As I write this, my front yard is covered in ice and snow. It’s been like this for a week and now it’s almost impossible to think it will ever look any different. Lent is like that too – a time of reflection; of waiting and wandering. Unlike the lights of Advent, we start Lent […]
Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional
368Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional
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Overview
A beautiful and accessible devotional for the whole family! This book makes the ordinary sacred with reflections and activities for the year. Fans of Tish Warren will embrace this lovely book!
“A devotional in the most all-encompassing sense, Seasons of Wonder sets readers on a path that leads to a year filled with more hope, more sweetness, more grace, and more love.”—Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations and PEN Award Winner
Seasons of Wonder is designed to allow you to gather together weekly with your loved ones and expand your understanding of divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. This devotional is designed around weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, including:
• uncomplicated crafts that honor creation
• simple recipes to make together
• conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community
• accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals
• plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you’re traveling together or blessing your home
In February readers might make a hiking stick to embark on a holy pilgrimage (even if it’s just in the neighborhood) and discover the meaning of Ash Wednesday, while in the summer months they can learn how to cherish the Earth’s seasons of holy pause by making prayer cards, bath salts, or family time capsules alongside the reading of peaceful liturgies and ancient prayers.
Bonnie Smith Whitehouse invites us all to consider the life-changing idea that small, intentional moments of wonder are charged manifestations of the grand presence of Christ in me, in you, and in this dazzling, vast—and imperiled—blue planet we call our beloved home. By spending a short amount of time together with Seasons of Wonder every week this year, you can transform an ordinary meeting into a sacred gathering.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780593443316 |
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Publisher: | The Crown Publishing Group |
Publication date: | 11/15/2022 |
Pages: | 368 |
Sales rank: | 57,929 |
Product dimensions: | 6.40(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.20(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
January
Transcend Dualities
There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act 1, scene 5
Welcome to January! January is named for Janus, a Roman god known for having two faces. One of Janus’s faces peered backward to the past, and the other looked forward to the future. Sculptures of Janus were often attached to gates, and like Janus, we are perched at the end of one year and at the beginning of another. What better time than now to think through some of the deep ideas and beliefs many of us hold? For this month, consider what it might mean to transcend dualities. That’s a very fancy phrase, so let’s simplify.
Right/wrong. Mind/body. Me/you. Male/female. Heads/tails. Tradition/change. Visible/invisible. These are just a few common examples of dualistic thinking, and many of us find ourselves deeply rooted in such either/or thinking. Some Christians even define themselves by asking dualistic questions like: What do you believe? What don’t you believe? Who is in our club? Who is out? What if, instead of centering Christianity around checklists of beliefs, we centered Christianity around the practice and ritual of gathering and celebrating together in hope, respect, and friendship?
Dualistic thinking burdens the imagination. Minds and systems constructed around dualistic thinking have prompted many to separate, fight, and be defensive instead of embracing the mystery, the wonder, and even the wildness that characterized Jesus’ life and teachings.
For example, ponder the parables Jesus used in his teachings; just when you think you might understand one, you realize you actually have no idea what the lesson is supposed to be and you find yourself back inside the mystery. Or, imagine Mary Magdalene’s eyes wide with wonder when she realized the stone at his tomb had been rolled away. And how wild it was when Jesus spit in the dirt and knelt down to make mud to rub in the eyes of that blind man he healed!
Leave good/bad, right/wrong, and us/them behind for the time being, and give your imagination permission to exist and to wander. Jesus taught mercy, grace, reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, hope, and love, and these radical ideas surmounted dualities like a January snowstorm overcomes the landscape.
♦ What if we embarked on this new year with a resolution not to settle for easy answers?
♦ What if we consider that being faithful is more about what we do than what we believe?
♦ What if we set aside those false choices that dualistic thinking forces us to make?
♦ What if a period of confusion can lead to a state of illumination?
January Creation Care Challenge: Enjoy your leftovers! All the time, energy, and resources it took to plant, grow, harvest, transport, purchase, and prepare the food is wasted when we don’t reuse. We all have leftovers after the holiday season, so get in the habit of eating leftovers regularly this month. You don’t necessarily have to rely on a recipe. Use your imagination, and challenge yourself to transform your leftovers into casseroles, salads, stir-fry, sandwiches, or soups.
Week 1
Gather & Resolve
We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other.
—Dorothy Day
A New Year’s Resolution: Welcome to this new year. Each family member gathered in this space is beloved by God. What if, at this special time each and every week this year, you resolved to look in the eyes of these people you hold dearest in this life and remind them of their belovedness? By spending this short amount of time together every week this year, you are transforming an ordinary meeting into a sacred gathering. You are blessing and consecrating one another by dwelling in God’s presence. Isn’t that a resolution worth keeping?
