Rory Cooney’s defiant hymn “Canticle of the Turning” (no. 100 in the Glory to God hymnal) gives contemporary voice to the Magnificat, also known as the Song of Mary (Luke 1:46–55). The refrain captures Mary’s understanding of what God is about to do in sending Jesus into the world:

 

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My heart shall sing of the day you bring.

Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,

and the world is about to turn.

 

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As we approach Advent 2020, we’ve chosen a phrase from “Canticle of the Turning” as our theme for the season. It’s been a strange and difficult year, overshadowed by not only the COVID-19 pandemic but also a seemingly never-ending series of social, environmental, and political upheavals. Nevertheless, we Christians are people of hope, and Advent reminds us of the great hope that came into the world two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, that moves in and through us even today, and that continues to lead us into God’s promised new creation. Thus our theme: The Dawn Draws Near.

Advent 2020 begins on Sunday, November 29, and one of Trinity’s great seasonal traditions is our Devotional Guide, which you create. This year’s guide will be familiar but also somewhat different: rather than every day being devoted to a particular Scripture passage, we’ll feature a mix of reflections on Scripture, hymns and carols, and your personal memories, testimonials, and hopes for the future. And because the pandemic has moved so much of our life together online, we’re going to take advantage of that reality by opening our Devotional Guide up not only to written submissions but also to other forms of creative expression—music, art, you-name-it—rendered in video or photographic form.