Week 3
The season continues to build in anticipation. This third week of Advent finds the light blue runners
of week two joined by an even lighter blue one on the Table. As in week two, the O-Antiphon banners from the previous week are
suspended above the chancel, while two new banners are processed into the sanctuary on standards and
positioned to the rear of the Table. After the service, these banners are elevated to join the previous four in preparation
for Advent week four.
Antiphon 5
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
The O DAYSPRING Antiphon praises the Messiah as the Brightness of light and the Sun of righteousness. The rising dawn depicted
on the banner shines with a warm brightness designed to chase the fearsome shadows of night away. Christ is called to come and
enlighten those that sit in darkness and the shadow of death. One description of the Dayspring design suggested that Christ's
coming enlightens people with visions of harmony and mutuality. The ribbon used for rays of sunlight and reflections were
harmonious in color with the gold lamé fabric I chose. The lamé seemed an obvious choice for the sun's fabric because of the way
it reflects light. (Reflection by antiphon artist - Becki Williams).
Antiphon 6
O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be Thyself our King of Peace.
The sixth O Antiphon addresses the rule of Christ as the DESIRE OF NATIONS. He is the only one capable of arbitrating the
differences between rival nations. Thus, we look to Christ to provide all the peoples of the earth with justice and peace forever.
With the historic church, we pray for an end to strife and the coming reign of God on earth. The crown is symbolic of Christ as King
of Kings. The appliqué design on the banner conveys the impression of a king's crown made of gold with large precious stones and regal
purple fabric. (Reflection by antiphon artist - Jana Loyd)
Week 4
For the fourth Sunday in Advent, the sanctuary and narthex entrance are accented with red poinsettias. The drape
on the Table is a pale blue runner. This continues the transition from dark blue to light blue, with the gradual lightening representing
the journey along the path toward the birth of Christ -- the light of the world. The final O-antiphon banner is processed into the
sanctuary and placed by the pulpit.
Antiphon 7
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
To a despairing people, Isaiah (9:2) announced hope describing it in terms of a great light. The prophet spoke (7:14) of a young
woman who would conceive and bear a son. The child would be named EMMANUEL, which means "God is with us." In ages past, ancient
peoples often sought to discern the course of events through changes in the night sky. Matthew’s birth narrative tells of cosmic
signs in the form of a bright star that guided the magi on their journey to the place of Christ’s birth. Luke tells of old Simeon
who praised God and sang of Christ as the "light to the nations." John speaks of Christ as the true light coming into the world.
The star on this banner was made of satin ribbon and crystal beads to reflect the light.
(Reflection by antiphon artist - Jana Loyd)
Christ our Lord, is known as the Wisdom of the Ages. The O Antiphon ––WISDOM reminds us that
Christ came to teach us the way to be wise and judicious so that the world will be nurtured
with justice and joy; that its beauty and goodness may flourish. The oil lamp is a symbol of
wisdom. I wanted to distinguish what I saw as separate elements in the design, the lamp and
the flame. I felt it was important to create flames that were brighter than the lamp, so I
selected sequins rather than fabric for the fire. To give the lamp more dimension, I stitched
ribbons on top of the gold lamé fabric to highlight features of the lamp and create some
depth on the flat banner. (Reflection by antiphon artist - Becki Williams)
The burning bush reminds us of God, the LORD OF MIGHT, manifesting God’s-self by name to Moses
and giving God’s law to Israel as their way of life. To make the burning bush, I used a
technique where threads of various colors are sewn on sheets of starch. The starch is then
dissolved in water and when the piece is dry, the threads are stiff. When thinking of how to
depict a burning bush on a banner, this technique popped into my head and I thought it would
really show the colors and depth of fire on a two dimensional surface. (Reflection by
antiphon artist - Linda Fleming)
Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah as the flowering branch that sprouted from the roots of an old tree stump.
From this the "ROOT OF JESSE," is born King David’s descendent, the Savior of the world. The roots are
gnarled and deep in the ground, making possible the vitality of a branch newly sprouting. This shoot is a sign
to all people that God’s peaceful kingdom will come to each and defeat the powers of evil and death. Diane
Ganson designed and made the flower by sewing individual pieces and lightly stuffing them to achieve a three
dimensional effect. Then, she added seed-like beads to the center of the flower. (Artist - Diane Ganson;
reflection written by Jana Loyd)
Christ, as KEY OF DAVID, sets free all those imprisoned by darkness and death and opens wide the gates into
heaven. According to Isaiah, the symbols of power and authority have been given to David’s heir who is revealed
to be Jesus Christ. It is Christ who frees us from our captivity to sin. Mary Taylor cut this intricate key
pattern out of an antique gold satin fabric to symbolize the metal of an old key. She chose the gold trim to
add the cross design to the key to further symbolize that Christ’s death on the cross is key to our salvation.
(Artist - Mary Taylor; reflection written by Jana Loyd)