Letter from Amy: Dec 3, 2025

Amy Rowe
3 hours ago
4 min read

The remnants of Christ the King Sunday: canned goods, the lion and the lamb, and so many paper crowns at the altar

Dear Incarnation,

Welcome to Advent!

Sunday’s Lessons & Carols service was beautiful. I’m so grateful for all of our scripture readers; the amazingly talented singers in our All Y’All Choir and the Beverley Hills choir; the musical leadership of Grant, Russell, and Steve; and the hospitality of so many who contributed pecan pies and Takis and lingered long afterward. Thank you, everyone!

Two lines from Sunday’s carols particularly stood out to me:

Deeply wailing,

Shall the true Messiah see (from Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending)

and

She bore to us a Savior

When half spent was the night (from Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming)

These lines are variations on the same Advent theme: that the revelation of God comes in the unlikeliest times and places: while deeply wailing, when the night is half spent, when we’re ready to give up, when hope seems futile.

That’s the backwards logic of the Incarnation, and it’s there in our church’s name for a reason. Our church has always banked its hope on the reality that Jesus can be — even chooses to be — revealed in dark and unexpected places.

I find that news especially comforting this year. Our lives — in the volatile DC area, in a violent world, in an uncertain future, in a scandalized church, in countless other ways — have all experienced their fair share of darkness and disorientation. There are so many places we are still waiting for God’s light to be revealed. But we hold onto the Advent promise that there is no darkness that can overcome the revelation of God’s light. The dawn is surely coming when all our wails will turn to songs of joy.

Until then, we wait. This is not a passive waiting, but a faithful, active, hopeful waiting. We wait in such a way that our present lives bear witness to the future world we know is coming. So we resist the powers that be, living lives that are gentle, loving, peaceable, worshipful, wondering, and welcoming — in a world that is violent, polarized, outraged, joyless, suspicious, and isolated. This is how we wait.

There are a number of small ways you can wait with our church over the coming days:

Advent wreaths. Last Sunday, we made Advent wreaths; we’ll have more supplies this week if you missed it! Josie has pulled together this guide with suggestions for making and using an Advent wreath throughout the season. As always, I appreciate her emphasis on keeping things small, simple, and sustainable as we worship in our homes.
Q&A with Bishop Chris. This might seem like an odd thing to frame as “waiting.” But one of the areas of great sadness for me — and I’ve heard for many of you — has been the revelation of so much misconduct, mishandling, and division within the Anglican Church in North America this year (I wrote about this most recently here and here). I am still waiting to see what will come to light and how it will be addressed. I am still waiting for God to correct, refine, and heal his church. If you are still waiting, too, then you might be feeling a little uncertain about our bishop's visit this weekend. How do we remain faithfully engaged with the church and its leaders when trust is eroded and institutions feel fragile? I've heard from many of you, and I know it's hard. I encourage you to come to this Q&A session in a spirit of hopeful waiting. You’ll have an opportunity to meet our bishop, ask questions, listen, and pray in a small, relaxed setting. We’re collecting questions in advance to help us use the time well; you can submit questions anonymously using this form. We will also leave time for questions during the event itself. Saturday, Dec 6, from 1:30-2:30pm at Beverley Hills in the Fellowship Hall.

TJ’s ordination. Jesus told us that the wheat and the weeds will grow up together in the church (Matthew 13:24-30). It’s normal to be discouraged, overwhelmed, even ashamed by the presence of so many weeds in the field of the church. But there is also so much wheat growing here. Sometimes it’s hidden, but it’s here, and when we see it, we celebrate! On Saturday, we have the opportunity to celebrate “wheat” that has been growing in our midst at the ordination of our deacon, TJ Ono, to the priesthood (read more of TJ’s story here). Ordinations are such joyful events — and there’s nothing like joy to help us resist the powers of darkness. Saturday, Dec 6, at 4pm at Beverley Hills in the sanctuary, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.
Confirmation Sunday. As I said above, there is so much wheat growing in our church. I’m humbled and delighted to present 6 people for confirmation, reaffirmation, and reception on Sunday — each one of them “wheaty,” eager for their lives to be blessed and given for the nourishment of the world around them. Please join me in praying for Emma Wen, Anna Yong, Joel Chan, Nadia Rowe, Connor Bartholomew, and Katie Hamlin as they prepare for confirmation, reaffirmation, and reception this week. Sunday, Dec 7, at 9am (i.e., church as usual!)
Saint Nicholas Visits. Okay, I am stretching the “waiting” theme a bit by now, but I am delighted to celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas on Sunday after church with a visit from Bishop ~~Chris~~ Nicholas, the real-life 4th century bishop of Myra, Turkey. Hear the story, make pomanders, and enjoy after-church fellowship with the bishop. Sunday, Dec 7, after church on the playground.

I also want to recommend, as I've done in years past, a few favorite resources from Art & Theology: this Advent Spotify playlist, and this annual roundup of 25 poems for Advent/Christmas. It's easy to turn Advent into another churchy thing to do; but it doesn't need to be, and I often find music and poetry a helpful antidote to busy "doing."

As always, please reach out for conversation and prayer about anything that's on your mind. I love to hear from you.

Waiting with you,

Amy