From Abby King R&R: The Tender Mercies of Our God / Your Monthly Reflection and Reading Recommendations.

Welcome to R&R!
Your monthly reflection and reading recommendations to nourish your soul.

Hello lovely people! If you’re new here, you are so very welcome! And if you haven’t yet received my daily reflections for Advent, you can find a link to them at the bottom of this page.

The Tender Mercies of our God
 

We’re almost at the start of Advent, the season when we count down with candles and calendars to Christmas Day. It’s a season that makes room for waiting, preparation and longing. It’s a season when we recognise the darkness for what it is, while we look forward to the arrival of the Light of the World. During Advent, we remember that Jesus came, and is still yet to come. We hold space for the mystery and mercy of the Christmas story.
 
Every year we hear of angels and shepherds, wise men and mangers, Mary and Joseph, stars and stables and, of course, the baby Saviour. We retell the story because it is our story. It shapes us and forms us. As we spiral round this familiar narrative again, we can encounter it in different ways each time, if we have the ears to hear and eyes to see anew.
 
This Advent, I am feeling the Spirit’s invitation to sit with these words from the story. They come at the end of Zechariah’s prophecy about his son, John the Baptist, who will prepare the way for Jesus.
 
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
…the sunrise shall dawn upon us,
To give light to those who sit in darkness,
And in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78-79
 
There’s a lot to get hold of in these few verses about what Jesus will be like. But I am particularly captured by the first phrase, because of the tender mercy of our God…
 
So many of us are sitting in darkness. We are weary and disappointed, angry and sad, grieving and confused. We feel lonely, lost, bored or frustrated. We feel helpless in the face of the continual injustice experienced by the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our communities.
 
But because of the tender mercy of our God, we are not left to face the darkness alone. God is kind and compassionate. God understands our struggles and our suffering. God is affectionate and gentle with us in our wounded places. We hear Gabriel’s famous line every time the nativity is retold: “Do not be afraid, you are highly favoured.” God, in God’s tender mercy, says the same to us.
 
Tender mercy underpins everything God does. It sends Jesus, the light of the world, to turn our faces towards the dawn. It moves God’s Son to rise with healing in his wings, as the old carol and the old prophet Micah tell us. It forgives our sin and calms our fear.
 
Tender mercy strikes matches for us in the dark; it sets out candles to illuminate our path. In tender mercy, God walks with us as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death.
 
Tender mercy makes room for both sorrow and joy. It holds space for the unknown and the unseen. It cracks us wide open to the grace and love of God. It softens our hearts and allows us to offer others the same love we have received. Tender mercy leads us in the way of peace, within us and between us.
 
Tender mercy causes us to think about how we can work for the flourishing and shalom of ourselves and our neighbours. It reminds us that God is love and love never fails. It gives us assurance that the night will not last, and that God will light our way home.
 
Because of the tender mercy of our God, suffering is never the end of the story. So we wait in anticipation for the light that cannot be overcome by darkness. We wait and work and hope for justice and peace, compassion and mercy to flood in like the sunrise, heralding a new day. We wait knowing that 

Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
Isaiah 40:4-5

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Reading Recommendations

If you're a regular here, you'll know that I usually review a few books in a bit more depth. But this month, as we're nearly at Christmas, I'm going to list all my holiday reading recommendations for you. And if you're in need of gift ideas, hopefully one of these will do the trick! 

Fiction
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens - the perfect Christmas classic!
Publishable by Death, ACF Bookens - short, fun cozy mystery written by a good friend of mine.
The Foyles Bookshop Girls - heartwarming, light story of love and friendship in World War I.
The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman - great detective/fantasy crossover. If you enjoy it, there's lots more in the series.
Light from Distant Stars, Shawn Smucker - intriguing and beautifully written family drama with a touch of magical realism.
My Name is Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout - beautiful novel about a complicated mother-daughter relationship.
Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi - West-African inspired fantasy filled with magic and danger.
The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd - powerful novel set in the American Deep South of the 19th century, inspired by a true story.

Children's Books
Alphabreaths, Christopher Willard, Daniel Rechtschaffen - beautiful picture book about mindful breathing.
The Journey, Francesca Simon - gorgeous illustrations in a story about a refugee family's journey.
Dogs Don't Do Ballet, Anna Kemp - one of my favourite picture books - funny, warm, great message.
On Angels' Wings, Michael Morpurgo - lovely retelling of the Christmas story from the viewpoint of a shepherd boy.
Charlotte's Web, E.B. White - absolute classic that every child should own.
The Firework Maker's Daughter, Philip Pullman - great adventure story with a strong female heroine.
The Girl of Ink and Stars, Kiran Millwood Hargrave - daring, magical adventure for slightly older readers.
Winter Magic, Abi Elphinstone - a collection of short stories by some great children's authors.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - need I say more?!  The perfect winter classic. 

Non fiction
Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen - I found this book life-changing. Seriously. 
Surprised by Paradox, Jen Pollock Michel - engaging and interesting examination of some of the mysteries at the heart of the Christian faith.
Placemaker, Christie Purifoy - beautiful collection of thoughts on what it means to find home.
On Reading Well, Karen Swallow Prior - the perfect gift for the avid reader in your life.
A Shepherd's Life - James Rebanks - unsentimental, eloquent and absorbing memoir about sheep farming.
Whole, Steven Wiens - thoughtful exploration of identity and spirituality, Works well as a group read. 
Love Letters to Writers, Vol I and II, Andi Cumbo Floyd - great gift for the writer in your life.
Miracles and Other Reasonable Things, Sarah Bessey - you'll get my full review next month, but seriously, just buy it, it's so good.
Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates - engaging, visceral memoir from a master story-teller exploring America's fraught racial history.
The God Who Sees, Karen Gonzalez - captivating story of a family's journey to safety exploring immigration, loss and belonging. 
Try Softer, Aundi Kolber - it's not out yet, but I've read it and you should pre-order it. It's brilliant, helpful and thoughtful. I can't think of anyone it won't do good. 
 

And finally...

I really value this space we get to share and I'm so grateful you're here. 

If you'd like to some short, meaningful reflections for each day of Advent, I love to send you some as a gift. Just click the button below to download.

This is the last time I'll be with you until just before the new year, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a peaceful, hope-filled holiday season. May you find Jesus in new and deeper ways this Christmas.

With love and gratitude,
Abby