books

books, Children, Faith, Gospel, Justice, Kingdom of God, Liturgical Year, Parenting, Uncategorized

Advent Devotionals You Can Start Today

November 28, 2021November 29, 2021 playwithyourfaith

Did the first day of Advent sneak up on anyone else? Anytime Advent begins just a few days after Thanksgiving I always feel a little behind the ball!

Thankfully there are lots of wonderful authors and creators who *have* been preparing for Advent, and so there are many reflective essays, devotionals, activities, and discussions questions ready for you to download and begin today.

PLEASE NOTE: I did NOT scour the entire Internet for available Advent devotionals, nor did I read through and endorse every word of all of the resources listed. This is simply a compilation of the resources that have come across my radar in the past few weeks either through email or social media from authors and creators that I follow. Not every resource will be relevant or appealing to every person, some of it may not be a good match for your theology (not all of the resources below completely align with mine, TBH), and that’s okay. But if you are looking for an Advent resource, hopefully you will find something that you like. Also, feel free to add your favorites in the comments below!

FOR ADULTS

Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider
“Drawing from liturgical tradition, Tsh provides fresh insights for new and longtime believers alike. Each day includes Scripture, a reflection, a question, and a simple activity to engage the senses, such as lighting candles, listening to music, and viewing artwork both old and new.”
https://bookshop.org/books/shadow-and-light-a-journey-into-advent/9780736980609

Waiting, Accepting, Journeying, Birthing by Sarah Bessey
In Sarah’s own words: “Guided by the Carmelite themes of Waiting, Accepting, Journeying, and Birthing, this devotional offers readers new prayers, scripture, original essays by yours truly, and reflection questions for each Sunday of Advent as we journey towards Christmas….This isn’t a typical devotional designed to make you feel more calm in five minutes or less. Some of these essays grapple with big themes and ask you to lean into difficult conversations. I’m sorry and you’re welcome. Listen, if you can’t talk about patriarchy and white supremacy and liberation at Christmas, when can you? I ask you.”
https://www.sarahbessey.com/shop

Prophesy Hope! An Advent Reflection of Hope, Peace, Love and Freedom by Dante Stewart
“In this season of Advent, in the midst of chaos and confusion, the reader is invited on a journey inside the black American tradition. This tradition offers a rich legacy of faith that—like the crucifixion itself—exists at the intersection of chaos and pain and love. America needs this tradition. Not because it feels good or sounds good, but because they are still here, and they refuse to be silenced. In Prophesy Hope! Stewart leads readers on a 25-day journey through this tradition as they reflect deeply on God’s love and the meaning of Advent. These powerful devotionals invite us to see beyond despair into the hope of a new day. These caged birds are still singing; giving voice to love, peace, and freedom; and still prophesying hope.” https://www.dantecstewart.com/advent-devotional

The Season of Almost by Kate Bowler
Nobody articulates the beauty and pain that is being human better than Kate Bowler, and so that makes her an excellent guide on a journey through the longing and waiting of the Advent season. From the author: “My hope and prayer is that this Advent devotional will be a way for you to make the very act of waiting, holy. And as we anticipate Christ’s birth together, may we experience the stubborn hope of Christmas, joy in the midst of sorrow, a love that knows no bounds, and a transcendent peace amid a world on fire.” https://katebowler.com/advent/

Preparing a Way: Advent Through the Gospels by John Ruehl
“This 4-day (once-a-week) devotional reflects on passages from each of the 4 gospels in preparation for Christmas.” This free devotional can be accessed through Our Bible App, which is a progressive, inclusive faith community. The iOS version of the app needs an update to work properly, which they’ve said should be coming this week, so in the meantime you can read Week 1 at the link below.
https://www.ourbibleapp.com/new-blog/john-ruehl

Starry Black Night: A Womanist Advent Devotional
This is an online Advent devotional by Unbound, an interactive journal on Christian social justice that includes Sunday and midweek reflections. It is written entirely by Black women. https://justiceunbound.org/starryblacknight/

There Will Be Signs: An Advent Astrology Devotional by Chaplain Sarah Knoll and Reverend Lindsey Turner
I love the idea of doing the very same thing the people in the Biblical story were doing as they waited and watched for signs of the Messiah—looking to the sky.
“A 28-day devotional with four at-home candle liturgies for each Sunday in Advent, There Will Be Signs pulls from the Bible, extra-canonical texts, Saint Days, and the sun, moon, and planetary cycles of late November into December. Each day includes a scriptural reference, an astrological transit, a poignant reflection, and a journal prompt. We have also created a Spotify playlist to accompany each day of Advent!”
https://badpastor.me/store/p/there-will-be-signs-an-advent-astrology-devotional-digital-download

