Advent in Art card preview - World Vision New Zealand

y said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept
h a man.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit
l come upon you, the power of the Highest hover
r you; therefore, the child you bring to birth will
called Holy, Son of God.”
d did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conved
a son, old as she is? Everyone called her
ren, and here she is six months pregnant!
thing, you see, is impossible with God.”
d Mary said, “Yes, I see it all now....” Then the
el left her.
asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be
?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory.…”
od then arranged a secret meeting with the
lars from the East. Pretending to be as devout
hey were, he got them to tell him exactly when
birth-announcement star appeared. Then he…
, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned.
oon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you
nce in your worship.”
ructed by the king, they set off. Then the star
eared again, the same star they had seen in the
ern skies. It led them on until it hovered over
place of the child. They could hardly contain
selves: They were in the right place! They had
ed at the right time! They entered the house
saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.
rcome, they kneeled and worshipped him. Then
opened their luggage and presented gifts:
, frankincense, myrrh.
is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in
nket and lying in a manger.”
nce the angel was joined by a huge angelic
r singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the
enly heights, Peace to all men and women on
who please him.
e angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepers
talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem
st as we can and see for ourselves what God
evealed to us.” They left, running, and found
and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
g was believing. They told everyone they met
the angels had said about this child.
kept all these things to herself, holding them
, deep within herself. The sheepherders red
and let loose, glorifying and praising God
verything they had heard and seen. It turned
xactly the way they’d been told!
when Jeremiah’s sermon was fulfilled:
nd was heard in Ramah,
ng and much lament.
l weeping for her children,
l refusing all solace,
ildren gone, dead and buried.”
when Herod died, God’s angel appeared in
m to Joseph in Egypt: “Up, take the child
is mother and return to Israel. All those out
rder the child are dead.”
2007
Wayne Forte.
30 x 29 inches.
Oil and acrylic on paper
2005
Wayne Forte
36 x 48 inches
Oil and acrylic on canvas
2013
Wayne Forte
36 x 24 inches
Oil and acrylic on paper
(Pinoy Belem means
Filipino Nativity)
2002
Wayne Forte
60 x 96 inches
Oil on canvas
#1
Hail
O Favored
One
#2
Third
World
Madonna
Advent in Art is a project of
World Vision New Zealand for
the spiritual nurture of staff.
Register at www.adventinart.org
to receive the card content weekly
by email or view them online.
Advent in Art 2013
#3
Pinoy
Belem
with Red
Horse
#4
Rest
on Flight
to Egypt
(after
Gentileschi)
Our grateful thanks to Wayne Forte
for permission to reproduce his works.
www.wayneforte.com
Concept, curation and production
by Alison Squires & Mark Pierson,
World Vision New Zealand.
www.worldvision.org.nz
Advent
in Art
2013

Advent is the four-Sunday period before
Christmas Day. It marks the start of the Christian
Year and is traditionally used by the Western
Church worldwide to reflect on the coming of
Christ. Advent – ‘to reach for’, ‘to come’ - has
to do with waiting and hopeful expectation.
Advent is the time Christians look forward: to
celebrating the birth of Christ and also, ultimately,
to the return of Christ.
I encourage you to find four candles and to
repeatedly light one as often as you can in
the first week; in week two light two candles,
and so on. The traditional colour for Advent is
violet or dark blue – the colour of royalty. You
may like to find a piece of violet or blue cloth
or paper to place your candles on, or to use
violet/blue candles. (Purple is near enough
in colour.)
You can read the full story of Christmas in the
Bible in the books of Matthew and Luke in
chapters 1 and 2.
You can have a copy of the image and text
emailed to you each Sunday in Advent by
registering at: www.adventinart.org
(You will not receive any other emails.)
I would be delighted to hear if the cards have
been useful or not, and how you used them.
My grateful thanks to Wayne Forte for allowing
us to use his images (www.waynefort.com), and
to Alison Squires for curating them.
Advent in Art is a project of World Vision New
Zealand for the spiritual nurture of staff.
This set of cards has been prepared to help
you reflect on that story, and to look forward
to Christmas.
A fifth candle – a white Christ candle - can be
used for Christmas Day (and the 12 Days of
Christmas that follow).
Mark Pierson
Christian Commitments Manager
World Vision New Zealand
mark.pierson@worldvision.org.nz

Luke 1: 26-38
The Message
Announcement
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God
sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of
Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a
man descended from David. His name was Joseph,
and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel
greeted her: “Good morning! You’re beautiful with
God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be
with you.”
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was
behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured
her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a
surprise for you: you will become pregnant and
give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will
be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord
God will give him the throne of his father David;
he will rule Jacob’s house forever – no end, ever,
to his kingdom.”
Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept
with a man.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover
over you; therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.”
“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth
conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her
barren, and here she is six months pregnant!
Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”
And Mary said, “Yes, I see it all now....” Then the
angel left her.
#1
Hail
O Favored
One
2007
Wayne Forte.
30 x 29 inches.
Oil and acrylic on paper

