Today's inspiration is written by Scott Erickson, author of: Honest Advent |
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In pain you will bring forth children. — Genesis 3:16 Advent is about Christ coming into the world through human vulnerability. |
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This image is based off a drawing by Sister Grace Remington. A few years ago I did a cover of it (with her permission) as a live painting I performed at a Christmas Eves service. There are so many wonderful theological ideas being displayed in this image. But what I love most about it is the look that Mary and Eve have for each other. It's like they were at some cosmic party where they didn't know each other at first, but when they get introduced to each other they find out they are deeply connected on so many levels. They also have a billion mutual friends on Facebook. Eve is experiencing hope and grace from brokenness that she never thought she'd see an end to. And yet her face could also be of a knowing mom bestowing wisdom and compassion on a new mom... as if saying "...parenting is one of the greatest and hardest adventures of a lifetime. You'll love them, and want to have them forever... but you may see one of them die before their time, and that's the absolute worst." In my opinion, the little that has been written about Eve has been used against her by male chauvinists. In the flannel board story of her life, she gets two paper cutouts - biting an apple and being cursed as the first mom to go through painful childbirth. That's it! We don't talk about how hard it must have been to do something for the first time. No guides. No mentors. No mommy blogs with strategies for maintaining sanity. It's easy to knock down the forerunners of human living who made mistakes; it's harder to see through the one-dimensional religious narratives that every mom has the unbelievable task of raising kids the best she can. Mary takes the hand of Eve and places it on her belly to let her feel the manifestation of restoring Hope growing in her womb. And yet it's also of the move of sobering solidarity - accepting the entrance into the great cloud of witnesses of brokenhearted mothers who've lost their kids too early. I can never fully understand the deep connections and conversations in the worldwide society of mothers. But this art opens a small window into what that conversation might be like. That Immanuel means "God with us"... and that this divine Gift comes to us through one of us, into the womb of a blessed and humble teenage woman, and honors and dignifies the sacrificial and (w)hol(l)y involved life of being a mom. Written for FaithGateway by Scott Erickson, author of Honest Advent. * * * |
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Your Turn Advent begins this November 27th. We may have learned that the word advent means coming or arrival, but it's interesting that it's root word in Latin, adventus, also has some thought-provoking implications. It can connote the rise of a military power. It can mean incursion, ripening, and also appearance and invasion. So fascinating considering the meekness of the Savior who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was the sacrificed Lamb who took away the sins of the world! What a conversation Eve and Mary could have! What can you imagine them saying? Come share with us on the blog! |
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Spark your faith this holiday season - SAVE 40% - Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now |
$19.99
Sale Price: $11.99 (40% off) + FREE U.S. shipping included! |
In a world that's difficult to make sense of, and a season that's so often overtaken by consumerism, here you'll find heart-stirring illustrations and thought-provoking meditations designed to show you the raw, powerfully sacred story of Christmas in a new light. Has the joy of the holiday season become painfully dissonant with the hard edges of life? Do you feel weary from the way Christmas has become a polished, predictable brand? You aren't alone. For too many of us, Christmas has lost its wonder. What if we stopped treating the Christmas story as something that happened a long time ago and started believing that it's a story that's still happening today? From celebrated artist and storyteller Scott Erickson comes Honest Advent, 25 days of illustrations and meditations that will help you rekindle the wonder of this season. Honest Advent creates a space for you to encounter the Incarnate Christ in unexpected places: like a pregnancy announcement in an era of political unrest and empirical bloodshed, the morning sickness of a Middle Eastern teenager, and the shocking biology of birth that goes far beyond the sanitized brand of Christmas as we know it today. |
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Throughout Honest Advent, Erickson teaches us the valuable lessons he's learned about: - Finding hope and light in the darkest winters
- What it means to embrace the unexpected
- How God uses everyday vulnerability to help us understand ourselves, and our faith, better
If you're looking for something to spark your faith and renew your relationship with the holiday season, Erickson invites you to experience a new way to celebrate this Christmas. |
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What Our Readers Are Saying |
"This book challenges me to look at the reality, from a real, gritty perspective, of the amazing love of God in sending Himself to be born into this world." — Jeanne P. |
"This book is providing me with exactly what I was looking for to deepen my Advent experience." — Mariangela W. |
"We are enjoying this book so much. It has become part of our December morning ritual adding insight and beauty to our Christmas celebration." — S.L. |
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Additional Advent Resources |
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| Choose a journey that will prepare your heart during the Advent season. The Advent Project is a 31-day guided journal that offers a seasonal, life-changing project through brief writings, reflection prompts, and inviting questions to guide you into a deeper relationship with God. This daily Advent journal also features beautifully illustrated pages that will help you remember the true reason for the season and offer ways you can put aside the busyness of the holiday season and celebrate Jesus' birth. |
Free Advent Toolkit with purchase! |
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| Though the bright lights of Christmas glitter briefly, the message of the season lasts forever--the Word becomes flesh, and the Creator becomes the creation. Join pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado as he invites you to bear witness to the birth of Christ as you've never seen it before. |
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| Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas |
Jesus Calling®: The Story of Christmas uniquely teaches the Christmas story to your children by starting at creation and sharing that Jesus has always been present and that God has always had a plan for Christmas. Bible verses and Jesus Calling devotions are on every spread of this beautifully illustrated book with foil and glitter on the cover. |
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| Good Tidings of Great Joy: The Complete Story of Christmas from the New King James Version |
At Christmastime, we gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus, an event that forever changed our world—and the hearts of billions. And there's no better way to get in the true Christmas spirit than to immerse yourself in the story of His coming. Good Tidings of Great Joy is the story of the first Christmas as told by the Bible. Every word comes from the New King James Version of the Scriptures, but elements have been arranged to create one unbroken narrative, ideal for reading. |
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| Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas |
Ringing along with the chimes in Silver Bells. Laughing along with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Holding a candle while singing a chorus of Silent Night. The songs that you've sung since you were a child continue to bring Christmas to life each year. Now, you'll learn how your favorite Christmas songs came to be. Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas reveals the surprising and fascinating origins of secular and religious Christmas hits. | |
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| For some, Christmas is a time of excitement, celebration, and quality time with loved ones. For others, it's full of loneliness, grief, and loss. Join New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado as he unwraps the enduring promises of Christmas and discovers a lifetime of hope, all because of one baby born in Bethlehem. |
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| Everyone loves a carol--in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge had a soft spot for them! They have the power to evoke a special type of mid-winter joy, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? Andrew Gant--a choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells the story of twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherds and choirboys. |
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| In This Light: Thoughts for Christmas |
In This Light is a timely collection of thoughtful meditations. The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, leads contributions from celebrities, business leaders, athletes, politicians and others, whose names you might not know but whose stories you will come to love |
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Find more Advent resources in the FaithGateway Store |
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"Whether you are currently on a sunny mountaintop or trudging through a harrowing valley, God is weaving your story into His greater plan." - Shannon Bream Friends, the same God who worked mightily in the lives of the women of the Bible is at work in yours, too! Sign up now and join us for our Advent Online Bible Study - The Women of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. |
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