This year, the Parish of the Valley clergy team is please to recommend the following resource for daily devotions throughout the season of Advent.
Hope and Surprise: Reflections for the season of Advent from the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). Written by the Very Rev. Ken Gray, these daily personal reflections on life and theology are also enhanced by some of his favourite photos, lyrics and hymn texts. You can learn more and subscribe to receive them daily by email here.
Advent Word from the Episcopal Church's Forward Movement offers daily email meditations and an inspirational online Advent calendar featuring a daily prompt word selected from the Sunday Lectionary readings. You can learn more and sign up here.
The Texts Behind the Tunes - an Advent program, from the Presbyterian Church in Canada and written by The Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls, professor at the Vancouver School of Theology, has been created to help us understand and appreciate the Old Testament texts that underlie the many beautiful hymns that the church sings during Advent. Find videos for seven different texts and the accompanying hymns as well as downloadable notes at this link.
The Weary World Rejoices reflects on the season of Advent as a time of waiting and holding our breath with the tension of a promise glimpsed but not yet fufilled. Step into the invitation to lean into this waiting with eyes and hearts wide open to what it means to live with hope now. By Kate Bowler, available free here.
Brother, Give Us A Word is a daily reflective email from the Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE). In the season of Advent, their daily reflections are on the themes of this season. You can sign up for their emails here.