Love Came Down: Anglican Readings for Advent and Christmas

by Christopher L. Webber (Compilation)

"Easter Day is the center and crown of the Christian year, but no season of that year provides us with richer material for meditation than Advent and the twelve days of Christmas." So writes Christopher Webber in this thoughtful and inspiring collection of meditations from the most gifted Anglican writers of the past six hundred years.Love Came Down draws on the best sermons, books, poems, and hymns by these writers, with a reading for every day in Advent and for each of the twelve days of Christmas. Writers include Christina Rossetti, R. W. Church, F. D. Maurice, John Donne, Jeremy Taylor, Madeleine L'Engle, Phillips Brooks, John Keble, William Temple, Thomas Traherne, William Law, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and many others. Brief biographies of the contributors are included.

Genres: Christmas, Religion, Christianity, Devotional, Church

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

"Priest, poet, and farmer" is the short summary. After many years of ministry in inner city, overseas (Tokyo), suburban, and rural locations I lived for twenty years in the northwest corner of Connecticut. Twenty acres of woods, garden, and orchard provided an excellent balance to writing. There's no better cure for writer's block than splitting some more firewood. Less than two years ago, however, I moved to San Francisco and am enjoying life in the city with its conveniences and cultural opportunities. Two books have been published in recent months and although my next book deadline is February 15, I'm doing what I can to promote "Dear Friends: Letters from St. Paul to Christians in America" and "Give Me Liberty: Seeches and Speakers that Shaped America."
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Reviews

[Karen Floyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readings for Advent and the Christmas season chosen by Christopher Webber. They are divided into topics such as Hope, Death, Judgement, Hell, then, what a relief, Heaven, Mary....Some of the readings in Death, Judgement, and Hell were a little too lovingly detailed for my taste - descriptions of what happens to the body after death, and of the torments of hell. Why are humans so quick to pass judgement on each other? Far too many people are already living in hell in their lives on earth. But descriptions of Heaven are often not much better, always seen in human terms. I was struck by how much descriptions of heaven are like that of an ancient king and his court, his warband (King Hrothgar's court in Beowulf, for example), with God's followers being rewarded with feasts and praise, and treasure. A far cry from the life of Jesus. There were some good readings in this book, but on the whole I didn't find it particularly helpful.

[Terry Varner-Benge · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book intrigued me and the organization is interesting because a person can read one topic for each day of advent all the way to Epiphany. Some of the writings were so dark I could not relate to them at all. They’re from a time in history that we do not currently live in. During the pandemic I am missing the in-person ritual of the Episcopal church. Reading this book did not really help with that. I guess it opened my eyes to the dark history of anglicanism, closely related to Catholicism. Some of the ratings near the end are more modern and easier to deal with. I’d rather be living through a current day pandemic than the dark oppression of the church’s history. I suppose that’s one way of looking at light in the darkness.

[Barbara James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a study of the themes that relate to Advent and Christmas, and for understanding some of the key figures in Anglican Church history in the UK and the US. The last reading addressed the Epiphany, which was perfect for closing out he series of readings. As with respect to his other book on readings for Lent and Easter week, it would have been great to have included readings from Anglicans outside of the U.S. and U.K.

[Charlotte Toyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting and had a few really eye opening sermons but I don't think I was in the spiritual place to read it... didn't help most of the sermons were from people who lived in the 15th and 16th century. Those are well and good. Definitely a time and place for them, but I was not particularly moved by this piece at this time

[Ann Dahlheim]

Assigned for Advent study by chapel group. WE are a week behind oh well