A Holy Pause
An Advent Reflection + a book & a recipe
I’m not totally sure what format these articles will take every time, but I know that I want to share reflections, book recommendations, and recipes fairly often. So, here goes!
We got home from Thanksgiving travels Saturday night, the night before December first which happened to be the beginning of Advent this year.1 Upon our arrival, with tired kids, irritable after a long drive, we faced the challenge of unpacking and resettling at home. (A project that is still ongoing over a week later!) We’d left our house pretty tidy except for the mounds of clean laundry piled in my office. In the chaos of unloading the car and trying to get the kids to bed, I started thinking of all the things I hadn’t done to prepare for the season ahead: I hadn’t wrapped any of the Christmas themed library books I’d gotten for the girls (have you seen this lovely trend?), I hadn’t ordered or made a pretty Advent calendar with special activities for each day, I hadn’t cleaned out the kids' closets and toys like I’d wanted to do before December, I hadn’t ordered or even begun to create Christmas cards. The pressure started rising, the expectations looming over me, whispering: “you haven’t done enough.”
Now, thankfully, I’d been tasked with teaching the next morning at church, opening the Advent season with a sermon about what Advent is and why we are participating in it. The theme of my sermon was a reminder that Advent is a holy pause.2 I’d prepared the sermon weeks ahead of time, knowing that we’d be with family all of Thanksgiving, so the words had time to settle in my heart: Advent is a season of waiting. An invitation to give our souls space, the chance to declutter and to breathe.
Unfortunately, sometimes the holidays are marked by an overly busy schedule, pesky anxieties, uncomfortable family dynamics, and spending too much money. But Advent provides a needed contrast: a season of waiting and preparing. A holy pause.
In Latin, the word Advent–adventus, means “coming or arrival”. In this season, we think specifically about Jesus’ arrival in three ways: His birth-when He came physically to the earth in the form of a human baby, the day He will come again as King to restore all things to Himself, and the ways that He makes Himself known to us in our daily lives through the presence of the Holy Spirit. All of these things require waiting. The liturgy3 of the season of Advent is a liturgy of stillness and waiting. In this waiting we remember how long humanity waited for the Messiah and we take time to acknowledge the things we are waiting for. Instead of stuffing down our longings or distracting ourselves from waiting, we offer our hearts to Jesus, trusting that He will meet us in the stillness of our souls.
When I paused to think about it, I realized that I didn’t necessarily want to wrap library books, I like picking what we want to read on a whim. I didn’t want to plan out a daily activity, I knew the girls would enjoy helping me choose what we do. And the idea of having my whole house organized by Thanksgiving was a pipe dream. Instead, I plan to take morning walks, to drink lots of hot chocolate4, and to make some progress on decluttering our home. Oh and maybe, we will do New Years cards. Most importantly, I plan to make sure that each day of Advent allows for moments of quiet. That in the flurry and festivity, I give my soul the chance to be still and when, inevitably, the anxieties start to rise, the to-do list grows, and the events loom over me, I will bring it all to Jesus, resting in His presence and love.
Advent doesn’t always begin on December 1. It changes with the calendar and always begins four Sundays before Christmas.
I read the phrase “a holy pause” in Sue Monk Kidd’s spiritual memoir, When the Heart Waits and the phrase resonated deeply with me. By the way, this was the first work of non-fiction I’ve read by Kidd and it’s one of the most spiritually refreshing books I’ve read in a while. I love her novels The Secret Life of Bees, The Invention of Wings, and The Book of Longings.
I love this description of liturgy: an external form of worship that guides our spirits internally. This can take many shapes: the lighting of candles, scripture readings, singing hymns, etc…
Have you tried bone broth hot chocolate? I know it sounds weird but it’s nourishing and delicious. I’ve made Fallon Danae’s version several times and it’s really good.
food + books
Lemon Chicken + Chickpea Stew—this is my go-to soup of the season. I absolutely love it and it’s been a hit with my family as well. Being a stew, it feels like a full meal and paired with some sourdough bread or biscuits, you’ve got yourself a cozy winter dinner. The leftovers are even better! I make this with pearl couscous, but if you’re gluten free, I think you could sub rice just fine or the Jovial brand orzo pasta. The fresh herbs really make the flavors pop. It’s so good! Important note: I don’t use the red pepper flakes or cayenne that the recipe calls for. I failed to tell a friend this and it ended up being too spice for her family. The author of this recipe, my fave—Alex from Defined Dish—likes things spicy, so I always keep that in mind with her recipes. We top this with Tobacco sauce, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese! Ok, adding to my meal plan again for next week!
Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton—I grabbed this off my bookshelves for my husband to read for Advent and he’s really enjoying it. Each daily reading includes a passage from the work of G.K. Chesterton with commentary from author Ryan Whitaker Smith (I have no idea who he is but his writing is solid). Each day ends with a scripture reading and prayer. It’s simple yet has the quiet depth we long for during Advent devotions. The second half of the book is filled with recipes, games, and some poetry and essays by Chesterton. This is a really rich collection and I highly recommend it!
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