The garden is looking a little sadder now as we make our way through surely the strangest November most of us have ever known. But we hold on to the promise of growth and regeneration... springtime on its way, some way off, but certain. 

Hopeful waiting is what Advent is all about, and it's not too late to select your Advent book for this year. Gordon Giles has a remarkable ability to derive profound spiritual messages from almost anything you care to name, and At Home in Advent is truly a book for such a time as this. 

And in the wonderful 'now and not yet' long lead times of publishing, today sees the publication of our Lent titles! With our attention focused on Christmas, let's spare a moment to celebrate these new arrivals...

Trystan Owain Hughes' Opening Our Lives is the Archbishop of Wales' recommended Lent book for 2021. In his characteristic warm, relational way, the author calls on us to 'open our eyes to God’s presence, our ears to his call, our hearts to his love, our ways to his will, our actions to his compassion and our pain to his peace'. Alongside this we've reissued Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell's Lenten classic, Come and See.

Finally, Holy Habits: Following Jesus is a new resource for Lent groups. Described as 'accessible, yet challenging; truly imaginative, yet genuinely simple', each session includes the printed Bible passage, a suggestion for a simple symbolic worship centre, music suggestions, reflection, poem, questions, prayer and take-home ideas. Additional material for Holy Week provides daily reflections that can be used as the basis of a gathered act of worship, or for personal devotion.

With my prayers in this season of watching and waiting,
Olivia

Head of Content Creation and Living Faith Lead
@OliviaWBRF