Sleepers Wake: Getting Serious About Climate Change: The Archbishop of York's Advent Book 2022

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In a phrase: An imaginative “Dear Diary” style read to take you deeper into relationship with Jesus If you’re looking for a fun but more inexpensive book advent calendar option, then this Bookish Advent Calendar is the way to go! The ideal Advent companion! Rooted in both the Bible and the current environmental crisis, Bishop Holtam’s meditations help us to face the challenge of the Saviour who will finally come in judgement of what we have done to God’s world, while we are preparing to offer all we have to the Babe of Bethlehem. Read it yourself daily, study it in weekly groups – but, most importantly, wake from sleep and act now before it is too late.’ I hope my rundown of some of the best Advent Bible studies around has been useful to you as you prepare to keep Christ central to all your activities and busyness this Advent and Christmas. The Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2022 can be used as a study for both individuals and small groups, to help you get the most out of the season. With inspiring and motivating prompts for both prayer and action, Sleepers Wake encourages Christians to see Advent as an opportunity to wake up to the reality of climate change and hear God’s call to renew the earth.

The 24 Days of Bookish Gifts Advent Calendar Box is another option that will bring bookish Christmas cheer to you this year! Buy the 12 Day Bookish Advent Calendar now! (or buy it on Etsy here!) 2. 25 Days Book Christmas Advent Calendar Climate change is the most important, urgent issue of our day – but while there are technical and political issues, the fundamental problem with the fight against climate change is spiritual.In this short and easy-to-read devotional, Sarah Tummey focuses purely on Old Testament passages. Rather than looking at the gospel story, she skilfully explains how particular prophecies, Psalms and other OT writings came to be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. This would make an excellent devotional for a newer Christian, a Christian who hasn’t used an Advent devotional before, or anyone who is interested to develop their understanding of the narrative of Scripture. The Coming of the King (J C Ryle/Mary Davis , 2022) Once you have all the books or bookish items for each day’s gift, then wrap them in cute wrapping like this bookish wrapping paper or these printable storybook boxes. Or, if you prefer, get a whole Christmas Advent Box kit so all you need to do is add the items! What does the Lord require of us? What damage are we doing to God’s world? What will we say to our grandchildren, when they ask why we did so little to avert catastrophic climate change? How can we further climate justice? What can we do differently? 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! Like Bach’s great Wachet auf! chorale, this walk through the weeks of Advent is both a carefully constructed meditation, and an unsettling call to action.’ NEIL MacGREGOR, BROADCASTER AND FORMER MUSEUM DIRECTOR

To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth is integral to being a Christian today… Advent calls us to wake up, pay attention, stay sober and be alert to God and to what is happening in the world around us. The behaviour of human beings is the major current cause of climate change, and has the potential to become the 6th major event to result in the mass extinction of life on planet earth. We know this, yet we are still in danger of sleepwalking towards catastrophe… we are being called to live as citizens of God’s kingdom in the here and now… we are sensing an opportunity to do things differently, and an Advent-like urgency is needed in making our response… we can run headlong into disaster or we can sleepwalk into it, but we can no longer say that we do not know the impact of the way we are living. It is only in facing the reality that we can find the way forward.’ 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) There are biblical reflections, and prayers and poems (from Traherne to Rowan Williams). We are reminded of Bach’s music and are offered poignant reflections from a dozen illustrations: including Rembrandt, Constable, Monet, Gerhard Richter, and Earthrise.

And there’s even some fun candy canes thrown in as a treat for while you read! So this book advent box is perfect if you’re looking to open a surprise book each day throughout the Christmas season. 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)

If you’re looking for a creative way in to your devotions this Advent, something which reads more like an exciting novel than a Bible commentary, this is your book. In 25 chapters (so you can read one per night – perfect!), Katy Morgan expertly uses what we know of the time and place to pad out the factual story with fictional elements which really bring it to life. (And don’t worry – there are notes at the end about what’s fact and what’s fiction!) There are no questions, no direct challenges – but reading the Nativity story like this is sure to make you see and apply it in new ways. I’m looking forward to reading it to my 10yo and 12yo this Advent! They S ang (Amy Scott Robinson, 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. And last, if you didn’t see an option you loved on the list above, you can always create your own book advent calendar! This is a book to use seriously, prayerfully, and determinedly during Advent. It is an urgent wake-up call to action. Sets of questions at the end of each “week” are ideal for church discussion and individual reflection.More than 30 years ago, Margaret Thatcher’s speech to the UN warned of the damage that we are causing to our environment through pollution and greenhouse gases. Some positive changes have happened since, but not enough nor nearly fast enough. Holtam quotes Gus Speth, arguing that our environmental problems are not primarily biodiversity loss, or climate change, but “selfishness, greed, and apathy”. 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! Holtam knows the climate science, the economics, and the structures of governance. He points the reader to UN Reports, church work on responsible investment, the excellent A Rocha Eco Church awards, and the vastly different experiences of climate change in different part of the world. He comments on poverty and inequality. He looks at creation, love, justice, prayer, worship, our life in Christ, and more. We are made in God’s image to enjoy and serve God’s creation, our common home. There are many echoes of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’. There is practical advice for church life and for individual lifestyles. This bookish advent calendar comes with 12 individually-wrapped, book-themed gifts that are perfect for any book lover. It is meant to be opened in the last 12 days leading up to Christmas Eve/Christmas, which means you’ll start opening the gifts on December 13th or 14th. Bookworms are sure to enjoy opening each day’s item for a fun surprise leading up to the holidays! This intriguing compilation from GodSpace features over 60 readings to take you from the start of Celtic Advent (mid-November) right through to Epiphany. The argument is that it’s good to start preparing hearts and minds before the busyness of December takes over, and I appreciate this. Each of the readings is more like a blog post than a Bible commentary: warm, relatable, sprinkled with personal stories and humour – and of course each one has a different flavour, depending on the author who has penned it. There is plenty of Scripture quoted and referred to, and I found myself pondering several interesting ideas as I dipped in. Redeeming Advent (Lucy Rycroft, 2019)