Advent begins quietly. Like the humble coming of the infant God who was born to die, rise, and return to us as reigning King, Advent itself comes to us humble and soft-spoken. It is a candle lit in a window or on a table. Advent marks a time of becoming quiet, clearing out clutter of our souls, bowing the heart, forsaking some of the daily distractions and pleasures.

Advent is the time for being still and making ready. 

The work of making-ready – cleaning house

Advent, like Lent, is a truth-telling event. Before we can really be ready for the coming of the King,  we must first face the truth about our own condition and clean our house. By “clean our house” I mean the old-fashioned term “coming-clean”, not any attempt to fix or repair or make our house more presentable by our own efforts. Making us presentable for the King is the Lord’s own work.  Our part of that is telling the truth about our real and immediate condition – naming our needs, fears, hurts, resents, angers, longings, hopes. Being willing to do this is the first step of making ready. The naming those things that dwell in us in places we often don’t want to talk about is the next step. Laying them down in surrender in the hands of the King is the next. This is where we will find peace and this is where we will be made ready to wait with hope and expectation. This is a way to empty out the clutter of our own hearts. In my own life, I know this practice to be tried and true. It is a practice of getting myself out-of-the-way. This is what Madeleine L’Engle called the gimmes in her magnificent book on Art and Faith – Walking on Water.  It is the practice of telling God first what we feel our needs are and getting it out of our system so we can then hear and receive what we truly need. Calling it the ‘gimmes’ sounds selfish and immature but, whether it is or is not, there is no where else to start in our cleaning house than where we really are. The Lord loves us to come to Him truthfully and trustingly. Regardless of our real condition – of which He is already completely aware – we will be received with love. This kind of truth-telling on our part is essential for any spiritual grow regardless of time of year or time in our lives. 

Nearly always I have to work at getting ready for Advent, and even more for Christmastide.  It takes work and a committed effort to quiet myself, to clear away clutter, to listen to a Voice who whispers behind all the shouting of humanity and beyond it. It takes some work to choose to be still when virtually everything in my environment is commanding me to be busy. It takes deeper work to choose to be still and tell the truth that I am often most tempted to simply hide or to hide from. The darkness is my enemy and Advent is the season of facing it. It recognises the season outside of deepening darkness yet does not yield to it. I need this every single day but perhaps most especially now with impending winter before me. This is a vital part of how I tend to the care of my own soul. 

Waiting 

As Christians we are often told – rightly – that Advent is the season of waiting. It is. We wait with hope and with expectation for the Light to come that will dispel the darkness. We wait for needs to be answered. We wait for longings to be fulfilled. We wait purposefully and expectantly like a woman waiting to give birth, like a farmer waiting for spring.  We wait with trust for Christmas morning. 

Finding Resources & Keeping Company 

As much as Advent is a season for waiting, it is also a season of choosing and of keeping company.

While there are elements to our soul care that must be done alone, we are made for living in community. We are made to live in the company of others. As my need for a greater rootedness has deepened these past few years, I have begun seeking the company of other pilgrims on the road to Christmas. Receiving some guidance for this season has been good. I practice Advent better when I choose who I share the journey with and choose the way I travel on the journey. Being in the company of others helps me choose more faithfully and more courageously. I am less alone in keeping to the path and my understanding of why I keep these practices has deepened. And listening to those traveling companions has also confirmed the good choices I have already long been making. Some of these friends are well familiar, but some are new to me – all are worthy companions for the road.  I hope you find encouragement in their company.  These resources have become precious to me for companionship, guidance, and voices of soundness in a loud and bewildered world. 

Recommended Reading and Listening for Advent & Christmastide:

Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite

Waiting on the Word is a remarkable collection of poetry for reading through the Advent season all the way to Epiphany.  I have written about it in an interview with Malcolm Guite who is the editor of this collection and author of eight of the poems. It is a singular work and guide through the Advent season. Last year Malcolm and I collaborated on producing daily offerings for our readers using his poems and my images. This year in the spirit of continuing that blend of arts, Malcolm is working with the highly talented artist Linda Richardson, to give readers a daily gift to anchor the season. You can find more about this on Malcolm’s fabulous website and also follow along on Facebook. 

The Circle of Seasons – Kimberlee Conway Ireton

A book I have recently begun reading is written by our own K.C. Ireton and I have loved every page of it! As someone who has had a fairly limited understanding of the church calendar, I am so grateful for what KC. has offered as a beautiful guide to the subject. The Circle of Seasons makes a wonderful companion to Waiting on the Word, Word in the Wilderness, and Sounding the Seasons. 

Pilgrim Year – Steve Bell 

In addition to being a superb musician, Steve Bell is a very fine writer. He has created an amazing multi-media journey through the Christian Calendar and has made it available in a unique format. The breadth of this effort is astounding and I find myself more nourished, informed and strengthened with every reading. I heartily encourage you to go explore this collection! 

Keening for the Dawn – Steve Bell 

This album from Steve is one of my favourites and includes an extraordinary song titled Descent that still gives me chills after listening to it at least 100 times, at least in part because it features Malcolm Guite’s eloquent poetic voice. You are welcome to explore more about this release and the friendship between Steve and Malcolm in this interview.

The Advent Project 2023 – Biola University

Some years ago Biola University began a magnificent multi-media project for Advent that is offered each year. Daily readings with visual art, and accompanied often with gorgeous musical selections are sent to subscribers or you can explore the project on your own. It is worthy of your attention. 

Watch for the Light

Watch for the Light is a collections of readings for Advent and Christmas that I came across only last year but it made a strong impression on me. Like Waiting on the Word, Watch for the Light includes a wide array of sources for readings that are thought prompting and enriching. I used this book through my Advent meditations last year particularly in conjunction with Waiting on the Word, and look forward to exploring it more deeply this year.

Home for Christmas

This is a beautifully readable collection of twenty classic stories to keep company with Christmas published by Plough. It makes for quiet hearts and a sweeter peace for the reading of it. 

Emmanuel 

Ruth Chou Simons offers a lavishly illustrated path through Advent with her winsome text and beautiful artwork. This is a lovely book to keep company with in any season really, but especially for this season.

This Advent piece was originally written and published in 2016. Today I am offering us an updated copy with a few new editions to resources.

I am grateful to enter this beloved season of Advent & Christmastide in the company of such good friends.

May your days truly be merry and bright as we celebrate the coming of the King! 

Lancia E. Smith

Lancia E. Smith is an author, photographer, business owner, and publisher. She is the founder and publisher of Cultivating Oaks Press, LLC, and the Executive Director of The Cultivating Project, the fellowship who create content for Cultivating Magazine. She has been honoured to serve in executive management, church leadership, school boards, and Art & Faith organizations over 35 years.

Now empty nesters, Lancia & her husband Peter make their home in the Black Forest of Colorado, keeping company with 200 Ponderosa Pine trees,  a herd of mule deer, an ever expanding library, and two beautiful black cats. Lancia loves land reclamation, website and print design, beautiful typography, road trips, being read aloud to by Peter, and cherishes the works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George MacDonald. She lives with daily wonder of the mercies of the Triune God and constant gratitude for the beloved company of Cultivators.

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