Second Sunday of Advent
Scripture Reading for Today:
Star Light, Star Bright
by Diane Clifford
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight.
Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
Remember these lyrics from a childhood nursery rhyme.
My friend Lorraine and I stood outside gazing at the night sky filled with a million stars shining and twinkling brightly against the darkness. The air was brisk and cold but we were bundled up in our parkas and snow pants, hoods over our toques, scarves wrapped around our necks and covering our mouths, warm boots on our feet and woollen mittens on our hands so we didn’t notice how cold it was out there. We stood close together, shoulders touching, hands by our sides, our faces tilted upwards so we could see the fullness of the heavens. Neither of us spoke for a few moments. Then together we recited the words reverently, slowly, hoping against hope, that our wishes would come true.
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight.
Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
We had been friends since birth, growing up beside each other in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and more trees. It was a small community, a bush camp in Northern Ontario, with no television to watch or stores to shop in. The only real access to the world of shopping was the Eaton’s catalogue that came twice a year. When the catalogue arrived, we would pore over it, marvelling as we turned the pages, exclamations of delight and excitement especially at Christmas. What would be under our Christmas tree to open this year?
One year when we were about ten, we both fell in love with this one doll that we saw in the catalogue and we decided that was all we wanted for Christmas. The doll was about 8 inches tall, she had brown hair, mid-length in a poufy kind of style and she was wearing a red and white polka dot dress and red shoes. She was beautiful. We liked to be outside as much as we could and didn’t play with dolls very much but for some reason, we really wanted this doll. After supper, we would meet in the field behind our houses and say these words together, fervently, earnestly as though our lives depended on it. Every evening we stood in the bitter cold, looking up, believing that our wishes would come true.
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight.
Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
This memory from my childhood has stuck with me. Did we get the doll? Of course, we did. Did we play with the doll much? For a while, but not long. Was it really about the doll? It may have seemed so at the time but the doll is long gone and our friendship remains to this day. It was the anticipation and hope that we shared that still resonates with me as we embark on the season of Advent.
Anticipation and hope! A time of expectancy! What are we waiting for?
Like many congregations our family in faith has an Advent Wreath; however, the Advent wreath we celebrate the season with is somewhat different. Traditionally, the candles are either purple or blue with one pink and the white Christ candle. The advent devotions we use have been taken from The Dancing Sun - An Indigenous Advent Resource. The four candles in the Advent wreath are yellow, black, red, and white and the Christ candle in the centre which symbolizes and reminds us that Christ is with us and is the centre of who we are, is blue. The four coloured candles remind us of the four directions, yellow - east, black - south, red - west, white - north and the people of the world. The greenery in the wreath is cedar which is sacred to First Nations people.
Rev Evelyn Broadfoot wrote these words “This advent wreath reminds us that we are part of the circle of life - we are a part of the whole of God’s creation and that everybody comes and has a place in the circle. We must always remember that and work towards that - this is the way of the circle - everyone is worth something and Jesus is always the centre of all that we are and all we profess to be!”
The advent wreath we use reminds us that all of life is sacred – that all is connected in some way and that we do this in community. As community, we dream together in anticipation and hope of the coming of Jesus bringing peace and reconciliation, one with another, one with all creation.
Sometimes when I ponder the world as it is currently, I recall the faith of that child who stood outside in the cold night looking up at an incredible sky filled with millions and millions of stars reciting the words:
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight.
Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
What do I wish and hope for this year? As I stand in the circle of God’s creation I pray that I may have that childlike faith to walk in the light of Jesus with others in a way that brings peace, healing and love along the journey. Anticipating with hope and believing that it is possible!
Thank you for reading the New Leaf Advent Reader, a collection of reflections from writers across Canada. If you are enjoying the reader, sign up to receive the readings in your inbox each day here: SIGN UP
And please share this reflection with your friends and family who might also enjoy it.