Anticipating the Birth of Jesus: An Advent Devotional on Immigration by Rondell Trevino
“Immigration is often a forgotten theme during the Christmas season. However, shortly after the anticipation of Jesus’ miraculous birth, His family flees for safety as Migrants to another land. Therefore, Jesus’ birth and the theme of Immigration are more closely related than we might think during the Christmas season. In ‘Anticipating The Birth of Jesus: An Advent Devotional on Immigration’, we explore this and what the Bible says about immigration in a 25-day devotional from December 1st through December 25th.” You can read this resource on Kindle Unlimited (click the photo) or purchase a copy directly from the Immigration Coalition through the link below: https://theimmigrationcoalition.com/adventbook/

FOR FAMILIES

To Light Their Way: Finding Simple Wonder & Joy in Advent by Kayla Craig
A free Advent guide that Kayla made to complement her beautiful new book, To Light Their Way. In Kayla’s words: “I pray that “To Light Their Way: Finding Simple Wonder & Joy in Advent” guides you to the glittering hope in Christ alone. Each week includes snippets of more comprehensive prayers from To Light Their Way, along with a simple conversation/journal prompt, one tangible practice, & a breath prayer from a Psalm. Each week fits on one page and should hopefully add peace to your season — not add stress to your to-do list!”https://kaylacraig.substack.com/p/your-free-advent-download-is-ready?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cta

An Illustrated Advent for Families: God With Us by Illustrated Ministry
Illustrated Ministry is one of my favorite inclusive resources to use with children.
This digital download includes family devotions, coloring pages, and an advent calendar. (Choose the “personal use” pricing option if you are using this with your family.)
“The stories of Advent are stories for hard times. Jesus was born amid upheaval and historical change and among people who seemed powerless. But when the world feels hopeless, Advent reminds us God is with us: In chaos, God is with us. In suffering, God is with us. In uncertainty, God is with us. In whatever our family endures, God is with us.” https://store.illustratedministry.com/products/an-illustrated-advent-for-families-god-with-us?variant=39431416905826

Ministry
If your children are like mine and balk at sitting down with a traditional written devotional, these videos might be a good alternative. They are cute and funny and ask thoughtful questions about the meaning and practices of Advent and Christmas. You can stream them online with a free account from Redeem TV. (They also have a Roku app.) https://watch.redeemtv.com/whirl-ada-and-leo-s-inspired-christmas-adventures

Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Kit
If you have a Jesus Storybook Bible at home this family Advent resource is made just for you! This free download includes 24 printable Christmas ornaments, a reading plan for each day of December, a Christmas soundtrack, coloring pages, and printable memory cards. https://www.sallylloyd-jones.com/2021-advent/

Little Way Chapel Advent Bundle
“Little Way Advent is a 68-page guide for your family’s Advent journey. It is both a calendar and guidebook, featuring one practice per day to prepare your heart and home for the birth of Christ. The calendar is formatted as strips of paper that can be cut out and either placed inside the doors or pockets of a traditional Advent calendar, or made into a count down paper chain.”
https://www.littlewaychapel.com/printables/littleway-holiday-bundle

Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas by Traci Smith
“100 easy, fun, and meaningful ideas for bringing the sacred back into the season. (It’s) divided into three sections of prayers, practices, and lessons.” You can download it on Kindle through the link below or see if your library has a copy through Overdrive (Libby) or Hoopla.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08DG8PQW9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1638107309&sr=8-3

Are you going to use any of these Advent resources this season? What are your favorite Advent devotionals to use for yourself or with your family?

Book Review, books, Recommendations, Vulnerability

Book Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama

July 24, 2019July 24, 2019 playwithyourfaith

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Becoming by Michelle Obama will likely be one of my favorite books of 2019. I will readily confess that I was already a big Michelle Obama fan, but this memoir made me appreciate her strength, resolve, kindness, and intelligence even more.

The first two sections of this memoir are beautifully written. The stories of her childhood, friendships, education, career, early relationship with Barack, and journey into marriage and parenthood pulled me along in the same way that my favorite novels submerses me in the characters and places that are described.

