Advent Study: Advent in Narnia by Heidi Haverkamp

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Westminister John Knowx Press, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.



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This year, thanks to starting homeschooling, we decided to take a bit different approach to Advent, and include daily lessons and activities, as part of Miss Grace's schooling structure.

So I started looking for some different Advent resources and found THREE great books, that together not only share the greatest bible story, they offer ways to incorporate reading, art, science AND music, into he daily lessons. YEAH! So I'll not only be sharing about the 3 books with you, leading up TO Advent (can you believe we are ONLY 2 1/2 weeks away? Seriously, where has the year gone?), but also some of our activities-just look for the button below for a link to them!



And now for the first book in our study program, that incorporates books that appeal to kids and adults alike, C.S. Lewis' Narnia series!

ADVENT INNARNIA COVER

Synopsis:

"Walking into Advent can be like walking through the wardrobe."
With its enchanting themes of snow and cold, light and darkness, meals and gifts, temptation and sin, forgiveness and hope--and even an appearance by Father Christmas--C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe fits naturally into the Advent season. As the reader seeks a storied king and anticipates the glorious coming of Christmas, these twenty-eight devotions alternate between Scripture and passages from the novel to prompt meditation on Advent themes. Each devotion also includes questions for reflection. The book also provides several resources for churches, including four sessions for small group discussion and ideas for creating a "Narnia Night" for families. Readers will ultimately come to know God better while journeying through Narnia.

Review: 

This is a lovely book, that allows us to take a daily lesson and read it, while reading along with The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, to get greater understanding of how C.S. Lewis incorporated the different ideas into his book. Heidi tells you which Chapter to read, per daily devotion. If you don't have the book, no worries, you can also watch one of the many movie versions instead (which is what we plan on doing, as an add on). 

Each daily devotion has a bible verse, the related The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe chapter, and then a short devotion. Heidi does a great job in bringing out unique elements that correspond to the advent season in particular, that many readers of the book probably missed  (even by the 5th or 6th readings!). SHe had me hooked at the first reading, where she likened Advent to the magical time of Narnia, with its special music, decorations and foods. It's hard to argue that point- just as the kids changed when they went through the wardrobe, so do we collectively during Advent- there is more joy, compassion and love during the season, isn't there?! The devotion is then followed up by questions for discussion, I found that one would be good for kids, and the other would be more adult centered. Which works for us- Miss Grace can answer the first, and then we can discuss the second.

The daily devotions also lend themselves to daily activities, besides the reading (or watching). For example, devotion one talks about getting ready for the season. Making or putting together your Advent wreath that day, easily falls into that category. Day 2 speaks of Jesus being the light of the world. So an art activity representing that is obvious. Day 3 deals with darkness- it would be easy to add a science activity to show how light is always with us, even if we don't SEE it. With just a little thought, it is easy to bring in activities for every day, that allow for something even bigger- FAMILY time!

And that is the biggest bonus in using this book as you Advent guide! How it can bring us closer together as a family, by spending time reading a great book, as well as the bible story, and making activities TOGETHER, that allow for further discussion and memories to be made. There’s even a super easy recipe for Mrs. Beaver’s Sticky Marmalade Roll, that is a great English holiday recipe. And THAT is the true meaning of the season- how God shines his light through us for others! And isn't that what we wish for our kids to learn? At around $10 (depending on version you get) this is a lovely book, that will give more to you each year you use it with your family, so don't miss it!




About the Author:

I grew up in Hyde Park, on the South Side of Chicago, and worked an assortment of random jobs (organic farmer, mental health worker, legal assistant) before being ordained an Episcopal priest in 2007. I now serve as Senior Associate Rector of St. Chrysostom's Church in Chicago, and previous led The Church of St. Benedict in Bolingbrook, IL, from 2007-16. I have been a Benedictine oblate (or lay associate) of Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin since 2014. 

I blog at Diary of A Downtown Priest, at heidihaverkamp.net. I love Lake Michigan, Anglican chant, farmers' markets, literary fiction, the letters of St. Paul, brownies, St. Teresa of Avila, and marigolds. Check out her instagram link too- she's a great photographer too!

Comments

  1. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe was one of my favorite books growing up!

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