Resolve to gather weekly in the ardent hope that, by gathering, we will learn day by day to love each other more and more. Where shall we gather? At what time? What shall we wear? I recommend keeping everything as casual, fun, and simple as possible. Maybe someone will bring a snack, and maybe someone will light a candle. Think together about how and when your gatherings will occur. But most important, think together about the atmosphere you’d like to create during your gatherings of loved ones. One of my mentors says that when she gathers people together, she works hard to create environments where trust exists. Why? Because where there is trust, risk occurs. And when we feel free to take a risk, we are more likely to speak the wild truths that live deep in our hearts. May this weekly gathering become an ecosystem where you and your families can be real, can be vulnerable, and can dwell in the presence of God’s liberating love.
WONDER: What is something that makes you beautifully unique at the table? After you speak about yourself, go around again, and point out something about each other person at the table that you find uniquely beautiful. Listen, and let this discussion inspire you to proclaim something new you’d like to try to learn, do, or express as this year begins.
TRY: Use paper and markers to write a blessing that can begin each of your weekly gatherings this year. Find a way for everyone to contribute, and display your finished blessing nearby so you can say it together at the beginning of each weekly gathering. If you’d like an example, the template below might help:
We are gathered together at this table to______________.
We thank you for______________.
We praise you for______________.
We look to you for______________.
With joy and hope, we look forward to_________________.
Discover: The Way of Love
The Most Reverend Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, reminds us that in the first century, those who were followers of Jesus of Nazareth were not called “Christians.” They were called “followers of the Way.” Bishop Curry invites us all to nurture families and communities devoted to the liberating, life-giving love of Jesus by following these practices, or the Way of Love:
TURN: Pause, listen, and choose to follow Jesus
LEARN: Reflect on Scripture, especially Jesus’ life and teachings
PRAY: Dwell intentionally with God each day
WORSHIP: Gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and draw near to God
BLESS: Share faith and unselfishly give and serve
GO: Cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus
REST: Receive the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration
You can find a wealth of resources on the Way of Love at episcopal church.org.
The Way of Love is an aspirational invitation. How might you and those you love respond?
Discover: Epiphany
The Magi were overwhelmed with wonder and joy when they found baby Jesus after following a star. The Christian calendar commemorates their visit on January 6 with the Feast of Epiphany. Traditionally, Christmas decorations are left up until the Eve of Epiphany (or Twelfth Night).
Celebrate Epiphany together by chalking your door, building a fire, and hosting a Twelfth Night party. Chalk the door above the main entrance to your home on Epiphany with a blessing and as a way to commemorate the hospitality Mary and Joseph showed to the three kings. Use chalk to write, for example, the pattern “20+C+M+B+23.” The first and last numbers stand for the year (i.e., 2023), the crosses stand for Jesus, and the letters stand for the Latin blessing Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ bless this home), as well as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar—the names of the Magi. Learn about the Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold, of course, was a gift for a king. Frankincense is derived from the Boswellia tree and promotes a feeling of relaxation and well-being. Traditionally used in prayer and meditation, frankincense has strong healing and cleansing properties; see page 33 to learn how to make candles infused with frankincense. My friend Jen makes a soothing body butter using frankincense because it is known to calm inflamed skin, as well as alleviate feelings of grief, lonelinesss, and anxiety. Myrrh is a resin extracted from thorny Commiphora trees, and was and is extremely valuable. Myrrh was an oil used for purification rituals and to anoint bodies, including Jesus’, at burial.
