Twelve Days, Twelve Responses

Have you ever noticed the silence that happens on Christmas Eve? One of my favorite memories growing up was leaving church after Christmas Eve service and seeing the normally busy stores all over the city shutdown in observance of Christmas. Of course, even if the stores are closed, we usually have so much going on between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that the lessening of one sort of busyness is only replaced with another sort. In the midst of this, we can often struggle to find time to truly reflect on what we're celebrating: God With Us.

That's why I love celebrating the 12 days after December 25 that lead to Epiphany, traditionally known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. It provides time to reflect. A time to take in the mystery of the Incarnation. A time to reflect on how every single celebration of Christmas is a call to us to respond to God's grace and experience his presence in our lives.

A few years ago, my dear friend Patrick Weston and I co-authored a little devotional booklet to help anyone who might be interested in spending those Twelve Days as a time of reflection on God's redeeming grace and how we respond to it. Would you like to join us in meditating on the miracle of Christmas this year by embarking on a twelve day journey?

You can download a copy of it right here.

Please encourage others to slow down and take part as well by sharing this page and by posting about the journey on social media using the hashtag #12Days12Responses.

Today begins the journey. See you along the way!