Blogger Rita Kowats once reflected on a famous painting by Paul Gauguin titled, “Vision After the Sermon.” The work is Gauguin’s interpretation of the Biblical story from Genesis of Jacob wrestling with an angel. Gauguin depicts a congregation of twelve watching the contest. Kowats says that when she first viewed it, she felt angry at the “viewers” in the painting for watching and doing nothing. But in a later reflection, she had an epiphany. “They are not spectators. They hold vigil for Jacob.”
Perhaps you can relate. Have you ever kept vigil? Have you ever waited attentively while someone you love was having a surgery? Having a baby? Entering their last hours? Perhaps you have attended a vigil that was a prelude to a worship event. Or maybe you have been a part of a community candlelight vigil following an act of senseless violence.”
Advent invites us to the important spiritual practice of holding vigil. To engage in vigil allows us to transform our inaction or voyeurism, our sense of avoidance or fear, into a prayerful attentiveness to what is about to happen. Vigil opens us to the possibility of seeing the presence of God as our lives unfold. And the Church, in its wisdom, has encouraged us to enter into this deep attentiveness as we enter Advent.
We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday morning. The sermon is titled “The Advent Practice of Keeping Vigil”, arising from Luke 21: 25-36. In the service, we will light the first candle on the Advent wreath. We will celebrate communion together for the first time since we have returned to in person worship. We will also welcome children to come forward for the children’s moment. We ask that an adult accompany very young children, and that all children age three or older be masked.
If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the live stream at www.smumc.church at 10:30am Sunday morning!