Light In The Darkness
by Linda Witte Henke

Medium: Textile (altar parament)
Date/Size: 2005 / 39" high by 36" wide

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."

Inspired by these words in John 1, this vestment-and-parament design conveys a sense of two parallel movements inherent in the Advent season — order emerging out of chaos, and light piercing the darkness. Together, those movements affirm an important emphasis that has fallen into disuse in recent decades, that of Christ's coming as a "judgment" that shatters all of our illusions about who we are. Because this shattering of illusions is what prepares our hearts to receive the gift of Emmanuel, the Advent season becomes a reminder that even the judgments of God are purposed in grace-full outcome.

This altar frontal is from a set of Advent vestments and paraments created for Easter Lutheran Church in Eagan, Minnesota. Improvisationally pieced from commercial cotton, satin, and metallic fabrics, this work was embellished with improvisational stitching using rayon and cotton threads.