Mid-week Message

Greetings!

“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

Advent starts this Sunday. During Advent, we are waiting for the birth of Jesus. This year we are following a worship resource that takes us through the Christmas narratives, following the lives of those who waited in real time for Jesus’ birth. The theme for Advent and Christmas is From Generation to Generation. Here is the logo that captures this theme:

As we prepare for Advent, I invite you to reflect on the artist’s statement about the symbolism behind the logo and our theme From Generation to Generation:

“When we decided on the theme, From Generation to Generation..., the imagery that kept surfacing was the connective tissue of people through the visual metaphor of a family tree. At first, I was focused on this metaphor’s more literal imagery, like branches, leaves, and roots, but instead, I kept being drawn into the people. When I started incorporating more representational imagery of people, I found that the result was translating more as a nuclear family or a more narrow idea of family, which we definitely wanted to avoid. I knew I wanted to emphasize the particularity of each person while imaging how their story fits into a larger narrative—one in line with the generative work of God. I drew simplified silhouettes of people in a radial fashion, positioned around a center point. At once this imagery took on a depth of meaning: the lineage of Christ centered around his light, the nativity scene centered around the manger, and the larger movement of God through each and every created being—radiating and growing like a flower. Ultimately, the image represents how we are all connected, our stories are woven together, and each of us has a purpose in the beauty of God’s continued unfolding creation.”

— Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman, designer of the theme logo and branding

Grace and peace, Rev. Sarina