Still Advent
An invitation
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:
and after the fire a still small voice.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1 KINGS 19:11-13 (KJV)
As we enter these waning days of Ordinary Time - a brimful season that takes us through the height of summer harvest and all through its autumn bounty - the farm almost gives an audible sigh as we step into Advent…as the animals settle into their season of barns & hay and the soil does its invisible work. We’re entering not just a new liturgical season, but a whole new liturgical year…and, right from the start, we’re given a pattern for realignment.
The Church offers us a gift by beginning our new sacred year in the penitential season of Advent: just as the farm so effortlessly relaxes into its wintry horizons, naturally set by fading sunlight and falling temperatures, we’re called to rest into holy boundaries. We re-learn, yet again, the art of watchfulness: waiting infused with quiet, persistent hope.
Already, my annual Advent refrain starts to bubble-up…I can sense a familiar push-pull between the quiet invitation of this season and my old tendency to turn the quiet itself into something to strive for. My mind starts whirring, developing lists of all the things I should do or buy in order to somehow ‘produce’ Advent stillness, and I easily forget the lesson right outside our door: the gentle ease with which the winter landscape and farm fields naturally relax into their new boundaries.1
I know that I’m not alone in this struggle: and so, this Advent, I pray that the “medium” of this online space would help to better facilitate the “message” of this season of rest and preparation.
…so that, like Elijah, buffeted by thunder and fire and lighting, we can rest enough to recognize Immanuel’s presence in the still, small voice, wrapping our mantle close in recognition of the holy.
Because here in Advent, preparation isn’t a litany of striving: Adventide preparation is resting in the knowledge that we receive the gift of grace through Christ Jesus…a gift that precedes us, sustains us, and reaches beyond us.
Rather than moving into our typical monthly pace of video gatherings and deep-dive posts this December, I’ll be offering pre-recorded videos and reflection questions that you can enjoy and ponder at your own, gentle pace.
Listen to a fellow Advent-pilgrim’s reflections as you wash the dishes, fold laundry, take a walk…settle into the couch with your family and some mugs of hot cocoa while you ponder the videos alongside your kids…dip into a video or two when you gather with your Bible study friends.
You can find the times that work for you, where these reflections can serve to accompany your Advent journey, not compete with it. Some printables, helping you to deeply engage in these conversations, will also be provided.
It’s not a formula for Advent stillness, but rather an attempt at aligning message and mode in an even more intentional way: my hope & prayer is that by bending the medium we’re using (the internet) toward a slower pace, the stilling of Advent can more readily be received and pondered in our own families and communities.
And it’s important to know that we’re not stilling our restless hearts alone: a handful of thoughtful voices, companions for the journey, will be joining us in this practice of Still Advent. I’ll be right alongside you in pausing the drive toward busy-ness, and so will these wonderful friends…
Still Advent Guest Speakers
Danielle Hitchen | Founder & CEO of Catechesis Books
Danielle Hitchen longs for people to see and understand God’s big story in the everyday world around them. She is enthusiastic about church history and tradition, mental and emotional health, and living the good life.
By day Danielle is a reluctant homeschool mom, acceptable homemaker, and long-time Associate Producer of the Hugh Hewitt Show. In her spare time, she is also the author of Sacred Seasons and the Baby Believer book series, founder of Catechesis Books, and occasional writer of other things. Danielle loves good stories, big ideas, and beautiful design. She and her husband live near Washington, D.C. where they can be found enjoying Smithsonians and playgrounds alike with their four children, good conversations with their friends, and Virginia vineyards with each other.
| Artist at Tanglewood Atelier
Hello! I’m Emma: a wife, mother of two and published illustrator living in beautiful Yorkshire. After spending my early career years as an oncology pharmacist working for the NHS, I have spent the past five years as a full time illustrator while looking after my growing family. It’s been a dream and I’m thankful for the privilege of being able to do what I love every day.
