reflect on what we are waiting for.

- Charlotte B

Seasons

This song by Hillsong Worship instantly came to mind when I started to think about the hope of God in the midst of the hard times we've been in. It's a beautiful song that describes what it's like to be going through hard seasons, depicted as winter. But we know that everything happens in God's beautiful timing, and he is with us through it all.

- Hannah C

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