Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now

Written by Scott Erickson and Morgan Harper Nichols

Narrated by Scott Erickson and Tyra Kennedy

25 Devotional Readings for Advent and Christmas.

In a world that's difficult to make sense of, and a season that's so often overtaken by consumerism, here you'll find heart-stirring illustrations and thought-provoking meditations designed to show you the raw, powerfully sacred story of Christmas in a new light.

Has the joy of the holiday season become painfully dissonant with the hard edges of life? Do you feel weary from the way Christmas has become a polished, predictable brand? You aren't alone. For too many of us, Christmas has lost its wonder. What if we stopped treating the Christmas story as something that happened a long time ago and started believing that it's a story that's still happening today?

From celebrated artist and storyteller Scott Erickson comes Honest Advent, 25 days of illustrations and meditations that will help you rekindle the wonder of this season. Honest Advent creates a space for you to encounter the Incarnate Christ in unexpected places: like a pregnancy announcement in an era of political unrest and empirical bloodshed, the morning sickness of a Middle Eastern teenager, and the shocking biology of birth that goes far beyond the sanitized brand of Christmas as we know it today.

Within the pages of Honest Advent, Erickson teaches us the valuable lessons he's learned about:

• Finding hope and light in the darkest winters
• What it means to embrace the unexpected
• How God uses everyday vulnerability to help us understand ourselves, and our faith, better

 

Through powerful benedictions, prayers, and questions for honest reflection, you'll discover how the wonder of God-with-Us is still happening today: in your unexpected change of plans, your unaccomplished dreams, your overcrowded lodging, and your humble stories of new beginnings.

Praise for Honest Advent:

"Scott Erickson's beautifully crafted book helped me see God-with-Us with fresh eyes. Honest Advent is no shallow seasonal gift book; it's an invitation to explore the divine flourishes of everyday human vulnerabilities. A transformative read, regardless of the time of year."

--Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch

"Beautiful. Evocative. A wake-up call to the mystery of life."

--John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

 

The images that highlight the theme of each devotion are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Oct 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9780310361893

Scott Erickson

Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance storyteller, and creative curate who mixes autobiography, biblical narrative, and visual aesthetics that speak to our deepest experiences. He is currently touring his multimedia storytelling piece “Say Yes: A Liturgy of Not Giving Up on Yourself” and is the author of Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-With-Us Then, Here, and Now. Scott is most loved by his wife, Holly, and their three children in Austin, Texas.

Reviews for Honest Advent

[rayandcoffee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book of short essays on advent. Creative, reimagined, thoughtful and a very worthwhile read!

And be sure to lookup the illustrations for each chapter.

[Allyson Randall · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

He lost me when he felt like he needed to explain his pronoun choices for God, specifically because he felt the need to use such pronouns to be more inclusive. Mr. Erickson, if you feel like you need to present God in a way that is more palatable for your audience then you're probably not talking about the TRUTH of God as provided to us in scripture. GOD isn't supposed to be palatable because He is God. I couldn't continue past chapter 2.

[Lauren Shelton · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I was excited for what appeared to be a decent advent - until he decided to use the pronouns “they” for God. God made Himself known throughout the Bible, and changing who God is or how He presents Himself is unacceptable and unnecessary to those seeking understanding and familiarity with God. I bought this book from a local bookstore and didn’t even go return it, became a great fire-starter. I do not recommend this advent as anyone who feels the need to alter the Word and Nature of God cannot be anything other than a false teacher.

[jpsnow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The twenty-five brief chapters in this book each explore one simple concept from the Advent story. Each is preceded by a simple picture to set the tone. What I most appreciated is Erickson's creative ability to explore elements of Advent we don't normally encounter. Yes, he talks about peace, and plenty about birth. We're also prompted to consider the inn not as a packed Hilton but the more likely scenario of a family home with too many relatives, along with the still relevant emotions regarding family tensions and politics. We learn about the changing regard for shepherds and how that relates to Jesus' place, and ours. The closing chapter is about releasing us from fear - relevant always and especially now. I was introduced to this book through a book group (h/t JK). It's a great choice for group reading and discussion.