Advent Prayer Service Centers Survivors’ Art
Members of the Awake community gathered earlier this week for a unique Advent service that created space for attendees to meditate on songs, poetry, paintings, and other art created by people who have experienced harm in the Church.
A recording of the service, which is about one hour long, is available below, and ideal for personal prayer in the final days of Advent.
Stone art created by Mike
“Tonight’s service is inspired by the idea of creative expression as a reflection of God’s own creative love,” explained prayer team member Christine Ellerbrock at the start of the service. “Our creations can be celebratory, healing, educational, calming, disturbing, transformative, nurturing, shocking, or thought-provoking. Exploring your own creativity or the creativity of others can be an illuminating experience.”
After each piece of art was shared, prayer team member Lynn Charnitz invited those assembled to reflect in silence on two questions:
How did this piece speak to you?
How does it connect to your Advent experience?
The service opened with “Unity Song,” composed and sung by Tim, a member of the Awake community, who shared that the lyrics were inspired by his experiences in a Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) support group. In a reflection read before the song began, Tim explained that the SNAP group was a place where he felt true belonging.
“As we come together during this holiday season, perhaps we can be more mindful of our collective responsibility to let everyone know, including ourselves, that although we may not ‘fit in,’ we do indeed belong,” he explained.
Hope and “Watchful Waiting”
Next, attendees viewed a photo of a series of three shadow boxes filled with carefully placed stones that the artist, Mike, found along the shores of Cayuga Lake in New York.
Emmie created this quilt, inspired by a favorite Lady of Fatima T-shirt that was too worn to wear.
“To create is to believe that here's something worth sharing which might move another human being, and that's just plain hopeful,” he wrote in a shared reflection. “Abuse happens in isolation, in secret, and healing happens in community, and art needs a 'community' to be appreciated beyond the initial creative expression.”
“I have found this creative expression to be personally healing,” he continued. “It's a quiet way to share my truth, without necessarily needing to share my abuse story. It's just one way of sharing my philosophy of life with others, and allows an outlet for my emotions, including my joy.”
Later, the group viewed photos of a quilt created by Emmie. In her reflection, Emmie described the many months of patient hand-sewing that it involved.
“The process, the waiting, the patience and perseverance needed, was very much akin to the waiting and working that comes with a life of faith,” she offered. “In this Advent time of waiting and watching, patient observance of a vigil, the act of simply being faithful, is brought to the forefront.”
In her reflection, Olivia described feeling hope in the light of Christ.
“Like nurturing a garden, sewing a quilt, or bearing and raising a child, a life of faith and trust involves much invisible, tedious work done consistently,” Emmie wrote. “It involves watchful waiting, and simply showing up, even when the process seems never ending. Someday it will end, and all that we have worked for and loved will be brought to completion.”
Other featured works included poems and paintings, each with a thought-provoking reflection written by the artist.
As the service drew to a close, prayer team member Kate Sponholz invited attendees to “ponder what gifts this time together has brought to you, and what gifts you have to share with others.”
Awake’s next virtual prayer event, scheduled for 7 pm Central on Tuesday, February 11, will focus on “The Spiritual Practice of Lament.” See the Awake website for more details and to sign up to participate.
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