I instantly cared deeply about not just Michelle, but also about her family, friends, and community as well. No one was presented as a saint, but nearly every person was depicted in a grace-filled, multifaceted way that made me feel like I knew, or at least knew people that were like, these people I’ve never met.

Michelle Obama owns her story, doesn’t shy away from her own strengths and giftings, but consistently and gracefully gives others credit where credit is due. Her writing is smart, funny, and reflective. I smiled and cheered her on, but also teared up at her deep losses along the way.

The farther into Becoming that I read, however, the more my reading pace began to slow. This memoir is well-written, compelling, and enjoyable to read, and yet I found myself taking my time to read in a way that is unusual for me. Normally a book of this size, that holds my interest (which this did), would take me just a few days to finish, but I read this book slowly, portioning it out in small doses over several weeks.

I didn’t rush through this book, mostly, I think, because I was savoring it, but partly because the closer her story came to catching up with present day the more emotional the experience felt.

In the final section of the book, her recounting of the presidential campaign and life in the White House, I thoroughly delighted in her stories of meeting world leaders like Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela, and soaked in her descriptions (both positive and negative) of what it was like to actually live in the White House. It was her personal recounting of the large and small stories that flowed through the news cycle of the past decade that brought my personal emotions rushing to the forefront, however. She and I had much different access and vantage points to these events (for starters, zero percent of these news stories were about me or my family), but I still had my own deeply personal emotions and memories attached to each, and they frequently came rushing to the surface in ways that I hadn’t expected when I first began reading this memoir.

I’ve read other reviews that said they felt Michelle became significantly more guarded in the final section of the book, where she writes about her life in the midst of the presidential campaigns and in the White House than in the earlier two sections. I agree with this assessment, but I don’t blame her. I wonder if she received the same advice that I often have, to only write (or speak) from your scars, not from your open wounds. There are certainly places where I think speaking completely candidly from your current wounds IS called for, but a sure-to-be best-selling memoir probably isn’t one of them.

I know I had to give myself a reality check often through the final chapters of Becoming, reminding myself that the events she is describing just happened in the past few years, even though they seem like a lifetime ago. Of course, I have no idea what on-going points of pain from the past few years Michelle Obama might be reckoning with, but I know she’s not the only one whose wounds from the trauma of current events don’t yet feel anything like scars.

Maybe down the road she’ll write another memoir with more details and unguarded opinions and personal reflections about her time in the White House and transitioning to life afterward. I would happily read it. For now, I’m happy to watch for glances of her in the media as she works to make a positive difference in our country and in our world, “going high” while it seems like so many others are continually finding new and horrifyingly inventive ways to “go low.”

Her final few paragraphs of this book are a gem: honest, hopeful, and encouraging–a sermon I didn’t know I desperately needed. I am so thankful for strong women like Michelle Obama, and so grateful for this beautiful book.

books, Children, Children's Ministry, Faith, Justice, Parenting, Play, Recommendations

8 beautiful children’s books that promote inclusivity, diversity, and love during Pride month and beyond

June 30, 2019July 1, 2019 playwithyourfaith

I love a themed library haul, especially for children’s books. I’ve learned through trial-and-error how and when to place holds for books at the library so that I can bring home a stack of my favorite holiday and seasonal books at the right time, because there’s just something so fun and celebratory about coming home with a stack of on-theme books to read with the kids.

Knowing that, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that our library haul this June was decidedly rainbow colored. All month long , both at home and in our children’s Sunday School classes, the kids and I have re-read old favorites and discovered new books we love that celebrate the many beautiful ways we are each uniquely made and in community with one another.

Even though today is the last day of June, marking the end of the official Pride month, I still wanted to share this list of our favorite books we’ve read this month, because, of course, reading inclusive and celebratory children’s books is important all year long.

Below are some of our family’s favorite books that explore LGBTQIA+ history, promote inclusivity, highlight diversity, and celebrate loving families in all their forms.

Thankfully the selection of inclusive children’s literature continues to grow, and so this list is far from exhaustive. In fact through some of my favorite social media follows and blog posts, I’ve discovered several books just in the past few weeks that I can’t wait to check out.

The books below my children and I have read and enjoyed, so I am excited to recommend them to you! Do you have favorites that are missing from this list? Please share them with us in the comments below.

A Church For All by Gayle E. Pitman

A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto

(This book is about the deep love of childhood friendship. The two young boys in this book have a friendship that is simple, joyful, and beyond labeling.)