BOOKS FOR ADVENT
If you are like me, you can use a bit of re-centering come Advent. It’s a time to slow down and pay attention, but we know that this is easier said than done.
Reading grounds me. Late afternoon, when the work day is over, I make myself a cup of green tea and curl up with a book that will shift me from manager/planner/executor to contemplative. All I need is 20 minutes, and I’m a new person.
Here, then, is a list of books I’ve compiled over the years for my Advent re-set. I hope you find one among them that will carry you from “ordinary” time to a deeper, kinder place.
Christmas Gifts, by Ferrol Sams – a heartwarming, beautifully written memoir
The Story of the Other Wise Man, Henry Van Dyke – another beauty, a novel in which the author conjures a fourth Magi who keeps falling behind on the Biblical journey, then shows up at various key points in the ongoing narrative.
The Mood of Christmas by Howard Thurman – deep and thought-provoking meditations from one of the 20thcentury’s greatest preachers.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom by Henri J.M. Nouwen – Nouwen is unfailingly profound, and this book is a lovely companion for this season
Blessings on your quiet reading!!
Kathleen
William Loren Gary
November 17, 2023at7:17 amGreat suggestions, Kathleen. I’m going to read the Ferrol Sam’s book first, and then then Howard Thurman. And the Henry Van Dyke selection brings back find memories of my family taking turns reading sections on Christmas Eve.
Kathleen Hirsch
November 21, 2023at2:13 pmHow wonderful, Loren. You will LOVE Ferrol Sam’s book. It’s beautiful.