On the staff at the 2008 Lambeth Conference, he describes the Anglican Communion, touchingly, as “a vast and diverse family which points to that picture of heaven in the book of Revelation”. By the time he attends the 2022 Conference as a new bishop, he finds that “provinces, mainly from Africa, were offered financial inducements by church organisations in wealthier parts of the world if they agreed to boycott the conference.” Looking for a book-themed Christmas advent calendar that has lots of cute gifts to open and enjoy? This 12 Day Bookish Advent Calendar is an excellent choice! St Paul famously wrote that these three things remain faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. Dr Carys Walsh, curate at All Saints’, Kettering, leapfrogs all these divisions by offering a book completed a year ago. Frequencies of God should become something of a classic. The author interprets the poetry of the Welsh priest R. S. Thomas through the Advent prisms of waiting, accepting, journeying, birthing, and seeing. She reveals both knowledge of and love for his verse. Nicholas Holtam was Bishop of Salisbury from 2011 to 2021 and the Church of England's lead bishop for the environment, chairing the Environmental Working Group from 2014 to 2021. A Durham geographer before training for ordination, he lives in Brighton and is married to Helen with 4 adult children. Nicholas is the author of The Art of Worship: Paintings, Prayers, and Readings for Meditation and A Room with a View: Ministry with the World at Your Door. Sleepers Wake! is his first Advent book.

I was amazed, in my research, to find such a huge variety of different styles: some imaginative, some traditional, some for families, some for groups, some long, some brief, some with illustrations, some with activities. There really is something for everyone in this list. May you find a resource which will draw you into God’s heart this Advent! Here are 25 “conversations with Jesus” – enticingly written, drawing you into the story, drawing Jesus into our world today with all its ups and downs. I found this a fascinating and incredibly powerful way to explore Scripture – which, by the way, begins each day’s reading, and covers both Old and New Testaments. It’s not for you if you’re looking for exegesis – but if you’re at risk of going through the motions this Advent, after years of “same old same old”, then this is definitely one to try. Powerful, challenging, comforting and wildly welcoming. Lean Towards the Light this Advent and Christmas (Compiled by Christine Aroney-Sine and Lisa DeRosa, 2020) So with the definition of an ‘Advent devotional’ as something which will encourage your faith, here are my recommendations! Christmas and Advent devotions for familiesIf you’re looking for great family devotionals through the year, don’t forget to take a look at my recommendations here: 10 Best Family Devotions.) Advent study for small groups

If you’re looking for an Advent guide which will widen your experience beyond the gospel retellings, here it is. Like a grown-up version of the Jesse Tree, The Whole Christmas Story does just that: it ponders the whole Christmas story, starting with creation in Genesis and ending with the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation. The format is traditional: Bible passage (helpfully included in full), followed by articulate and warm commentary. Jo Swinney expounds Scripture deeply and wisely, with nuance which stems from a recent tragedy. A worthy companion to your Advent. The Promise and the Light (Katy Morgan, 2021)This is exactly why I wrote my devotional Redeeming Advent a few years ago. It’s an easy read, starting from the reality of a hectic December day, and leading us into the presence of Jesus as we ponder what his birth 2000 years ago means for us. Here is a resource which, whilst not technically an Advent devotional, does a good job of pretending. After all, what could be more appropriate in a season which is all about waiting than studying the lives of four Bible characters who ‘waited’? For those of us currently in limbo – perhaps waiting for a job, some news from the doctor, or a forthcoming marriage – this book would be especially helpful. I love the expert way Tanya Marlow combines imaginative storytelling with incisive Biblical commentary – sometimes it can feel like resources have to choose one or the other, but this does both. If you want to go deeper in your journey with God this Advent, but do it creatively, this is for you. Tracing Glory: The Christmas Story through the Bible (Sarah Rice, 2021) – devotional and ornament activity book The New Daylight series of daily Bible readings, gathered in a booklet, Journeying through Advent, are written this year by David Winter, Steve Aisthorpe, Amy Boucher Pye, Andy John, and Margaret Cundiff (who died in 2011).

Looking for a book advent calendar that is made up exclusively of books? If so, then these Wrapped Book Advent Calendars are a great choice! If you want a book advent calendar that specifically features books you can read (instead of just book-themed gifts), then this 25 Days Book Christmas Advent Calendar is a great option!

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Buy the 12 Day Bookish Advent Calendar now! (or buy it on Etsy here!) 2. 25 Days Book Christmas Advent Calendar At a time which increasingly feels dark and challenging these stories offer light and hope reflecting on the lived experience of faith, its inspiring nature and the love of neighbour and of God which underpins each of these stories. From the founder of Save the Children through to the saint who became Santa, the daily reflections are ideal for individuals, churches and groups who are seeking comfort and hope in times of challenge and worry.

From a book of cheer to the downright jokey comes The Glorious Journey. Liam Kelly has produced an Advent book based on the Netflix film The Two Popes. He works at Ampleforth Abbey in the abbot’s office and offers a nicely balanced secular commentary on seasonal themes such as listening, change, mercy, and loneliness. BRF’s Christmas devotional for 2022 takes you all the way through from Advent to Epiphany, with in-depth daily devotionals (which include the Bible reading presented in full – very handy), introductions to each week of readings, and questions/creative prayer to use in groups. You do need to set aside a bit more time to read this devotional, as the print is small and the daily readings are a little longer than those in other books, but the sacrifice of time will more than make up for itself in terms of the richness of thought, depth of theological understanding, and challenge of personal application contained here. Tales from the Jesse Tree (Amy Scott Robinson, 2014) Stories of exclusion and coupled with stories of divine connection and hope including those of Jemima Prasadam, one of the first women to be ordained priest in the Church of England whose ministry in inner city Birmingham led to her inclusion at the National Portrait Gallery and the impact of the ministry of Billy Graham whose preaching has been foundational to the faith journey of minority ethnic bishops in the Church of England. With this vast, beautifully diverse family of believers in mind, Arun Arora steers us through many of the anxieties and pressures of the season, with reflections that keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and offer hope, comfort and joy.

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The Advent season is one of the most special times of the year, when candles twinkle, the Christmas tree is decorated, and the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove fill the kitchen. This calendar features 12 days of Pride and Prejudice themed gifts, so you can open individually wrapped gifts daily in the last 12 days leading up to Christmas Eve! All the designs in this bookish advent calendar are newly released specifically for this box, and only a few of them are holiday themed so you can use the gifts all year round. The author believes in the “bounty of Christmas” and is happy to find this bounty in the everyday. Here is a timely reminder that, while some of the celebrations may be different this year, it is impossible to “cancel” Christmas. THE spiritual gifts of the season are summed up in the “O” antiphons recited on the last seven days of Advent. In these invocations, the Church has Christians pray for wisdom, deliverance, redemption, divine intervention, freedom, enlightenment, and salvation, because Emmanuel — God with us — “is the hope of the nations and their Saviour”. This list makes a good starting point from which to evaluate the special demands of Advent 2020 and to assess the extent to which they are met in this year’s selection of preparatory material. Never has hope been in such short supply, and yet Advent, when Christians open their eyes and hearts to their core beliefs, surely offers it in spades.