Methodist newspaper editor releases Advent devotional

LEXINGTON, S.C.—The editor of the oldest newspaper in existence in United Methodism has penned a daily Advent devotional she hopes will help people dive deeper into the holy, personal aspect of the season.

Preparing Our Hearts: An Advent Devotional to Draw Closer to God at Christmas, is authored by Jessica Brodie, editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, founded in 1836 as the Southern Christian Advocate.

Brodie said the book arose out of her own desire for a more meaningful season.

“A lot of people think Advent is a fancy term for the pre-Christmas season, but it means far more than this,” Brodie explained. “We call it the ‘holiday crazies,’ and the truth is many of us grow exhausted from the pressure to shop and decorate and entertain so vigorously that the spiritual essence of the season is lost entirely. I’ve come to realize that a focus on Advent—the four weeks just before Christmas when we prepare for, and anticipate, the coming of Christ—is what I was always missing in the holiday.”

Filled with personal, vulnerable stories and reflections, the devotional book is meant to help people draw closer to the Lord during Advent and ready their hearts and minds for him. It is organized around the four candles, or themes, traditionally displayed during Advent. Week One, a purple candle, represents hope. Week Two, also purple, represents peace. Week Three, a pink candle, represents joy. And Week Four, purple, represents love.

Preparing Our Hearts can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK3ZX3HN or at https://www.jessicabrodie.com/advent.

Learn more about Brodie here.