Encounter the sacred in the ordinary and not-so-ordinary of the holiday season with this beautiful book of blessings. For so many of us, the season leading up to Christmas is a time of huge expectations, huge busyness, and often huge grief. Ordinary Blessings for the Christmas Season, from gifted poet and empathetic pastor Meta Herrick Carlson, is a beautiful collection of prayers, poems, and meditations to help us recognize the holy beneath the hustle and hibernation of the season. While we travel, spend time with family, contend with consumerism, confront grief, and soak up joyful moments, the blessings in this book are a lovely companion for all of us who are looking to access the deeper meaning of the holidays The book includes blessings for all the ordinary and not-so-ordinary moments of the season, like addressing Christmas cards, setting boundaries with family, shoveling snow, and the first Christmas without a loved one. Also included are blessings dedicated to beloved nativity characters like Mary and the magi, blessings for each of the twelve days of Christmas, and a beautiful collection of sacred-word-inspired blessings that readers can use as daily Advent readings, connecting us to the ancient story of Christmas. Let this beautiful little book be a reminder that the holy can be found in the routine and the ritual of the holiday season.
Meta Herrick Carlson is a pastor, a poet, and the author of Ordinary Blessings and Ordinary Blessings for Parents. Her work is rooted in a love for meaningful ritual, accessible language, healthy communities, and the gospel still expanding. Her words are inspired by God's delight in our real and ordinary lives. She laughs at her own jokes and packs extra snacks just in case. Meta and her family live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dakota land.
"Filled with ancient truths and modern realities, the seasonal blessings in this book flow from Carlson's sacred gift of noticing. Her honest wonderings and reflective words invite us to exhale, reminding us that we aren't alone--and never have been." --Kayla Craig, author of Every Season Sacred and To Light Their Way; creator of Liturgies for Parents "Christmas holds vastly different experiences for each person, and yet Meta Herrick Carlson has the gift of naming the complex realities beside the vulnerable wonder. She paints blessing into the ordinary, giving each passing occurrence a voice and community." --Rev. Jenny Sung, "Free Range Pastor" and founder and co-director of One Dance Company "The holiday season poses a mixed bag for many. While balancing different spiritual traditions, many struggle with chaotic family systems, grief, untold joys, and unmet expectations. The flow of the poems, meditations, and prayers in this book is a breath of fresh air." --Robert Monson, writer, theologian, and co-director of enfleshed "At times tender and funny, particular and profound, Carlson's poignant words reach into the muddled heart of the season, holding the full complexity of Christmas. Give yourself the gift of blessings you actually need, trustworthy and true." --Laura Kelly Fanucci, author of Everyday Sacrament and To Bless Our Callings "This book is for anyone yearning to go through the Christmas season with intentionality. Carlson's words facilitate more space to notice lovely things, be honest in our experiences, and connect with God in the midst of real life this Christmas." --Meredith Anne Miller, pastor and author of Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From "Delightful, refreshing, and oh so true, Ordinary Blessings for Christmas is both a perfect stocking stuffer and church resource for the season. In these pages is permission to rest, to winter, to claim our freedom, and to look again and see God in every nook and cranny of Christmas." --Ellie Roscher, author of The Embodied Path and coauthor of 12 Tiny Things "Meta Herrick Carlson sure does know how to be a blessing! She offers us words and images that create awareness, wholeness, and belonging. This gift will offer healing and strength for many Christmas seasons to come." --Rev. Babette Chatman, pastor and director of campus ministry, Augsburg University
