Advent 2025 Theme

For Advent 2025 we chose the theme “From Generation to Generation” from A Sanctified Art. I felt this theme was especially meaningful for Zion right now, because we are at a point in our congregation’s life where we need to lean on—and learn from—our past. Many of our long-time members carry wise, beautiful stories about why Zion has been their home and what keeps them coming week after week. Beyond that, we each bring different traditions and memories to the way we celebrate Christmas.

My goal for this year’s Advent Festival was not only to prepare us for the season of Advent, but also to honor the many ways our congregation experiences this joyful and sacred time of year. The various tables representing different countries reflect the heritage, traditions, and stories of some of our members. They give us a chance both to celebrate who we are and to learn how Christmas is observed across cultures and around the world.

We have also chosen to expand our Advent observance because it is such a rich and thoughtful season. Advent prepares us for the birth of Christ, and it marks the beginning of the church year. In the same way that many of us set intentions or make resolutions each January, I see Advent as the season that grounds and shapes the year ahead for the church.

A Sanctified Art provides thoughtful resources—written liturgy, art, music, reflections, and crafts—that weave beautifully into the theme From Generation to Generation. We only use about half of the materials simply because there isn’t enough time in worship to include everything (otherwise we’d be approaching two-hour services!). PM and I also enjoy blending in our own ideas and reflections. So A Sanctified Art becomes our roadmap: it sparks creativity and gives us a theological and artistic framework from which we can build.

A Sanctified Art reflects on the theme in this way:

“Despite the challenges and vulnerability she faced, Mary could glimpse the scale and scope of the good news she was part of bringing forth. This good news transcends time and space—it was and is bigger than just her. Christ is coming for collective liberation; God’s redemption is at work for years to come. Therefore, the promise is meant to be lived out and passed on from generation to generation.
From Generation to Generation reminds us of the ways our lives, histories, actions, and stories are interconnected and woven together. The work of God is always unfolding—in and through us. This Advent season, how will we carry it forth?”

Guided by this roadmap, PM and I have curated custom services each Sunday in Advent, drawing from these resources and shaping them to fit Zion’s story. Another resource I deeply appreciate is the hymn text writing of Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (https://www.carolynshymns.com/). She crafts new hymn lyrics in the style of traditional writers, set to well-known tunes. It is always meaningful—and fun—to select hymns that resonate with our weekly scriptures and themes.

Post by Director of Worship, Seth R.