Happy Advent Sunday! #AdventWord #Awaken

‘The Psalmist says: “Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and harp; I myself will awake the dawn.” In Advent, we prepare for what God will do with our spirits, not what we will do. A certain church website offers the wonderful message, “…walk in the Way; widen the walls; wake up the world.” AWAKEN for others.’

AdventWord Global Advent Calendar 2017 starts today – a project of the Anglican Communion with the Society of Saint John the Evangelist Brothers SSJE and Virginia Theological Seminary VTS. Each day there is a theme word and meditation. My AdventWord photo each day will link to the theme (and maybe, but not necessarily to the meditation).  Today’s Advent Word theme is AWAKEN.

In October 1965, Taiwan’s first Chinese bishop, Bishop James C. L. Wong 王長齡主教 (Bishop of Taiwan 1965-70) welcomed visitors from Taiwan’s new companion diocese, the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina EDUSC, USA, led by Bishop John A. Pinckney (Bishop of EDUSC 1963-72) to visit the Taiwan Episcopal Church 台灣聖公會.  This led to a fruitful 6-year partnership. Under Bishop Wong’s leadership and with EDUSC support and God’s blessing, many of the congregations in Taiwan were able to build churches and establish outreach ministries.  My AdventWord photos come from the EDUSC Archives, taken by Bishop Pinckney and his group on that trip to Taiwan in 1965.

With grateful thanks to Bishop David J. H. Lai, Taiwan, and Bishop W. Andrew Waldo, EDUSC for their support.

(You may even notice that the top right photo in the collage is printed in reverse – guess it adds to the authenticity!)