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Daily Advent Reflections Available

Advent is a time when we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we prepare for the Christ-child, we would like to offer you reflections to help you enter into the beauty and splendor of this glorious season. This year we have collected reflections based on the Daily Office readings from people, both lay and clergy, across the diocese.

These reflections are available to you in three different ways: 

1. For those who wish to have things printed off, we have a pdf of all the reflections for you. You may also make copies of the reflections available for people in your parish who do not have electronic access.

2. If you prefer to get an email with the day's reflection sent to you, you can sign up for that here. We just need your name and email address. I will then send you an email with the reflection each morning. 

3. Each day's reflection will be posted on a blog on our website. You can access that here.

A special thank-you to Mother Mindy Valentine Davis for compiling all the reflections. I'm so delighted that we have so many different voices represented for the Advent season. 

Wishing you a blessed Advent season!

~Sara Bitner, Communications Officer

Call for Submissions: Daily Advent Reflections 2020

As a diocese, we are pulling together a resource of Daily Advent Reflections for 2020. We would like to have as many churches represented as possible. We ask that these daily reflections be 500-800 words and based on the Daily Office readings. Clergy or talented laypeople are invited to write a reflection. We will be publishing this resource in two ways. First, we will make a pdf file available that contains all of the reflections for those who do not have electronic access or prefer paper copies. Individual churches would be responsible for printing and sending to their shut-ins or those without technology. Second, we will be able to send these reflections out daily by email. Individuals or churches will subscribe to receive the emails. If your church would commit to submitting a reflection, please fill out the form here by October 15. We will assign dates for the reflections by October 20 and the end products will be due for light editing and compilation by November 5. If you have questions, please contact Rev. Mindy Valentine Davis at  .

An Advent Greeting from Bishop Miller 2019

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding;
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the works of darkness
O ye children of the day.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

This above hymn came to mind as I prepared to write this Advent letter and begin to walk my last full liturgical year as your bishop with you. As most of you know, Advent is my favorite season of the Church year because for me it most resembles our life as Christians. We know that God has come among us in the incarnate one, Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus will come again in glory. And so we live between the first and second coming of Christ in what is already, but not yet.

Advent is a season of urgency. The call to prepare is now. We pray “give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light now” on the first Sunday of Advent. There is no time for waiting. This cannot be put off. For me, this urgency is amplified not only by the current political climate but by the news reports of farm closings in rural Wisconsin, increased numbers of homeless in our cities, and the increasing violence across our nation. I need Jesus to come and rule and reign and restore.

When I was young, a popular song sung by many choirs was this, “let there be peace on earth and let in begin with me.” It expressed for that time the much-quoted adage of our day, “be the change you want the world to see.” Advent invites us to be the kingdom — the reign of Christ — we want in the world. It reminds us of our citizenship and our way of living the citizenship, which we affirm at the beginning of each liturgy when we say, “Blessed be God and Blessed be his kingdom now and forever.”

My prayer as I begin this holy season is, “Lord, let thy kingdom come. Lord, reign in me. May I be a sign of our kingdom for others.” I invite you to join me in this prayer.

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Steven Andrew Miller
Bishop