Advent has long been my favorite season. This is our ninth Advent celebration, and the ninth year also that we've celebrated Advent at Lake Murray as well. After Pastor Rollo, who instigated Advent at our church, left for his own church in inner-city Miami (a long way from San Diego!), I took over his "instigation" and set up Advent with the help of our new worship pastor, Craig. I asked for and received permission to share a poem I wrote based on our home Advent celebrations. Although I wrote it five years ago, I posted it three here years ago, but with more readers joining us here lately, I thought I would revisit it for this Advent.
Advent
A snap
A flicker
A tiny, trembling hand stretches forth
A light into
The shadows of the world.
With great concentration and care,
The child lights
One purple candle,
Then another.
The flames stutter,
Then burn steadily.
Four alert faces lean forward,
Their eyes alight
With the longing,
The clarity --
Of the candlelight.
Young voices hesitate
Over words of ardent prayer.
Familiar Scripture read aloud –
Every promise
A perfect “Yes,”
Every prophecy
Marvelously fulfilled.
Joyful voices join together
(Decidedly off-key)
Singing of shepherds
And angels
And a tiny town in which
The King of Kings
Was lovingly laid in a
Rude feeding trough
By a young, glowing mother
On a sacred morning
So very long ago.
Susanne Barrett
December 2004
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