Table of Contents
Introduction xv
Discover: Staying Grounded Through Cycles of Years and Days xxix
January: Transcend Dualities 1
January Creation Care Challenge 4
Week 1 Gather & Resolve 5
Discover: The Way of Love 6
Discover: Epiphany 7
Discover: Carnival Season 9
Make: A King Cake 10
Week 2 Stargaze 13
Make: A Constellation Lamp 15
Week 3 Wrestle 17
Week 4 Set the Table 20
February: Discover Contemplation 23
February Creation Care Challenge 28
Week 5 Breathe 29
Discover: February 2, Candlemas 31
Make: Simple Scented Candles for Candlemas 33
Week 6 Embark on a Pilgrimage 35
Make: A Hiking Stick for Your Hikes and Pilgrimages 39
Week 7 Launder 40
Make: Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday 42
Discover: Ash Wednesday/Lent 45
Week 8 Unsee 47
Make: Two Simple Soup Recipes for Lent: Effortless Carrot Soup & Sissy's Potato Soup with Early Spring Herbs 50
Discover: Lectio Divina 53
Discover: Centering Prayer 54
March: Embrace Mystery 57
March Creation Care Challenge 63
Discover: Palm Sunday and Holy Week 64
Discover: The Little Mysteries of the Parables 67
Week 9 Hush 69
Make: A Rosary or Chain of Beads for Prayer, Meditation, and Connection 72
Discover: How to Pray the Rosary 75
Week 10 Pollinate 77
Discover: Planting a Pollinator Garden 79
Week 11 Come with Bread 80
Make: Communion Bread 83
Week 12 Compost 86
Discover: March 25, Annunciation of Mary 90
April: Welcome Incarnation 93
April Creation Care Challenge 97
Discover: Eastertide/Easter Sunday 99
Make: Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday 101
Make: Deviled Eggs 104
Make: Flowering Cross 105
Week 13 Wash Feet 106
Week 14 Embody 109
Week 15 Walk Barefoot 112
Week 16 Dance 114
May: Adore Creation 117
May Creation Care Challenge 121
Discover: Eastertide/Ascension and Pentecost 122
Week 17 Name 123
Week 18 Birdwatch 126
Make: A Simple Birdfeeder & Birdhouse 129
Week 19 Fish 130
Week 20 Commune 133
Discover: May 31, Visitation of Mary 135
Make: An Icon of Mary 136
June: Come Alive 137
June Creation Care Challenge 141
Week 21 Wake 142
Week 22 Sing 145
Discover: Evensong 148
Week 23 Lavish 149
Make: A Family Altar Cloth 152
Week 24 Bless 154
Discover: The Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist 157
July: Cultivate Resilience 159
July Creation Care Challenge 164
Discover: Ordinary Time 165
Week 25 Radiate 166
Make: Henry & Peter's Fresh Lemonade 169
Week 26 Resonate 170
Week 27 Revel 173
Make: A Collaborative Centerpiece Inspired by Creation 175
Week 28 Release 176
Make: Tallu's Comfrey Salve 179
Discover: Reflect on the Day by Praying the Examen 181
August: Cherish the Holy Pause 183
August Creation Care Challenge 187
Discover: August 6, Transfiguration 188
Week 29 Float 190
Make: Bath Salts for a Good Nights Rest 193
Week 30 Chant 194
Discover: The Liturgy of Compline 196
Week 31 Laze 197
Week 32 Conjure 200
Make: A Prayer Card for Your Bag, Backpack, or Briefcase 202
September: Gather Courage 203
September Creation Care Challenge 207
Discover: Exploring Gifts and Callings 208
Week 33 Clean Your Closet 210
Make: Cedarwood Sachets 212
Week 34 Mend 213
Discover: The Collect 215
Week 35 Endure 217
Week 36 Receive a Story 219
Make: A Family Time Capsule 221
Discover: A Great Cloud of Witnesses 222
October: Light A Fire 225
October Creation Care Challenge 229
Week 37 Consent 230
October 4, Blessing of the Animals, St. Francis 232
Make: "Cookies" for the Birds to Honor St. Francis 233
Week 38 Scream 234
Week 39 Lament 237
Make: An Icon of a Vulnerable or Endangered Animal 239
Week 40 Change Your Mind 240
November: Point to Love 243
November Creation Care Challenge 247
Discover: Allhallowtide, A Time to Remember 248
Week 41 Look for Messengers 251
Week 42 Gladden 253
Week 43 Offer 255
Week 44 Encounter 257
Discover: Ordinary Time Ends, and the Liturgical Year Begins Anew with the First Sunday of Advent 260
Discover: An Advent Wreath and an Advent Calendar 262
December: Look for the Light 265
December Creation Care Challenge 270
Week 45 Care 271
Discover: A Festival of Lessons and Carols 273
Week 46 Rebel 274
Make: Handmade Gifts 276
Week 47 Represent 277
Week 48 Unleash 282
Discover: Blue Christmas 284
Discover: Christmas Day (December 25, Nativity of Jesus) 285
Discover: The Season of Christmas 287
Four Special Weeks in the Lives of Loved Ones 289
Week 49 Savor: Celebrating a Birthday 291
Week 50 Restore: Healing from an Injury or Sickness 293
Week 51 Retreat: Taking a Journey Together 295
Week 52 Encircle: Blessing a Home 297
Benediction: May Wonders Never Cease 301
Acknowledgments 307
Sources 311
Notes 315
Prayers, Memories & Notes 319