Advent is coming and coming fast.  Soon the rush of the Christmas season will be upon us and before we know it we will be saying, “Happy New Year!”

Times flies so quickly and does quicker each year.

Advent invites us to pause and pray and rest in the Lord.  To take a deep breath, savoring the season instead of surviving it.  To refocus on the true meaning of Christmas – the coming of Jesus Christ. To light a candle or gaze quietly at the tree, knowing Jesus is the Light of the world.

A Prayer for Advent

I read this beautiful Advent poem by Walter Brueggemann:

In our secret yearnings
we wait for your coming,
and in our grinding despair
we doubt that you will.
And in this privileged place
we are surrounded by witnesses who yearn more than do we
and by those who despair more deeply than do we.
Look upon your church and its pastors
in this season of hope
which runs so quickly to fatigue
and this season of yearning
which becomes so easily quarrelsome.
Give us the grace and the impatience
to wait for your coming to the bottom of our toes,
to the edge of our finger tips.
We do not want our several worlds to end.
Come in your power
and come in your weakness
in any case and make all things new.
Amen.

Advent Devotionals

Nourishing your spirit during Advent through daily reading an Advent devotional helps so much to slow us down, refocus our hearts and to worship God.

There are many devotionals on the market and perhaps you have several on your bookshelf to find, dust off and dig into this year. I have written two Advent devotionals. One is no longer in print. You can find a reasonably price e-book version, but the marketers have cornered the print version asking a huge price. I have tried to get the rights back so I could repackage but I cannot.  Frustrating part of the publishing business.

I will share my other devotional:  Christmas Crossroads: 30 Devotionals for the Holiday Season. May it bless you this year.

One more resource to consider is the lovely booklet.   Written by my dear friend, Sarah Bournes Crosby, Advent, A Guide. In this collection, you will find poems to ponder, passages of Scripture to read slowly, and prompts to reflect upon quietly or to discuss with others. It is a meaningful rich source. It is available by clicking of the title of her guide.

Advent Playlist and Prayer

Christine Sine shared her Advent playlist and I found it delightful. May it also bless you.

Last year I shared Henri Nouwen’s Advent prayer.  The words still live on.  See the post here.

And a few quotes from 2020 found here.

May you slow down this Advent season and draw closer to God. May your heart rest and treasure the Treasure God has given us. And may gratitude and thankfulness enliven your spirit and open your eyes to see the wonder of sacred all around us.

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