Generation to Generation
Hey y’all,
We find ourselves once again in the period of waiting that is Advent. We wait in hopeful expectation for the birth of the Christ child and the light breaking through the darkness. Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the liturgical year. I love the ritual of lighting the candles—watching the light grow each week. I love the hymns we get to sing. Selfishly, I get to wear one of my favorite stoles throughout the season. We often revisit the same scriptures each year, and they are some of my favorites. Each year I find that Advent meets me where I’m at. Each year I find that I anticipate the birth of Jesus even more.
Our Advent theme for this year is “Generation to Generation.” The theme comes from Mary’s Magnificat:
“Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His Mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.”- Luke 1:48b-50
Mary sings this Magnificat over her unborn child. It is a song about who Jesus will be. Jesus is the one who lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry, and brings down the powerful. Jesus is the one that turns the world as we know it on its head. Mary knows that this very good news is not just for her present time, but is for all time—past, present, and future—from generation to generation.
We’ve talked in church recently about the dangers of nostalgia. We certainly can’t live in the past, but we can look to the past to see who we’ve been and to help us to discern where we are going in the future. When I left home for college, my grandmother told me to “always remember where I come from.” She wanted me to remember who I was, who was sending me forth, and to live well and authentically as I began a new phase of life.
This Advent season, we invite you to remember the generations before us. Those who have helped shape us and form us. We invite you to consider our current generations. Consider who we are now and how we truly are better together. We invite you to imagine future generations. Contemplate how we are shaping the world they will live in. How can we work now to bring about the world that Mary sings of?
As with the past few Advents, we have curated another playlist based on our theme to accompany your waiting for the birth of the Christ-child this season. We hope this playlist will be a gift to you in this season and provide space for reflection on the many generations past, present, and future.
I pray that each of you can experience the hope, peace, joy, and love the Christ child brings this Advent season.
Peace,
Rev. Leigh