Blooming Brilliant
Linley Vogel
Zechariah 9:12
Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
—The Bible, New International Version
This verse, with its phrase “prisoners of hope” intrigued the designer. First there is the instruction to return to the fortress. A fortress is a place of safety, represented here by the bird cage. The old hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, springs to mind. In the flower arrangement within the ‘fortress’, the flowers are ‘imprisoned’ within their buds, signifying a hope which cannot escape. However, when that hope comes to fruition, we are assured of having “twice as much”, represented by the second arrangement with the buds fully opened.
Jessica Corker
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
—The Bible, New International Version
The Bible is full of stories. Stories of sorrow. Stories of strength. Stories of hope. The incredible part? Despite being written thousands of years ago, they are still relevant today. The feelings of hardship we go through today are the same that were felt back then. When we read the Bible, we see that God can lead us through whatever is going on in our lives and it is this knowledge that gives us hope. This arrangement, with its beautiful and abundant colour, expresses how the hope we find in the Bible brings new life and renewal to our soul.
Gail Clement and Lisa Bevan
Jeremiah 29:11
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
—The Bible, New International Version
In this design we can see hardship and despair, symbolised by the chains and weeds in the foreground. From there we have a birch wood pathway. Birch is a traditional symbol of new beginnings, growth and protection. Following this pathway, leads us to our glorious future, represented by the beautiful floral arrangement with its bright and colourful flowers symbolising hope.
Marlene Vogel
Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
—The Bible, New International Version
These verses give us the assurance that our hope is well founded if based on trust in God. Hope can come in many forms to encourage the tired and weary. This stunning representation accentuates the wings of the eagle as they reveal its majesty, power and beauty. The eagle flies high above land and sea, symbolising that this light of hope is for every person on earth.
Jenni Plane
Ephesians 2:12-13
At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God, and you were far from God. But Christ offered his life’s blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God.
—The Bible, Contemporary English Version
What is life without hope? The arrangement at the front depicts our current abundant life with our hope in Jesus. If we look back in the mirror at the arrangement in the rear, we can see depicted what our life was like before Jesus, when we were without God and without hope. You will notice the cross—the blood of Jesus was the price He paid to bring us back into a covenant relationship with Him and enter into God’s kingdom of grace. Life can be summed up as either: no God, no hope; or know God, know hope.
Andrea & Steve Jones
Titus 1:1-2
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.
—The Bible, New International Version
In order to give this plant somewhere to grow, a cross pole was attached and the vine has entwined itself around it, giving the appearance of the cross of Jesus. Just as the apostle Paul reminded the early believers of the hope of life eternal that God has promised, so every time we look at this vine, we are reminded of the death of Jesus, without which we would have no hope. Jesus gave us the gift of salvation from this sinful world with His death on the cross and that fills us with hope of eternal life with God. Red bougainvillea has been used to depict the crown of thorns and the blood of Christ shed for us. In recent weeks the plant has shown signs of struggling and has lost a lot of leaves. These signs of suffering serve as another reminder, this time of the suffering Christ went through as He hung on the cross for our sins.
Kerry Brenton-Coward
& Wendy Hunter
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—The Bible, New International Version
This arrangement, with its cascade of flowers, represents the hope that flows through us, around us and fills us up so that we can’t help but overflow with it. The teapot represents the power of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us. The colours of the flowers and the foliage remind us of our Creator God, who is the source of hope. The beauty of His creation brings us great joy. The everlasting flowers remind us that this hope, joy and peace are not transient but everlasting.
Joan Tait
Psalm 119:49
Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope.
—The Bible, New International Version
Upon reading this verse, the designer’s first thought was of the rainbow: the visual evidence of God’s promise of His covenant relationship with us. This idea is reflected in the rainbow-coloured flowers to the side of the pathway. The pathway itself is indicative of life—sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky and full of twists and turns. However, by keeping our focus on Christ, remembering His sacrifice on the cross for us, and His promise of eternal life, we have the hope of salvation.
Christine Brown
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
—The Bible, New King James Version
In this arrangement, the hand-shaped vase, signifying all humanity, holds tightly to the cross of Jesus. From the cross flows hope and Jesus’ atoning blood (depicted by the red cords), that allows us to have the confidence that we will not be overwhelmed or discouraged, but can rely on God’s precious promises (represented by the various containers of flowers) founded on His Word, the Bible.
Christine Brown & Sheela Davis
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
—The Bible, New International Version
The centrepiece of this tableau is the empty tomb of the risen Jesus. The fact that Jesus is alive and has conquered death is central to the lives of those who have a new birth experience and go on to live lives of hope and expectation. This “living hope” is represented by the plants surrounding the empty tomb.
Sue Collett
Psalm 62:5-6
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
—The Bible, New Living Translation
In many places in the Bible, God is described as our Rock. The white rock in this arrangement represents God—immovable, quiet, sure and certain. Note how the flowers, symbolising hope and life, appear to emerge from the rock. In the same way, if our hope is founded in God we too will have those same qualities of quiet assurance in our life also.
Tendai Chigumbu, Zanele Nyamapanda & Cathrine Mbetu
Lamentations 3:21-23
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
—The Bible, New Living Translation
This arrangement focuses on our hope in Christ, our Lord. Hope brings a feeling of expectation, a desire for something, a feeling of trust and wanting something to happen. The designers have sought to bring out these different aspects of hope in the colours they have used in the arrangement:
Yellow for light, happiness and growth;
Green for growth and new beginnings;
Red for love, energy, excitement and expectation;
Blue for faith, trust, truth, wisdom and Heaven;
Pink for healthy flesh, new life, the rose of Sharon and care.
