We did it! On Monday we uploaded the manuscript and cover for Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path to Amazon publishing and yesterday it went live on their site. It is currently only available in the U.S. but should be available in Australia, Canada, U.K, Europe and even Japan, next week. I am delighted with this book which I feel will be a great asset to anyone wanting to extend their Advent experience to incorporate the 40 days of Celtic Advent this year.
If you are caught in the tension between the familiar symbols of Nativity scenes, Christmas trees and carol singing, and the desire for something unfamiliar which will jar you into fresh perspectives on the story of Jesus’ birth, then this is a book for you. Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path, provides an unexpected approach to the Advent season. The journey begins on November 13th, as we join the early Celtic Christians in a pilgrimage towards the manger. In the company of saints and artists, storytellers and poets, we tread a new path, step outside the boundaries of conventional knowledge, and explore new ways to enter the story of God. The witness of these faithful followers guides us to the baby Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us and enables us to stand firm in our faith, even when the world is in upheaval. I hope you will join me on the journey. If you are interested in buying bulk copies for a small group or Sunday school class please contact us for discounted price. Unfortunately this discount will only be available in the U.S.
On Friday we celebrate St Francis of Assisi and I got off to an early celebration with my Meditation Monday: St Francis Day and Blessing of the Animals. I love this celebration which is one of the important rituals of October for me. For many of us our pets are important parts of our lives, they relieve our stress, decrease our blood pressure and lengthen our lives. It is important to acknowledge their contribution to our good health and well being with a blessing each year.
Last week we published the 17th episode of the Liturgical Rebels, a fascinating interview with Celtic theologian John Philip Newell. Make sure you don’t miss listening to it. Next week Christine Valters Paintner will join us as we continue our series on Celtic Spirituality. I am learning a lot from these interviews and I hope you will too.
Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday: Finding Your Thinplace in Scotland was actually written from Scotland as she is currently on retreat on Iona again. I heartily agree with her comment that “pilgrimage transforms us both inside and out….if we are open and curious. If we are willing to take the time to pay attention.” I love reading about her adventures and am definitely with her in spirit if not in person.
Tom and I are currently getting ready to go to Australia on October 16th so my thoughts too are set on pilgrimage, though of a different sort, as part of the purpose is to attend a memorial time for my brother Nick who died a couple of months ago. I am also looking forward to catching up with friends and family. Can you believe it? 16 of my medical school friends will gather with Tom and I for a celebration while we are there. Thinking about this has made me look back at some of the posts on Godspacelight about friendship – Carol Dixon’s post for International Friendship Day last year, and my own post on The Wonder of Friends and another “Strangers, Friends Angels Unawares”. It was fun to look back on what I have written about the delight of friendship over the last few years.
As I mentioned last week, we are also moving rapidly into what I like to call my “gratitude season” – the days between Canadian Thanksgiving, this year on October 14th, and American Thanksgiving on November 28th. It’s time to think about how you might want to shape this season. In preparation you might like to reread this post – Making Gratitude A Lifelong Habit. Creating seasons like this that mark the seasons and also the important celebrations of our cultures is a wonderful way to ground our lives in the presence of God.
As I sent Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path, off to the publisher, I found myself reflecting a lot on what it meant to follow an unfamiliar path. This poem was the result this weekend.
Follow an unfamiliar path,
Let the light of God guide you.
Do not be distracted
By the cares of the world
And things you cannot change.
Do not stumble
When the road gets rough
And you cannot see the way.
Follow an unfamiliar path.
Trust in the One who created you.
Hold close to the Three who surround you.
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,
Trust only in them.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
Photo by Taylor Marx on pexels