My main subjects are religious/ecclesiastical art and a smattering of historical, botanical and mapwork (I LOVE maps!), but I’ve had the opportunity to work on all sorts of things from portraits to card games. There’s something fascinating about the rich history of sacred art and how it acts almost like a visual language to guide pilgrims in their faith. It also naturally ties in with the natural rhythms of the year and the liturgical calendar.
| Writer at The Liturgical Home
Hi! I’m Ashley Wallace. When I was a young mom, I really wanted to find ways to incorporate our Christian faith into our family’s daily life. Sure, we read the bible together and played Christian songs in the car, but I really wanted more. I began researching and collecting ideas for celebrating the church year in your home. I collected recipes and traditions from around the world and compiled them into liturgical living guidebooks to help families celebrate the seasons of the church in their own homes.
I am the writer for The Liturgical Home and have published guidebooks on each season of the liturgical year The Liturgical Home: Advent, The Liturgical Home: Lent, and The Liturgical Home: Easter.
| Writer & Spiritual Director at This Gentle Light
Born-and-raised in Alaska, I love wild places in all their beauty and mystery. These formative decades of my life sparked an interest in one of the wildest parts of life: the human spirit. I’m fascinated by the beliefs we hold close and how those beliefs shape our relationship with God and the world around us.
At heart, I’m an observer. Learning is my greatest joy, especially as I’ve explored my faith and built relationships with others. I went to seminary hoping to find answers, but instead learned how to ask different questions. Through my ever-evolving list of questions, I’m learning to lean into the way of Christ in new and ancient ways.
My present season of life includes mothering my children, searching for the best bowl of pho with my husband, and brainstorming my next quilting project.
Katharine McDowell | Homemaker & host of We Are the Homemakers Literary Society
Hello friend! My name is Katharine, and I am librarian- turned-homemaker in Southern California. I have been married to my college sweetheart, Micah, for nine years, and the Lord has blessed us with two sons, James (4.5) and Thomas (2) and most recently, a daughter Charlotte (7mo)!
Liturgical living has become a touchstone of our family in recent years, and it enriches our lives in countless ways. I have what I call “busy hands”, and am always working on some project (or three), typically within the realms of seasonal cooking, gardening, home design, or sewing. I aspire to be an artist of the everyday, and it fills my cup to make home a beautiful and inviting place to be!
| Beekeeper and writer at The Local Wild
I’m a mother, writer, and photographer learning to live inside the rhythms of our little homestead, where I wear many hats: beekeeper, homeschooler, and caretaker of an array of creatures, both human and animal. My work as a beekeeper is a constant source of inspiration, drawing from the hives, herbs, honey, and the sacred intersection of the ordinary and extraordinary in Creation.
Tessa and Kristen | Authors at All the Household
Meet Kristen and Tessa, the creators behind All the Household! After finding each other at University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and discovering that they shared a variety of common interests, they especially connected over their shared enthusiasm for liturgical living. Together, they envisioned a one-stop shop for teaching and learning about Lutheran liturgical traditions, and so they decided to combine their passions and minds to create ATH. They are excited to join you on the journey of intentionally living out the liturgical year.
DETAILS
The Still Advent seasonal retreat is available to all HF paid members and founding members (your wonderful support has helped me to, in turn, support these speakers!)
This series includes 7 prerecorded videos, some accompanying printables for further reflection, and my art.
I’ll be popping in with a video of encouragement partway through the season
You can also find a printable of my hand-painted Advent cover page for your liturgical year binder, so that you can begin to add resources to this seasonal section as you dip into the videos.
All of the Still Advent videos and printables are gathered onto one page so that you can bookmark it & easily return to it as you walk through this season:
By pacing ourselves with the slower invitation inherent in this season, I hope it will be one small way of helping to still our Advent - and to remember that it is, still, Advent. We live an in-between life, Adventide pilgrims surrounded by the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega…salvation soaked through past, present, and future alike.
I’ll see you in the waiting, friends…
Pax et bonum,
Kristin
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
(Matthew 6:28-33 ESV)
Good reminders to slow down! I love the "bending the medium (the internet) towards a slower pace. Well put!
Lovely🌺