As we read in 1 Peter 1:13, we can set our hope on the gracious salvation that will come when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
Louise Rogers
Psalm 130:5
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
—The Bible, New Living Translation
The designer of this beautiful arrangement has taken the verse literally and spelt out the word H-O-P-E. The messages we read in the Bible are filled with hope. It is incredible how relevant they are all these years after they were written.
Annie Webb & Sophia Thomson
Hebrews 6:19
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
—The Bible, New Living Translation
The designers of this arrangement have created an anchor as a symbol of hope—representing security, safety and stability. When we put our hope in Jesus, our anchor, we can know that even in the roughest seas, our anchor will hold! The Greek word for ‘hope’ is also included. We hope you enjoy it!
Michelle Randall
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
—The Bible, New International Version
This Bible passage goes on to tell of Christ’s glorious return when He will raise the dead to life and take us all to live with Him in Heaven forevermore. The designer has sought to give us a taste of that journey by leading us through a wonderful archway into the heavenly realm!
Lucy Dessington
Ephesians 1:18
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
—The Bible, New Living Translation
In the same way that the first flowers of Spring bring life and colour to our gardens after a long and harsh winter, the Good News and hope we have through Jesus brings light to our hearts—no matter the season. In my experience, this has felt like being comforted by the warmth of the sunlight. While there might sometimes be huge confidence as we put bulbs, seeds and plants into the soil there can sometimes be disappointment, however our confidence planted in Jesus is never without glory! The perspective of holding onto a very present hope while also looking forward to the realisation of a greater hope to come is a daily encouragement—in my garden, and in life.
Dana Gallop
1 Corinthians 13:13
Three things will last forever—faith, hope and love...
—The Bible, New Living Translation
This arrangement uses a circle of flowers to represent the never-ending, eternal and everlasting nature of the three fundamental Christian virtues: faith, hope and love. Preserved flowers and foliage have been used in the arrangement to represent these values.
Jenny Davey
Titus 2:13
…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
—The Bible, New King James Version
This design expresses our overwhelming joy when on that glorious day we see Jesus appearing in the clouds, as depicted in the top arrangement. Below, we see a suitcase, our Earth, signifying that we are all on life’s journey. However, the suitcase is not closed, but open! The open suitcase represents the power of Jesus’ return to burst open the grave and reward eternal life to everyone who believes. The flowers ascending from the suitcase reflect the words of 1 Thessalonians 4:16:
“The dead in Christ will rise first… then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”
The designer has used mainly Australian native and everlasting flowers, signifying how we will live forever when our Jesus returns. The clock with no hands reminds us that we may not know the day of His appearing, but we are to keep watch—His soon return is our “blessed hope”.
Rume Gould & Tega Darley
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
—The Bible, New International Version
The designers of this arrangement have used a mix of fresh (temporary) and dried (eternal) flowers to represent the seen and the unseen. Notice the fresh white flowers on the left that look away. Compare their attitude to the flowers on the right that are reaching up towards the vibrant hope-filled eternity that awaits. Whilst there can be much beauty in what is seen, it will fade away; and it is the unseen things, such as hope, that will last forever.
Over the weekend of 30 September to 2 October 2022, Livingston Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted its sixth ‘Bible in Bloom’ flower festival. Bible in Bloom started in 2007, and has run every three years since then. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Messages of Hope’. A record total of 19 arrangements were on display, with each one depicting an encouraging message of hope for the viewer to reflect on. Visitors can show their appreciation for Bible in Bloom by donating to a charity. This year’s beneficiary was the ‘Light of Hope’ School in Cambodia and we were thrilled that they were able to raise over $2,000 towards their excellent work with underprivileged children.
Many of the participants have been involved in previous years, and look forward to it with keen anticipation; others were first-timers. However, every person involved was motivated by a desire to bring glory to God and encouragement to others through their arrangements. Our designers often testify to the blessing they receive by reflecting deeply on the Bible verse they have chosen and how they can best depict it.
A short Dedicatory Service was held on Friday evening with a group of about 30 family and friends. David Hughes, representing Light of Hope, shared the stories of children whose lives had been impacted by the school. Associate pastor, Megan Hunter, offered a dedicatory prayer. The event was then open to the public.
On Sabbath morning, surrounded by floral interpretations of Bible verses, depicting messages of hope all around the church auditorium, Megan Hunter preached an excellent sermon on the topic “Hope Lasts Forever”. This inspiring sermon can be accessed via Livingston’s YouTube channel.
The flower festival was open to the public on Sabbath and Sunday afternoons, with Light of Hope running a café in the church hall. Church members took the opportunity to invite their friends, neighbours and work colleagues to view the floral arrangements and then relax in the café afterwards. An extremely simple way to share their faith!
Bible in Bloom is a wonderful opportunity to bring God’s Word to life in a truly unique and beautiful manner. All those who visited were truly blessed and inspired by what they saw. Comments from the Visitor Pages include: “absolutely amazing, such a joy, thank you xxx”; “overwhelmed by the deep thoughts of hope”; “absolutely beautiful—appreciate messages and talents”; “glorifying to God”; “well well done—the Spirit of the Lord was there through all the comments”; “beautiful interpretation of each individual”.
We would love to see Bible in Bloom in other Seventh-day Adventist Churches around WA. If you feel inspired to conduct a similar event in your church, please contact us at Livingston—we would be delighted to help!