57° and Patchy rain nearby
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St. John's Episcopal Church is sponsoring an Advent series consisting of a book discussion and daily practice. According to a church press release, you can join in via Zoom to discuss Fully Human, Fully Divine: an Advent Devotional for the whole self by Whitney R Simpson, which came out in September.
The book introduces the reader to various forms of prayer and devotion.
And what exactly is Advent? According to Wikipedia, Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin adventus "coming; arrival", translating Greek parousia. In the New Testament, this is the term used for the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, the season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the "coming of Christ" from three different perspectives: the physical nativity in Bethlehem, the reception of Christ in the heart of the believer, and the eschatological Second Coming.
For the St. John's series, those interest in participating are urged to get the book and read thru p43 during Thanksgiving week, then try the daily practices beginning November 27 [yes, Observer is late in running this item!].
Dates for the series are Nov 30, Dec 7, 15,and 21 at 7pm. Contact Rev Kathy (Rector@StJohnsFranklinMA.org) for Zoom information.
Added bonus: During Advent, Rev Kathy will use these prayer practices during her Facebook Morning Prayer (Wednesdays - Saturdays 8:30am) on the St John’s Facebook page.
According to the "About the Author" section on Whitney R Simpson on Amazon.com:
A stroke at age 31 forced Whitney to slow down and listen more deeply to her body. With a young child at home, she found herself re-learning the basic skills of life (like walking) too. In the process of her healing and recovery, she discovered how to listen more deeply to God and began exploring ancient practices to reconnect her body and spirit.
Whitney is the author of Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit and Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Advent Devotional for the Whole Self published by Upper Room Books. Through her work as a spiritual director, yoga and meditation teacher, and retreat facilitator, she incorporates yoga and other ancient tools, encouraging the sacred connection of breath, body, and spirit. Whitney completed certification in spiritual formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and is a 500-hour experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT 500). She is the founder of Exploring Peace Ministries, offering soul care resources for exploring the gift of God’s peace with the whole self. Whitney lives in Tennessee and can be found online at www.ExploringPeace.com or WhitneyRSimpson.com and on social media at @WhitneyRSimpson. Listen to her popular prayer and meditation podcast, Exploring Peace Meditations wherever you listen to podcasts.
