Christmas Day
Scripture Reading for Today:
Merry Christmas
by Amy Bratton
Every year since my kids were old enough to anticipate Christmas, I have hoped to add practices to our family routines to mark the days of Advent with a touch of the sacred among the commercialism that crowds in at this time of year. So far, I have had little success making space for my idealism, and this year is no exception. Here we are on Christmas Day and life got busy. The beginning of December snuck up on me and even the simple Advent countdown we have used for several years remains in the jar where it has been since last December
This year I have been trying to go easy on myself and pay attention when I am at my limits, instead of pushing beyond my capacity as I listen to the whisper inside my head of all the things I should be doing. I’ve been trying to unravel the internal expectations and respond with gentleness when I give up on things I had hoped would take place. In that respect, I have had tiny victories this year.
As I write this, a clean white layer of snow is falling here in Saskatoon. Fluffy white snow is my favourite type of snow. Part of what I love about fresh snow is that it covers up the flaws of the landscape, leaving a clean blanket across spaces that are often filled with evidence of human presence on the land. As the snow falls and changes the landscape from icy, gravel-covered roads to pure white, I am hopeful for a change in season in my interior world, as well.
I am struck by the images of change in the Isaiah passage in today’s readings, so often read at Christmas. The shift from darkness to seeing light shine. The shift of struggle to victory. And the transformation at the birth of a child. Especially, the birth of God incarnate that we celebrate on this, the Feast of Christmas.
In this spirit of hope, I am also filled with immense gratitude.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading along with us this year. Each year I am so grateful for the community of readers who wholeheartedly read and open their hearts to be touched by the reflections in this collection.
A huge thank you to all the authors and artists who shared their hearts for the Advent Reader this year. Your words and images have been earnest and insightful, vulnerable and courageous. I am grateful for how you have articulated your story and how it fits inside God’s story. It has been a joy to work with all the contributors this year.
Thank you to Alanna Johnson, who did the graphic design for Advent Undone. She has not only made the words look beautiful but also selected the images you have seen alongside the words of the contributors. Alanna takes time each year to think about the feel of the collection and always creates a beautiful place for the words to rest. Thank you for your care and attention to the Advent Reader.
In a year when the New Leaf Network has been aware of our own limitations of time and capacity, it has been a joy to see that the reading community for the Advent Reader has grown once again. Thank you for walking with us for Advent Undone.
Thank you to those of you have have already donated to New Leaf in gratitude for the Advent Reader. If you have appreciated this collection, we suggest a $25 donation and larger gifts will also support the wider network work. With your financial backing, we can keep working with Canadian leaders to make and develop this resource. The encouraging notes and donations help us make this project happen each year.
We have so much to be thankful for. As we head into 2025, the New Leaf Network continues to feel the pull of listening to and working with leaders in the Canadian church. We have some plans for the coming year. Would you help us continue this work with a donation?
If a donation is not possible at this time, there are many ways to support the work that we do. Sharing our events and resources on social media and within your networks. Buying a book from New Leaf Press. Subscribing or reviewing the podcasts in the New Leaf Podcast Network. Attending an event in the coming year. Reaching out to us to let us know what you are doing in the Canadian church, or how we can help. We appreciate all the ways you engage with New Leaf throughout the year.
As you celebrate Christmas this year, may the places where Advent has come Undone also be places where you are held by God and woven into the larger story of Love.
Peace to you during this season of Christmastide,
Amy Bratton
Editor, New Leaf Advent Reader
Director of Operations & Publishing, New Leaf Network
Thank you for reading the New Leaf Advent Reader, a collection of reflections from writers across Canada. If you are enjoying the reader, sign up to receive the readings in your inbox each day here: SIGN UP
And please share this reflection with your friends and family who might also enjoy it.