Weekly Practice 12/22/25

After doing this week’s practice, try to share your experience with a friend.

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Scripture

Luke 2:36-38 NLT

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

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Practice

Christmas week is upon us. For all the warmth and delight it brings, it may also be filled with travel, preparations, obligations, last minute shopping, awkward family interactions, sleeping on uncomfortable guest beds, or boxing up the decorations (unless you’re one of those weirdos who leaves your tree up until February). It’s going to be busy for a lot of us, with probably too much already crammed in. 

This week, instead of a new practice, consider going back to one you may have missed or want to revisit. A poem a day can be a lot to keep up with. Maybe you haven’t tried visio divina yet. 

And there’s no hurry. In liturgical church calendars, the Christmas season begins on Christmas day and runs into the new year. Though “the big dance” will come and go by this Friday, we don’t have to rush on. It may be good for us to linger a while longer, like Anna in the Temple. She stuck around, and she saw the Messiah. It might even be a little easier to hear or see what God has for us as the season winds and quiets down.

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One last Christmas banger

Tony Anderson is one of my faves, and this piece is 14+ minutes of atmospheric bliss.

Weekly Practice 12/15/25

After doing this week’s practice, try to share your experience with a friend.

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Scripture

Psalm 16 NLT

Keep me safe, O God,

    for I have come to you for refuge.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!

    Every good thing I have comes from you.”

The godly people in the land

    are my true heroes!

    I take pleasure in them!

Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.

    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood

    or even speak the names of their gods.

Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

    You guard all that is mine.

The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

    What a wonderful inheritance!

I will bless the Lord who guides me;

    even at night my heart instructs me.

I know the Lord is always with me.

    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

    My body rests in safety.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead

    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

You will show me the way of life,

    granting me the joy of your presence

    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

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Practice

Enjoy, With God

This week, simply do some of the things you enjoy. Climb a mountain. Watch the game. Listen to an audiobook. Play a board game. Hang out with your favorite people. Spend some time alone. Crochet a scarf, sing a song, walk around the block, ride a unicycle. Whatever floats your boat. And, invite God into it. Ask him to help you notice His presence with you as you enjoy the things you like. Jesus says our heavenly Father likes to give us good gifts. He wants us to enjoy things, even as we stay rooted in him. If you have trouble imagining God with you in whatever you enjoy, maybe that’s something you can talk to him about.

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Christmas music extraordinaire

If you’re tired of the usual Yuletide fare, this album by composer Anne Dudley is just the ticket. It’s one of the few I keep in rotation past the holiday season.

O Antiphons

Poet Malcolm Guite has written seven sonnets based on the O Antiphons, a sequence of Advent prayers dating back to the sixth century. They are meant to be read beginning on December 17 and culminating on Christmas Eve. I’ll be sharing the poems, one per day, starting this Wednesday, but you can also check them out here.

Weekly Practice 12/8/25

After doing this week’s practice, try to share your experience with a friend.

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Scripture

Luke 1:26-38 NLT

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

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Practices

Lectio Divina & Visio Divina

At Trellis, we practice lectio divina, or “divine reading” on a regular basis. This is where we read and re-read a portion of scripture slowly and prayerfully, leaving space to quietly listen and respond to the Holy Spirit. Here’s a framework if you’ve never done this before:

1. Read the text. Notice, what word or phrase stands out?

2. Read the text again. Notice, what do you feel? What part of your life comes to mind?

3. Read the text a third time. Notice, what is God saying to or inviting you to do?

4. Next, offer anything God has shown you back to him in prayer.

5. End with a minute of silence, resting in God’s love.

Visio divina, or “divine seeing” is similar, but instead of meditating on a piece of scripture, we prayerfully contemplate an image or scene. You could even do this in nature, watching the sun rise or a river’s current. Here’s a framework:

1. Gaze at the entire image or scene. Notice, what details draw your attention?

2. Meditate on these details, and listen for God to speak to you. Are any emotions or memories stirred up? Do you sense a connection with your own life? Do you sense an invitation? Try to just listen.

3. Now that you’ve let God speak to you, it’s your turn to respond. Talk about what you’ve noticed, felt, and thought with Him. Be honest. Ask questions if you need to. Then, offer what he has shown you back to him in prayer. 

4. End with a minute of silence, resting in God’s love.

This week, try lectio divina with Luke 1:26-38, or visio divina with the image below. It’s titled “The Annunciation.” Even better, try out both!

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Annunciation, 1898

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Art & poetry

Malcolm Guite is a poet and a priest. His blog merges art and theology in a down-to-earth, accessible way. Here’s a creative reflection on an Advent poem by Lucy Shaw called “Kenosis.”

More good Christmas music

Another album from another artist from another time (1986) that may surprise you. Driscoll’s version of “O Holy Night” is fire.🔥🔥🔥

Weekly Practice 12/1/25

After doing this week’s practice, try to share your experience with a friend.

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Scripture

Revelation 22:7-21 NLT

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.

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Practice

Pray “Come, Jesus”

“Come, Jesus” is the simplest and most pointed Advent prayer you can utter. Our greatest hope is to be in the loving presence of our Lord. But our hearts are often bogged down by the here and now: love for our family and friends, adventures we still want to experience, dreams we still desire to live out. (All good things.) We want to be with Jesus, but our desire for his return can sometimes be muddled by our attachments to the now.

Yet, our “everyday” prayers of asking Jesus for help (or wisdom, peace, joy, patience, self-control, etc.) are still Advent prayers. We are asking for God’s future kingdom and his holy presence to invade our lives today. As we pray this way, we experience God’s transforming love and power, and our desire for him and the fullness of his kingdom will grow. 

This week, pray, “Come, Jesus” with an honest and open heart. God is eager to be with you, no matter where you're at in the journey. Even if you’re not quite sure about God, asking Jesus to reveal himself to you is a perfectly valid Advent prayer.

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A poem

The Glance, by George Herbert. Fine words to begin the Advent season.

A playlist

Songs specially curated for waiting. (On YouTube or Spotify!)

And an album

Thanksgiving’s over, people. No more excuses. It’s time for Christmas music, and this album absolutely shreds. (Yes, Hanson. Just listen.)