A Blessing for the Beginning of Advent

This blessing meets you with the early morning dawn

whispering gently, “come, see what the day holds”

it rubs your sleepy eyes and wraps you in a warm blanket

it fills the air with the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee

and settles in your heart making space for God’s peace.

This blessing meets you in the afternoon sun

with a crispness in the air and dancing shadows on your floor

it tells of to-dos and phone calls, meetings and appointments

and reminds you, “You are loved as is”

it delights in watching you care, work, tend, and listen

and settles in your heart making space for God’s peace.

This blessing meets you with the setting sun

in the lighting of candles and the gathering at the table

it hears your sighs and prayers and knows your longings

it brings hope for a weary world

and settles in your heart making space for God’s peace.

This blessing meets you in the dark of night

wondering and questioning, doubting and believing

it whispers again, “come and rest, I’m here”

it embraces you just as you are

whether you feel it or not

and declares that God’s peace is here

settle in, rest, breathe, be

God’s peace is here.

Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is a mother, writer, and pastor living in Central Missouri with her family. She’s the coauthor of The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years (March 2023). You can read more at her website: Kimberlyknowlezeller.com. If you’d like to read more from Kim, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter, Walk and Talk here. As a gift to her readers and subscribers who sign up, she has a free downloadable resource: Walk and Talk with God: Reflection, Scripture references, and a how-to for your own contemplative walk.

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The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ.

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A Blessing for the Beginning of Advent

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