Mary's Voice -- Review of an Advent Devotional

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to start thinking about Christmas. I always like to find a way to focus myself on the true meaning of the season. I want something to focus my thoughts on the coming of Christ and God. This year I get to share a new Advent devotional that focuses on Mary. I love learning about Mary!! If you have read Crafty Moms Share for a while you may remember some of my previous posts about Mary. I have reflected on Mary's life many times around Advent. Today I am sharing Mary's Voice: Advent Reflections to Contemplate the Coming of Christ by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing. 

From the Publisher:

The mother of God is often portrayed as a passive figure, yet Mary is described in Luke's gospel as a woman who exercised choice, questioned things, reflected, responded, spoke up, and demonstrated great faith. Mary had a voice.

This unique Advent devotional from British theologian Amy Orr-Ewing invites us to hear the familiar Christmas story from an untold perspective: that of an ordinary, young, poor, oppressed woman who was chosen to play a significant and breakthrough role in the redemption of the world. It is no mistake that a woman gets to be a part of all this, and that her voice, her questions, her fears, and her actions matter.

Through passages from Luke's gospel – the writer who used Mary as his primary witness for his account of Christ's life – and stunning paintings of the nativity from artists ancient and modern (including The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse illustrator, Charlie Mackesy), Amy Orr-Ewing guides the reader through each day of Advent from Mary's point of view, exploring who she knew Christ to be.

From Me:

For 25 days you are given a piece of scripture and then a reflection on it, a prayer, a picture of artwork with a description of the work. The scripture includes Mary's song, the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55. The reflection gives background and historical information about the time Mary was alive and how amazing this miracle truly is. They give us Mary's perspective as well as where her place in the world was and how women were viewed. The reflections go further to truly give the reader a sense of Mary and all she and her faith were. 

The readings are longer than some devotionals, but this forces you to set aside time to truly prepare for the coming of Christ. The words are powerful and well researched for the background of the Bible and biblical times. It is eye opening to the life Mary lived and the true sacrifice she made by saying yes to God. Join me this Advent and learn more about Mary and how that yes not only changed her life but all of ours. I know I am going to find time to reread the book each day and focus on Mary and learn from her words and life. Will you join me? I know as I read the book, I found Mary to be living in biblical times but also sounding like a modern woman. Come explore the Mother of God with me and find how your life is related to hers. She truly had a voice and made choices that changed the world for the better. Prepare yourself of the coming of Christ with this amazing woman's words and life and see how she fits into your life.