While Advent is still 19 days away, the first signs of snow in my area make it feel like the holiday season is upon us! And there is no doubt that the swirl of activities, opportunities (and stressors) that come with the holiday season are here. For some of us, it is a wonderful time of year as we make our plans and preparations for gatherings in the coming weeks. For others, this may be sad or dreadful stretch of weeks with overwhelm or loneliness.
But no matter how you are approaching Advent this year, there is good news. The words of scripture, written long ago, demonstrate again and again that God is at work. God is present. God is always surprising God’s people by moving and making something new.
In the midst of a weary world and fragile hope, we come to this season of preparation and celebration to be reminded of this truth. We engage these reflective practices so we, too, can notice anew that God is with us, in the beauty of the ordinary and in the sacred extraordinary of Advent and Christmastide.
Methods for spiritual reflection and practice are as varied as we are as individuals. There are many ways to commune with God in our daily lives and we hope you will find a point of connection through our variety of invitations we offer in the coming weeks.
Consider an Advent devotional as a gentle companion through the month of December.
You may want to check out Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent, a nontraditional devotional that includes recipes, practices, reflections and prompts to help you connect with what really matters (to you) in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
If you or someone you know is dreading this Christmas, navigating an unchosen journey or difficult circumstances, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a daily devotional for the month of December offering reflections and blessing for those looking to recover a sense of hope.
We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.
Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.
some comfort and joy 