This hand-sized book contains a rich treasure of daily devotions designed to guide the reader through the waiting and hoping of Advent and the celebration of Christmas.

Katherine Howard is a former prioress of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn.  She blends her learnings as a Christian and as a Benedictine to produce a daily reflection on Scripture, contemplation, meditation and prayer from the beginning of Advent to the Feast of the Epiphany. “Waiting may, in fact, be intolerable if there is no certainty of God’s faithfulness,” she writes in the introduction.  “But we must not give up hoping.”

Her thoughtful reflections and meditations are designed to help readers know more deeply what God has done and is continuing to do in their lives. It won’t take long to read this book.  Each day generally consists of two pages of material (several pages are dedicated to Christmas Day).

But if you’re looking for a daily guide through Advent and Christmas, you are likely to be pleasantly surprised by the depth of the reflections and the paths of insight to which they will lead. It’s a book likely to produce some “aha” moments in a quest for more meaningful Advent and Christmas.  While designed and ideal for individual use, it is easily adaptable for use by small groups.

If you’re looking for a book to lead you through Advent from a new and wonderful perspective, you’re certain to enjoy this book.
Katerina Whitley places herself in the hearts and minds of biblical characters, not unlike the depictions used by the old TV series, You Are There.

The meditations – one each day for the season of Advent – remind us that the people of the Bible are not just models for us, but also mirrors of us.  We can see ourselves, as Whitley sees herself, in the role of explaining and retelling the stories of the Bible in very real, personal perspectives.

She writes in the prologue that she is convinced that we all long to “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)” And those who wait for the wonder of God’s coming will not be disappointed. Each day’s meditation contains a scriptural verse or two, followed by the meditation in the unique style of Whitley, an author and instructor at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

You are likely to find yourself being drawn into the narrative, and closer to an understanding – perhaps a new understanding – of the scriptural reference. She does an excellent job of presenting the wonder of Advent and imparting her own strong belief in the doctrine of the Incarnation. She recalls as a child wondering why the world didn’t notice the angels.  As she wrote this book, she wrote, “I became convinced that only the ears of faith heard the angel’s song, and only the eyes of faith saw the angels, and the one prerequisite for revelation was a heart that longed to see God’s goodness on this earth.”

Her book presents a creative journey through Advent, with a feeling of the wonder of waiting and the wonder of God’s arriving in our world in the person of Jesus Christ. You will likely gain new insight and perspective in seeing the goodness of the Lord all around you this Advent season.  It is an opportunity to enjoy the wonder in a new and meaningful way.

Written during an advent when Isabel Anders was pregnant with her first child, this book offers daily meditations to help the reader keep a holy vigil during a secularly dominated season.

Originally published in 1987, this edition contains a new preface by the author along with an introduction by Madeleine L’Engle. Daily meditations are guided by daily lectionary readings designated for the Advent season.  Scripture is cited, as is material from other sources, including poetry. The meditations are written, the author says, in her quest to discover that poem, or Golden Key, that will “unlock the mysteries of our being.”

Reissuing the book, she adds, is done “that it may serve as a map, a guide, an approach that, among other aids and offerings of this season, simply and surely points to Christ.” “Awaiting the Child is lovingly written, and my response as I read it was an inner warmth as my own love was rekindled,” L’Engle says in the introduction.

She also notes that Anders contrasts “summer spirituality” and “winter spirituality.”  She and Anders both favor winter spirituality. “To emerge from the winter of the soul as still oneself, is to affirm the permanent goodness of creation. … Though life is never again the same, yet it is wholly renewed,” writes L’Engle. The meditations provide an intriguing blend of pain and glory as Anders escorts the reader through her pregnancy and through Advent. 

Those who didn’t read the original publication should benefit from the perspectives presented in this book, as should those who re-read this book during this season.

The themes of Advent have inspired poets for centuries, and Bill Countryman has used this book to weave together the poetry of well-known authors, along with many contemporary ones, for daily devotional readings during Advent and Christmas. Countryman – a poet, priest and professor – offers a “different way” to prepare for Advent. He collected the poems so that the reader might treat Christmas “as an affirmation of hope and joy, even in the midst of the realities of human life.”

The title is taken from The Nativity by Scottish poet William Drummond (1585-1649).  It begins with angelic voices: “Run, shepherds, run where Bethlehem blest appears!  We bring the best of news.  Be not dismay’d!” Other well-known poets include George Herbert, John Donne, Emily Dickenson and Alfred Lord Tennyson.  A host of contemporary authors includes Countryman himself.  His poem Going to God with the Shepherds is used on Dec. 30.

His thoughtful collection of poems all build on the themes of reflection on the human condition and a deep hope rooted in the birth of Jesus. In his professor role (he is Sherman E. Johnson Professor in biblical studies at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif.), he includes advice on reading poetry and helpful introductory material for each week of Advent and Christmas. He is also an associate priest at Church of the Good Shepherd in Berkeley, where there undoubtedly will be a special appreciation of his title.

He also includes annotations to help readers with older language and with meanings that may not be apparent for modern readers. In his role as poet, he leads us closer to the real understanding of the seasons – especially as that contrasts with their busyness. As he notes, a wide degree of individual taste is involved in relating to poems.  But this volume contains such a wonderful collection of poems that you’re sure to find many to deepen your appreciation and understanding of the Seasons of Advent and Christmas.