We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

2023 Sun Dec 3

Arts and Faith- Advent 1, Year B relating art and scripture

From Art and Faith

The First Week of Advent, Year B, is based on Mark 13:33–37. The art is William Holman Hunt’s “The Light of the World.”

“Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn.”

At the start of Advent, the Gospel calls us to vigilance—to watch and be ready for the Lord of the house, awaiting his return. William Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World offers us one image of what this arrival might look like. The Light of the World is deeply symbolic, showing Christ arriving at a door at night. It’s an allegory for Christ seeking entry at the door of the human heart. His way to the door is lit by a lantern, casting a soft light on the door to show that it is overgrown with plants; it has not been opened in a while. The plants also show that it is not only a late hour, but late in the year—they are dry, past harvest, and ready to crumble away as winter comes.

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Advent 1, 2023

Advent

Advent in 2 minutes Check out this Youtube video

Advent in 1 minute– A 2015 video from St. Mary’s Cypress

Explore Advent, Part 1– Over the next 4 Sundays there will be a presentation each week focusing on that week’s scriptures, art and commentary and how they demonstrate the themes of advent. Let’s get started with Advent 1.

Advent is the time when we change to a different year in the Lectionary. This year we move from Year A to B and from a concentration on the Gospel of Matthew to Mark. &nbspThere are several articles which are a general introduction to Mark 1. Shortest from christianity.about.com 2. Longer from the Catholic Bishops 3. Longest from a catholic source

Interested in the Church calendar ? Matthew’s interest about time in First Advent lends itself to understand how we measure time.

There are several articles/presentations about the infancy narratives 1. Brief summary between Matthew and Luke  2. Longer comparison

Mark’s “Little Apocalypse”

Jesus’ speech in Mark 13, known as Mark’s “Little Apocalypse,” highlights the destruction of the Temple, social chaos, “wars and rumors of war” (v.7) as the “beginning of the birth pangs” (v.8) — the signs of the apocalypse. Mark was written during a time of Christian persecution by the Roman Empire, but these words still echo today. Our world is erupting in devastating wars while we witness the horrifying killing of innocents. This Advent, the political and social chaos of Jesus’ day resonates a little too well.

When we are overwhelmed by the suffering of our world, what can we learn from apocalyptic texts that turn us to the future? How can these texts illuminate the ways we can and should move through our current context? How can these texts prepare and inspire us for a new beginning come Christmas?

Mark’s “Little Apocalypse” is meant to encourage the faithful to endure, because, as the old spiritual says, “soon and very soon, we are going to see the King” (Glory to God, 384). Mark anticipates Jesus will return within his lifetime, encouraging us to “keep awake” (v.37), recognize the ways God is already here, and keep hopeful eyes on the horizon for the redemption God promises to bring.

The climax of Jesus’ apocalyptic speech in verses 26-27 describes God’s final gathering of his people. Jesus reassures those suffering that God is ultimately in control; their hardships will not last forever. The vision of God’s people gathered “from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (v.27) is a source of strength. There is no greater suffering than that endured alone. ..