Just a quick note to say Happy Holidays

I hope you get some time to step back, take a deep breath, do something fun, drink some eggnog (or not), get time with family (or not), and have a generally rejuvenating holiday break. It’s one of those complicated times of the year, so above all make sure to take care of yourself!

What Advent Means to Me

A few years ago it dawned on me that that the Advent of Christ might be more tangibly meaningful to me than the resurrection of Christ for a very simple reason: God’s embodied presence. So much has been made of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and while I don’t mean to diminish it, have you taken a moment to really let the Advent of Christ set in? The idea that God wanted to be physically seen, touched, and known by fumbling mortals. For me, this pulls God out of the ethereal clouds and into the terrestrial, the dirt, the smelly, the complicated messiness of living. God came to share meals, to shiver with his friends on a cold night around a fire, to participate in the seeming marathon mundane of life with people who were pretty rough around the edges. There’s no such thing as “ideal” humanity to drop in on, and this means any humanity is ideal. It could have just as easily been you. And his circle was correspondingly colorful. I find the mere idea of it astounding. If I had the universe at my fingertip, I’m pretty sure it would never occur to me to strip myself of the entirety of my power and privilege to go camping (I hate camping) with a crew of which statistically 5 of 12 undoubtedly snored (google it).

Here’s a prayer for us snoring campers from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God,
you have poured upon us
the new light of your incarnate Word:
Grant that this light,
enkindled in our hearts,
may shine forth in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Looking Ahead

2023 is shaping up to be very exciting. I’ve spent most of 2022 working on things that are coming out in 2023. The podcast I’ve told you about? It’s done and it comes out Jan 10th (more on that later). So will the Fear and Love EP. And I’ve started writing for the next project. I’ll send details on all of this in a couple of weeks.

The Gift of Music

Are you still looking for the perfect gift for that special someone? Here’s a gift code for 20% of anything on my Bandcamp page:

advent2022

Use it for vinyl, t-shirts, or digital downloads. This discount code is good until December 31st, but if you want physical goods by Christmas, make sure to order ASAP!

Something to listen to

My friend John Van Deusen released his Christmas album. It’s so good. Sufjan Stevens comparisons get you in the ballpark, but not very far. To get the rest of the way there requires knowing this is a product of a lifetime spent in a place. And not just any place, Anacortes, WA with all it’s folky, quirky, weirdness. You can find it on all the streaming services, but the best way to support artists you love is on Bandcamp.

That’s it for now. Talk soon.