5 Advent books to read for a fresh look at the season
(And a guided meditation for this "pause" week)
Well…our household has succumbed to another cold from the gift of illnesses being spread around for the holidays. We spent a very sniffly Thanksgiving Day passing around vitamin C tablets and zinc lozenges. It was delicious. But I won’t bore you with any of my drippy weekend details, and just say that I’m pausing our regular newsletter this week to offer you a shorter read focused around the Advent season (which began this past Sunday, November 27th).
Happy Reading!
- Micaela
I’ve spent the last several years buying a good too many average Advent and Advent-adjacent books only to feel the remorse of a reader who will place another book on their “will-never-end-up-reading-'To-Be-Read”’ bookshelf. I add “adjacent” because I was reminded about last year’s hastily purchased book on Advent cooking (which just makes me chuckle thinking about how very human it is of us to take every observed holy day and make it into an occasion for food). So, if you’re like me and are always looking for a reason to buy a book and the idea of weekly readings offered in Advent books is particularly fulfilling for your list-obsessed brain, here are a few of my favorites from over the years that have opened me up to new ways of thinking about this time of expectant waiting.
Advent is a time of slowing down and receiving the coming season. It’s a time of waiting and listening for the voice of God in the awkward in-betweens. The season forces us to consider the waiting with deeper reflection on our response to life. It’s a “whole self” season in that by slowing down and giving space for contemplation we begin to bring our awareness deeper and inward, to notice God in us. Yet, it is not just a time for silent waiting. For the weary world is weeping from the tension of living in the “now and not yet”. We cry, scream, and lament from the pain of a world that has known both Great Love and Great Suffering. And we awake to the invitation to mature in our understanding of the “Christ with us” God. This is the beauty of celebrating Advent every new year — we bring to it a person who is changing, growing and seeking a fresh perspective on timeless truths.
1. For the daily Guided Meditation:
“Preparing for Christmas” - Richard Rohr
My husband and I read this one for the first time last year and both instantly loved it. Rohr brings a fresh look at what the story of Christmas is saying about us as humans, and argues that “in Jesus’ birth God was saying ‘it was good to be human, and God was on our side’”. And reminds us that when we say “Come, Lord Jesus” we are not wasting any time believing other lordships (political leaders, churches, militaries, or institutions) will ever finally save us (“Preparing for Christmas”, Richard Rohr). A new take on advent’s classic reflections and truths that bring us back to our heart with God and challenges us to abandon our egos to surrender to the Kingdom of God we have because of Christ.
2. For the whole family:
“All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings” - Gayle Boss
If you’re looking for something to read with children this Advent season, our family has come to love this book. Full of beautiful illustrations and a thoughtful focus on nature, this is an excellent reminder for how the Christian tradition moves in step with creation. And that Nature can be a wonderful guide through this time of anticipation.
“Long, long before there were any written words, there were animals—and all the rest of the teeming natural world. Creation is the earliest sacred text given to us. Like Scripture, the natural world, too, opens up an infinite universe of meaning.” (Gayle Boss)
3. For the historical and social context:
“The First Advent in Palestine: Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope”- Kelley Nikondeha
A fresh look at the harmonized version of Advent that has kept us from understanding the complexity of a season we celebrate every year. Kelley Nihondeha, a master storyteller, recounts the historical events surrounding Christ’s birth, gives a face and name to the suffering people of the region, and brings new insight into the stories of oppression woven into Christ’s story. Deeply historical and rich with political and social context, this book is a must read for anyone who cares about elevating the silenced voices of history.
4. For a deeper focus on social justice:
“Advent 2020” by Cole Riley (@BlackLiturgies)
While this is not a book, it can be used in the same way as any weekly Advent reading. My love for Cole Riley’s prayers and poetry started during the pandemic and in 2020 she had an Advent prayer series that felt like piece of the Christmas story I had been missing for far too long. She brings a unique and necessary voice to themes we often overlook for the more popular retelling of the story. Creatively weaving together poignant quotes from Black theologians and writers, Riley reminds us that the waiting is about longing for healing and liberation for all people. Highlighted in her Instagram stories, you can read through the four weekly themes of Advent.
She also just made a more detailed Advent series available in blog format through her Patreon account here.
5. For a diversity of perspectives:
“Watch For the Light” - Various Authors
An advent anthology of great faith writers, this book brings reflections by Madeleine L'Engle, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Henry Nouwen, and others on the Advent and Christmas season. Excellent writing and ecumenical in scope this is one that will be thought-provoking and will give you a few minutes each day to reflect on the mystery and truth of God’s greatest act of love. I found it to be a beautiful meditative start or end to each day.
A brief Guided Meditation (to enter your week):
Begin with a Body Scan:
Go ahead and take a moment to get settled in your chair. Uncross your legs and plant them on the floor. Feel the ground supporting you underneath. Feel your back supported in the chair. Soften your gaze or close your eyes. And just be here for a few moments.
Begin to notice your breath. Don’t change it. Just notice it. Where are you holding tension? Maybe, give yourself permission to relax. There is enough chair to hold all of you in this moment.
I want us to try something together. I want us to take a few deep breathes in and out.
But as you inhale imagine you are welcoming God’s presence into your time here now. And as you exhale, welcome yourself, all of you, to this space and this present moment.
Inhale…welcome God. Exhale…welcome self.
Inhale….welcome. Exhale…welcome.
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, assuage our blindness and activate our hearts during this Advent, so that we may find your presence hidden in ourselves. May we unveil the mystery of Christ-with-us and work towards the true restoration of the whole world in your image, Let your light shine in our hearts so that we may always know the truth of your love. Amen.
(“Advent and Christmas with Thomas Merton”, Thomas Merton)