Song of Songs Advent Devotion for Couples – Advent 3 Wednesday
Anyone who gardens knows that a wall or fence around a garden is a good thing for keeping unwanted dangers out. Christ describes his Church like a garden, around which he has built a wall. Inside the garden are refreshing fruit and nourishing streams – it’s paradise, which he himself has made.
Opening Prayer
The third Advent candle (rose/pink) along with two violet candles are lit.
The husband may say, or the couple may say together:
In the name of the Father and of † the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, who has created man and woman and provided them with the estate of marriage, provide us in our relationship the kind of love that reflects your love for us. For you gave your Son to purchase us by his blood, and you will send him again to bring us to the heavenly wedding feast on the Last Day. Strengthen us by your Word as we expect his Advent. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Together you may confess the Apostles’ Creed and pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Song of Songs 4:12-5:1
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A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices – a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow.
Wife: Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.
Husband: I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk.
Both: Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love!
Pencil on gessoed panel, 10″ x 8″, copyright 2012
Kelly Schumacher, Agnus Dei Liturgical Arts
Used by permission.
“The unicorn tapestries at the Cloisters in New York are a series of woven images depicting the mythical narrative of the life of a unicorn. This piece draws from the richly embroidered tapestries, depicting the flora and fauna in detail. Through this detail we see the vision of creation. Smaller organic forms repeat themselves in tree and rock formations, showing how the beauty and continuity in nature testifies the existence of God over creation. Jan van Eyck, a late gothic painter, placed infinite detail and realism of high importance in his art to emphasize the vastness of creation.
The legend of the unicorn is more than a myth, it is a narrative that points to Christ. In the final tapestry, the Unicorn sits inside of a fence in a garden. He represents the risen Christ waiting in the garden for his beloved Bride. The Church also waits for Christ’s return on the last day.”
“My beloved has gone down to his garden
to the beds of spices,
to graze in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
he grazes among the lilies”
— Song of Solomon 6:2-3 (ESV)
Agnus Dei Liturgical Arts
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Discussion
Garden: The Bride is a “locked garden,” depicting her premarital virginity and chastity. But even were she not sexually pure before her marriage, her Groom has declared her so, demonstrating forgiveness and love. She is depicted as a paradise, like the Garden of Eden.
What has Jesus used to make us his own, set apart and kept pure?
Fruits: This Eden-like Garden is described in vivid detail. Spices swirl around in the air; fruits burst out in every place. Living water supplies nourishment to the plants and people. The Groom is never so happy or so content as he is with his Bride.
What does this tell us about how Jesus has chosen to see his Bride, the Church?
The picture of the waters in this section gives way to the picture of wine, and the friends of the couple encourage them to “be drunk with love.” Literal drunkenness is condemned in Scripture, but recall how Jesus turned water into wine for the enjoyment of the wedded couple and their guests. The joy of “drunkenness” in love is praised and approved by Jesus. This “drunkenness” is the happy longing for the Bridegroom’s arrival, with the certain knowledge that he will come with blessing.
Recording information: Artist: Matthew Larkin; Choir: The Elora Singers; Conductor: Noel Edison; Composer: Healey Willan; Producer: Norbert Kraft. ℗ 2006 Naxos
Hymn
Hymn verses this week: “The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us,” v. 4
(Listen to the melody here)
4. Our Father, rich in blessing,
Will give us crowns of gold
And, to His bosom pressing,
Impart a bliss untold,
Will welcome with embraces
Of never-ending love,
And deck us with His graces
In blissful realms above.
Author: Johann Walter; Translator: Matthias Loy
Benediction
The almighty and most merciful Lord, the Father, the † Son, and the Holy Spirit bless and preserve us. Amen.
Devotions by Rev. Michael Lilienthal and Rev. Jeff Hendrix.
Jeffrey Hendrix
I serve as pastor of an Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregation in Oregon, WI. But I never wanted to be a pastor. I wanted to produce media. I went to Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN for communication/video production, and while I was there, I began to appreciate historic Lutheran doctrine and practice, recognizing the beauty and teaching in the design of the divine service. Professors encouraged me to consider studying for the pastoral office, and I listened. So now I produce media for churches (See my website LutheranSynodPublishing.com) as a pastor.
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