Advent greetings!
It’s that time of year again when our lectionary is full of the prophet Isaiah. Because I’ve written about that before, I’m going to link to some of those things and then use the rest of this newsletter to recommend other things I’ve found helpful.
Here are previous newsletters which will give you some context for preaching on the Isaiah passages:
'tis the season for Isaiah
Festive greetings to you all, I hope that your advent has gotten off to a very good start! This will be the last edition of lectionary notes this year as I plan to give myself a little break having just finished the first draft of my PhD thesis (phew!), so it is a little longer than usual. I look forward to getting started again in the new year, but if …
This digs into the Christmas Day readings:
Tidings of Comfort and Joy: Readings from Isaiah
Advent greetings! If you’re anything like me, the last couple of weeks have been a mad rush of carol services, mince pies, and school nativities - leaving little room for pondering the mysteries of the book of Isaiah and how to preach on them! We’re going to have a quick look at the three lectionary readings from Isaiah which you might choose to preach o…
Also this:
Isaiah, Micah and Friends
In last fortnight’s newsletter, we thought together about the Babylonian Exile and its retelling in the book of Chronicles. This week, we’re going to look at another significant exile event during which texts such as Micah and Amos were written, and which forms some of the background to our current morning prayer lectionary text: First Isaiah (chapters 1…
Next up are some of the things which have been helping/inspiring me as I think about what to say in the many (many, many…) sermons that need to be written in the next three weeks.
https://unsplash.com/photos/pink-candles-on-gold-candle-holder-XURNr0q38x4
Personally, I find sermon writing much harder when I’m not giving myself the space to prayerfully engage with the writing of other people. I need to ‘pay in’ to my creativity account if I want to make lots of ‘withdrawals’, as will be the case in the time between now and Christmas.
It is the case, though, that as I get used to full-time parish ministry I’m struck by the ways that God often uses the things I think are sub-par to speak to people. Often, when I’ve felt that a sermon wasn’t all I hoped for, that will be the time that someone is deeply moved. I find it useful to remind myself that the activity of the Holy Spirit isn’t dependent on how ‘good’ the things I produce are - and thanks be to God for that!
But, nevertheless, it’s good for us to nourish ourselves with things we find inspiring and which turn our hearts towards God. Here are some things which I’ve been enjoying:
Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann - this is my favourite Advent Book and is endlessly quotable in sermons. It’s out of print but you can buy second hand or get the eBook!
I really enjoyed Sarah Bessey’s meditation on Advent here:
I’m not a huge poetry person, but I love Malcolm Guite’s Advent collection. It’s called ‘Waiting on the Word’ and here is an example:
‘Advent’
O come, O come, and be our God-with-us
O long-sought With-ness for a world without
O secret seed, O hidden spring of light.
Come to us Wisdom, come unspoken Name
Come Root, and Key, and King, and holy Flame,
O quickened little wick so tightly curled,
Be folded with us into time and place,
Unfold for us the mystery of grace
And make a womb of all this wounded world.
O heart of heaven beating in the earth,
O tiny hope within our hopelessness
Come to be born, to bear us to our birth,
To touch a dying world with new-made hands
And make these rags of time our swaddling bands.Advent is a time of anticipation, where we look forward to knowing the fullness of God’s love but remain aware of the darkness in our world. I’m doing a ‘Blue Christmas’ service for those who struggle at this time, and have found Barbara Brown Taylor’s book on suffering ‘God in Pain’ helpful.
Finally, I’ve been enjoying this newsletter by Laura Kelly Fanucci - it isn’t strictly speaking about Advent but it touches on some of the themes. Her writing is also very beautiful, I would recommend subscribing.
That’s all for now! You won’t hear from me again until the new year, so may you have a blessed Advent and a joyful Christmas.