As a youth in the Black church tradition, I did not grow up celebrating Advent. It wasn’t until my late 30s that I embraced the Reformed tradition and the liturgical seasons. But Advent has become my favorite. Advent lifts up hope, peace, joy, and love. Advent challenges us to lift our heads and look for the light that is coming into the world. I’ve been called a pragmatic optimist. In these challenging times, I am drawn to hope. I look forward to being immersed in the Advent season, including reflecting on God’s peace that is beyond understanding, God’s joy that arrives in the morning after a dark night, and God’s gracious self-giving love that embraces all people.
Each year during Advent and Lent, I read a book per week. I share my reading to encourage you to read books that nourish your soul, and to see where I am feeding and finding ideas for ministry and soul work. Here are my four books for Advent.
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara. I served as Presbytery Leader in Giddings-Lovejoy (St. Louis) before coming to Chicago. The presbytery is named after Samuel Giddings and Elijah Lovejoy. Lovejoy was a newspaper writer who wrote about the horrors of slavery while pushing the concept of abolition. The people so hated him that he was killed in a gunfight, and his printing press was tossed into the Mississippi River. He is considered one of the first martyrs of the abolition movement. The Zorg is a harrowing tale of a slave ship where over 100 enslaved people were deliberately thrown overboard to secure insurance compensation. Additionally, it sheds light on the pivotal role that Africans played in the transatlantic slave trade.
Earlier this year, I reached out to my PC(USA) mid-council colleagues across the country and asked, “What book are you reading that gives you hope?” I ended up with about 23 books! I’ve chosen to read two of them for Advent. Both address the creation of new and relevant churches for the future.
Holy Disruption: A Manifesto for the Future of Faith Communities by Amy Butler and Dawn Darwin Weaks, and The Progressive Planter: A Handbook for Ecclesial Entrepreneurs by Joe Graves.
I chose Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus because it is humorous and a work of fiction! I need more of both in my life!
Happy reading and blessed Advent!
Rev. Dr. Craig Howard
