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Now in it’s fourth year the diocesan email Advent calendar has become tradition. Last year’s calendar with reflections from Indigenous Anglicans was well received and this year will continue with exploring the richness of persons found in the Anglican tradition. Called “A Very Anglican Advent” this year’s daily devotional will offer a thought-provoking quote from an Anglican past or present and from around the Anglican Communion. Novelists, politicians, scientists, nuns, and more will all be quoted in a daily email during the season.

The four figures pictured below give a taste of the Anglicans we will hear from. Richard Hooker was one of the founding theologians of the emerging Church of England in the 16th century. He was known for his comprehensive thoughtfulness and civil spirit in a time of great division. Jenny te Paa-Daniel is a prominent Maori theologian who served 23 years as dean of Te Rau Kahikatea seminary at St. John’s Theological College in Auckland, New Zealand. Madeleine L’Engle was a beloved fiction writer for children and adults, known best for her famous novel A Wrinkle in Time. John Polkinghorne, a mathematician, physicist, and Anglican priest wrote for decades on the intersections of science and religion.

Each day’s entry will include a quote, a biographical line, and links to learn more. Weekly discussion questions will be available on the webpage if you wish to gather with a small group. This bite-sized devotional offers a way to begin the day both grounding and expanding our sense of Anglican identity. But the primary hope is that it’s one more small way to keep mindful of the season’s purpose: awaiting the person and presence of Jesus. 

It’s easy to sign-up for this emailed Advent calendar and it’s free to subscribe. The emails will begin on November 27. Just fill out the short form on the diocesan webpage linked here.

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  • Richard Hooker
  • Jenny te Paa-Daniel
  • Madeleine L’Engle
  • John Polkinghorne