Expectation
Reflection
Ritual
For centuries a messiah had been expected.
That this saviour might be a baby, carried by a
young unmarried girl, and born into an obscure
family and village in an occupied country was
not expected.
This did not meet the expectations of most
people. The expected messiah; but not the
messiah they expected.
What expectations of yours were met or not
met in the past year?
Offer them to God with gratitude or sadness.
What expectations do you have of this
Christmas season? Of the new year?
Offer those to God as well.
Light the first candle and use it to remind you
that both met and unmet expectations are part
of life with God.
Advent in Art is a project of World Vision New Zealand for the spiritual nurture of staff.
www.adventinart.org
www.wayneforte.com

Matthew 1:18-25 / 2:1-11
The Message
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother,
Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before
they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered
she was pregnant... Joseph, chagrined but noble,
determined to take care of things quietly so Mary
would not be disgraced.While he was trying to
figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke
in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate
to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived.
God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant….”
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village… a band
of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They
asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage
to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a
star in the eastern sky that signalled his birth. We’re
on pilgrimage to worship him.”
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was
terrified…. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the
high priests and religion scholars in the city together
and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be
born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory.…”
Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the
scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout
as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when
the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he…
said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned.
As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you
at once in your worship.”
Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star
appeared again, the same star they had seen in the
eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over
the place of the child. They could hardly contain
themselves: They were in the right place! They had
arrived at the right time! They entered the house
and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.
Overcome, they kneeled and worshipped him. Then
they opened their luggage and presented gifts:
gold, frankincense, myrrh.
#2
Third
World
Madonna
2005
Wayne Forte
36 x 48 inches
Oil and acrylic on canvas

Uncertainty
Reflection
Ritual
Mary, Joseph, Herod, the scholars each
responded to the birth-news in different ways.
Each had their reasons for the response they
made.
Which of the characters in the story do you
most often feel like?
Think about when you recently responded to
some surprising news that upset or unsettled
you. How did you behave? Why did you behave
that way?
What can you do to cope with similar
situations in the future and still be welcoming
to the person involved?
Each time you light your second candle think
about those who need your welcome and
acceptance, and women living in extreme
poverty who respond to news of a pregnancy
with mixed emotions.
Advent in Art is a project of World Vision New Zealand for the spiritual nurture of staff.
www.adventinart.org
www.wayneforte.com

Luke 2:1-20
The Message
About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census
to be taken throughout the Empire…. Everyone had
to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be
accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean
town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s
town, for the census…. He went with Mary, his
fiancée, who was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to
give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn.
She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a
manger, because there was no room in the hostel.
There were sheepherders camping in the neighbourhood….
Suddenly, God’s angel stood among
them and God’s glory blazed around them. They
were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m
here to announce a great and joyful event that is
meant for everybody, worldwide: A Saviour has
just been born in David’s town, a Saviour who is
Messiah and Master.
This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in
a blanket and lying in a manger.”
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic
choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the
heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on
earth who please him.
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders
talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem
as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God
has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found
Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met
what the angels had said about this child.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them
dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned
and let loose, glorifying and praising God
for everything they had heard and seen. It turned
out exactly the way they’d been told!
#3
Pinoy
Belem
with Red
Horse
2013
Wayne Forte
36 x 24 inches
Oil and acrylic on paper
(Pinoy Belem means
Filipino Nativity)

Community
Reflection
Ritual
The angel’s announcement makes it clear that
the story we celebrate at Christmas is intended
to be good news for every person in every part
of our world.
The story we celebrate at Christmas isn’t
just about a baby. The birth of Jesus
was the entering of God into our world
for all time. It was God showing us what
living a life with our hearts and desires
set toward building for God’s Kingdom
would look like.
Each time you light your three candles
become aware of a person or group you
have recently encountered or become
aware of.
What “good news” could you bring them?
Advent in Art is a project of World Vision New Zealand for the spiritual nurture of staff.
www.adventinart.org
www.wayneforte.com

Matthew 2: 13-20
The Message
Escape to Egypt
After the scholars were gone, God’s angel showed
up again in Joseph’s dream and commanded, “Get
up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.
Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for
this child, and wants to kill him.”
Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his
mother under cover of darkness. They were out of
town and well on their way by daylight. They lived
in Egypt until Herod’s death. This Egyptian exile
fulfilled what Hosea had preached: “I called my son
out of Egypt.”
Herod, when he realized that the scholars had
tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the
murder of every little boy two years old and under
who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills.
(He determined that age from information he’d
gotten from the scholars.)
That’s when Jeremiah’s sermon was fulfilled:
“A sound was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much lament.
Rachel weeping for her children,
Rachel refusing all solace,
Her children gone,dead and buried.”
Later, when Herod died, God’s angel appeared in
a dream to Joseph in Egypt: “Up, take the child
and his mother and return to Israel. All those out
to murder the child are dead.”
#4
Rest
on Flight
to Egypt
(after
Gentileschi)
2002
Wayne Forte
60 x 96 inches
Oil on canvas

Desperation
Reflection
Ritual
A threat is made against a vulnerable child.
His desperate parents do everything they can
to save him.
He escapes but many others die.
Every day threats – of sickness, poverty, sexual
abuse, bonded labour, slavery, injury and death –
are made against vulnerable children around the
world. Despite their desperation to do so, not all
parents are able to provide safety and nurture.
Who could you help to do this? How?
Whenever you light your four candles this week
remember and pray for children whose future
is threatened.
Advent in Art is a project of World Vision New Zealand for the spiritual nurture of staff.
www.adventinart.org
www.wayneforte.com