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My cousin sent my 5 year-old son, Simon, an advent calendar this year. The one she sent is lovely, a country village scene, with gentle, peaceful animals and cozy homes depicted in a fresh snow. He opened it with earnest anticipation and immediately speculated about what might be hidden behind each opening. He thought the ones in the sky might cover up stars, or birds; that the door to the café might reveal someone baking muffins; that the openings out on the snow might reveal animals or sledding children. He speculated that if there were openings over the people (which there aren't), they might reveal "guts." He thought the stable door, door 24, might hold presents. I asked, "What happened on Christmas, who was born?" He said, "Jesus! Jesus will be there."
The morning of December 1st, he rushed out of bed to open the first window, which revealed a boy lighting a candle. He considered the boy for awhile and said, "I can't wait to open the second window!" The next day, window two revealed a deer in the snow. He looked at it for awhile, then said, "Oh, look, there's a little Christmas tree, too, mama!" On December 3rd, the window revealed a woman carrying a tea pot. Today, the window revealed a smiling moon in the sky. Each morning he has awakened with this sense of anticipation and excitement to discover the mystery behind each opening.
I think it's a fine idea, this calendar. It helps Simon to experience the wonder and anticipation of a developing mystery. It reminds me of how I felt awaiting his birth, heavy with mystery and new life, waiting eagerly for his arrival into our lives. It reminds me of meeting for worship, too, of waiting on God, anticipating unimaginable gifts and light, waiting for mystery, insight and wonder to break through. Sometimes God comes like a boy lighting a candle in the dark, bright and giving warmth. Other times God comes like a deer, fleeting, and you must watch attentively in order to see it as it runs into the forest. Often God comes through a friend sharing a pot of tea or a meal. God comes, too, shining like the moon, if you stop and look up. And on occasion, God comes like a baby, innocent, full of promise and Spirit and inspiring us to transformation and to live our lives closer to the center, to make space for that baby in our lives, and live in such a way that what we leave behind is well tended and offers hope for this child.
We've received several books recently which emphasize the mystery and quiet ways God can come to us. I'd like to tell you about several of them and of a few items that I plan on giving to F/friends this year.
 Christmas in the Trenches is Quaker John McCutcheon's ode to the Christmas truce that happened during World War I. On Christmas Eve as British soldiers wait silently and anxiously in the trenches, they are surprised to hear carols sung by the German soldiers. They answer with their own songs and soon a German soldier ventures out onto "no man's land" with a Christmas tree lit with candles. They all stand together, removing themselves from the war, sing together, share food and play a game. As many as 100,000 soldiers are speculated to have participated in this grand human moment, when light and song stopped a war for one night. Included with the book is a CD featuring McCutcheon song about the Christmas truce, his version of "Silent Night" and a reading of the story.
 One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge is based on a true story from the life of the author/illustrator's grandmother. The young narrator's father comes home from the war and soon before Christmas the family receives a letter from German friends, who are starving and have no clothes and shoes. The narrator's mother gathers together canned food, clothes and shoes to send to them. They receive a letter in return from the father of the family, "When your package arrived, my wife suggested it was sent by the infant Jesus... Please send no more to me. Help others." Also included are tracings of the feet of ten families. Together with neighbors and friends, the family finds enough shoes and provisions to help hundreds of families. The story is a moving chronicle of acts of love across an ocean, to heal the wounds of war.
 Journeys in the Light: Quaker Stories by British Friend Jan Arriens is a collection of stories for children about Quakers seeking God's guidance and acting on their understanding of the Spirit. Jan Arriens writes exceedingly well and several of the stories brought me to tears. He says of this collection, "So in all ways I see these stories as a collective process. Writing them has often felt like standing up in a Quaker meeting, drawing for one's words on the unspoken and unseen mystery that embraces all." Stories of both historical and contemporary Friends are included here, arising from the author's leading to show how Quakers have let their lives speak, have expressed the testimonies through how they have lived. Included are stories inspired by the lives of George Fox, John Woolman, Stephen Grellet, Elizabeth Fry, Helen Steven, Thomas Clarkson, and Stephen Cary. This book is a skillfully crafted and welcome addition to the small shelf of books that exists for young Friends on Quaker faith and practice.
 The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus's Birth by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan is a follow up to The Last Week, the authors' explication of the passion of Christ. This reading of Luke and Mark is intended to explore more fully the meaning of the Christmas story. Brian McLaren says of this book, "The First Christmas enriches our understanding of Jesus in desperately needed ways. Readers will find here profound and convincing insights into the meaning of Jesus's birth - and life - for the early church, and will be challenged to discern their meaning for the world today."
 Practicing Discernment Together: Finding God's Way Forward in Decision Making by Lon Fendall, Jan Wood, and Bruce Bishop is one of the best books on Quaker decision making published in several years. Patricia Thomas, clerk of the Earlham School of Religion Board of Advisors says of this book, "Beginning with the bold premise that God gives us the capacity to know God's heart and will, Practicing Discernment Together leads the reader through the role of clerking a meeting and ways to participate as an individual in group discernment. The joy and strength of this little volume is that it is full of sound theological truths, insights, and practical suggestions that caused this reader to grab not only my highlighter pen but also to fill the margins with asterisks and notes! The authors have struck a wonderful balance between solid scriptural knowledge, practical suggestions, and case studies to create an extremely useful "how-to" book. The reader comes away saying, "Wow! Now I see how group discernment is done. We can practice this in our business meetings!" This book aids a group of Friends in helping one another to uncover the mystery, to perceive the light of God in their midst and to act from that sense of the Spirit.
I believe each of these books reveals aspects of the light of God. We also received several items that I plan on giving to Friends this year. QuakerBooks recently printed new Quaker-Themed greeting cards, with lovely designs by Holly Coia and quotes from George Fox, Isaac Penington, and two songs. I've enjoyed sending them to both Friends and friends as 'thank you' cards and just to stay in touch.
This year, as we usually do, we are carrying Syracuse Cultural Workers' 2008 Peace Calendar. It is as provocative and well designed as most years. Included this year are images from the Faith Quilts project, Iraq Veterans against the War, and a collage from the Dorothy Community, a home for those dying, mostly from AIDS.
 This summer at the Gathering we carried the enticing book Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song, which includes images and audio loops of the songs of birds recorded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and we sold out on the first day. It's such a simple idea and pretty cool to be able to listen to the calls of familiar and less common birds. It's made me more attentive to the calls of birds around my home and helped me to better name them.
I hope this Advent season is filled with the mystery of the Divine presence and with many openings of Light for each of you!
Blessings and Peace,
Lucy
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