Inspiring reflection and a sense of wonder along the faith journey of Advent, Songs in Waiting is a book of spiritual meditations focusing on the ancient Middle Eastern songs celebrating the birth of Jesus: “The Song of Mary,” “The Song of Zecharias,” “The Song of the Angels,” and “The Song of Simeon.”
These four songs, full of hope, mystery, and divine purpose, have played an important role in Christian worship for 2,000 years, inspiring the work of artists and musicians over the centuries. Beautifully woven throughout this book, the inspirational paintings of artist Daniel Bonnell help capture and define the essence of these songs. Grounded in the original context of their Middle Eastern cultural settings, this literary and visual presentation breathes new life in to the scenes surrounding Christ’s coming.
“Advent is all about the unexpected arrival of God. Through the birth of a little boy God surprises earth with heaven.” (Page 2)
“Shalom does not primarily mean the cessation of conflict, but rather the experience of ‘complete wholeness” (Page 73)
“These ‘great things’ given her by God are contrasted with her ‘low or humble’ status in society, making sure to emphasize her feeling of not deserving such a great gift. The terms ‘humble’ or ‘low estate’ at that time had the connotation of ‘poverty,’ both economical and societal. In other words, Mary is drawing our attention to her state of powerlessness and maybe even cultural oppression. She was very young, and came from Nazareth, a town of negative reputation, considered entirely unimportant.” (Page 30)
“‘Glory’ was a word used by the Jews at that time as an attempt to describe the very nature of God. Throughout the Scriptures ‘glory’ largely refers to the ‘display of God’s character,’ implying a disclosure by God of who God is: an expression of God’s active presence. Therefore, when the angels sing the Gloria, they are saying that Christ’s birth is ultimately about revealing God’s character, demonstrating the very heart of the Divine.” (Page 71)
“Thus Advent is a time to celebrate the past and anticipate the future; ‘living in Advent’ is about being in a state of readiness for the continual coming of God into our lives.” (Page 3)