The Wise Women of Advent: Part 2
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • November 28, 2023
Wait for It: Anna, the Prophetess
We have all heard a lot about the three wise men in the story of Christmas. Too often left out are the stories of three important wise women in the Christmas story. Having learned about Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist last week, this Sunday, we will examine Anna's part in the story. Anna was deeply faithful widow of advanced years who spent day and night in prayer at the temple.
In my excitement for Christmas, I got us started with Advent a bit early last Sunday. Moving forward into Advent following that little jumpstart, we'll continue talking about the women in the story of Christmas this Sunday by focusing on Anna, who was among the first to recognize the divinity of the boy Jesus.

This Sunday, The Garden welcomes visionary composer and musician Ryan Lott, founder of the genre-defying band Son Lux. Known for his emotionally rich soundscapes and collaborations with artists like Mitski, David Byrne, and Paul Simon, Lott has scored major films including the recent Marvel blockbuster, Thunderbolts* , and the acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once , earning Academy Award and BAFTA nominations. In conversation with Richard Brendan, Ryan will share insights into his creative journey as we explore the transformative power of imagination. We hope to see you at our temporary venue—740 E 86th Street, Indianapolis—at 9 a.m. for “Celebrating the Creative Spirit.” Join us for a morning of inspiration, music, and meaningful conversation.

In "Together to Gather" after our first service at our temporary new venue, we enjoyed a look back to The Garden's beginning and its evolution over the past 30 years. Joleen House, who has been with The Garden since day one, shared some memories and a clip of Rev. Linda McCoy. In the clip, Linda spoke of her inspiration to create The Garden. A slide show of photos through the years followed, with discussion. Please note that we recorded this on the spur of the moment by request and a mobile phone -- while the band was doing its necessary break-down and load-out of our equipment from the space. Because of this, the audio may be difficult to hear at times.