Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent

by Tsh Oxenreider

Celebrate a Season of Wonder and Waiting Though the holidays are often jam-packed with busyness, the weeks leading up to Yuletide are still a time to reflect on the miracle of Jesus’s birth. Shadow and Light is a concise and customizable guide for the Advent season to help you rediscover your childlike wonder and contemplate the sacred gift we celebrate in the Christmas season. From bestselling author Tsh Oxenreider, Shadow and Light is a rich yet approachable experience that invites you to explore the historical meaning of Advent. Drawing from liturgical tradition, Tsh provides fresh insights for new and longtime believers alike. Each day includes Scripture, a reflection, a question, and a simple activity to engage the senses, such as lighting candles, listening to music, and viewing artwork both old and new. Let yourself break away from the hustle and bustle of crafts, cookies, and Christmas parties, and receive your invitation to remember the quiet focus of our celebration. Shadow and Light will help you reclaim the holiday season as a time to remember Jesus’s first coming, and to long for his one-day return.

Genres: Christmas, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality, Christian Living, Religion

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

Tsh Oxenreider is the author of several books, most notably At Home in the World, a book about her family’s year traveling around the world out of backpacks. She enjoys leading trips, writing a weekly newsletter, podcasting, teaching high schoolers, and raising children and chickens in her small town with her favorite husband. Learn more about all these things on her website.

In 2014-15 Tsh traveled around the world with her family of five, and it was as nuts and exhilarating as it sounds. It confirmed her suspicion: a passport truly is a portal for the world’s greatest textbook—the actual planet and all her inhabitants. After meeting her husband in war-torn Kosovo, raising babies and toddlers in a Turkish highrise apartment overlooking the Mediterranean, and living for a few years in idyllic central Oregon, they now live in a historic small-town just north of Tsh’s hometown, Austin.

She loves traveling the world, and equally loves snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef with her kids and puttering around her own backyard with a drink in hand.

Reviews

[Sarah Katherine Oliphant]

Has there been another year in recent memory in which we’ve so collectively felt the groaning of a broken world and longed for things to be made new? This book by Tsh Oxenreider is my suggestion to guide you through this season. Maybe you’ve been observing advent for decades, or maybe you’re not really sure what you believe, but you’re curious about how Jesus can both enter into brokenness and bring hope. Either way, or anywhere in between, this book will be a gentle guide through the season. It’s stunning and it’s simple. This isn’t something to add to your to-do list - it’s an invitation. Each day includes a short meditation, a Psalm to pray, a question for reflection, and a piece of art and music to look up. Do all of that or some, do every day or skip some. Regardless, if you’re feeling weary and don’t want to add one more thing, but still want to engage with the story of Jesus coming into our pain, may I recommend this one?

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Advent books. It’s a beautiful book and well designed with an explanation of its layout and alternative readings. It’s simple enough to read with children, yet deep and thought-provoking enough for adults. Every day there is a scripture reading, some brief thoughts, and a reflective question. My favorite part is that there is also a song and work of art to ponder each day. The songs are already on a Spotify playlist and the works of art are on the author’s website which makes everything easily accessible. I highly recommend this book and looking forward to using it again next year.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just right. I kept thinking that as I did the daily readings. From the introduction explaining everything advent to the alternative readings in the back, no one would feel intimidated. It's nice adding music and art to the daily reflections as well. All in a pretty book package.

[Hannah Layman]

It wasn't always quiet and cozy, but we read it (mostly) as a family and it fed me even if my 3 yo and 1.5 yo didn't appreciate the significance.

We still wait in the already-not-yet but the Light has come into the darkness. Tsh ends by inviting us to abide in Christ, that is, to love each other as He loved.

"The Journey" (of Advent) section of the book is broken into four parts: expectation, preparation, anticipation, and gratitude.
The daily readings include thoughts from the author, a Scripture passage, a thought provoking question, a song to listen to, and a piece of art to reflect on.

[Elizabeth]

This is a beautiful and a thoughtful book, but it is more of a beginner’s guide to Advent designed to be done in community with others. Advent has long been my favorite time of the Church Year and I’m often solo in my observance, so I’m going to pass this lovely book onto another.

[Jill Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time reading, Dec 2024. Really love this advent reading.

Third time, 2025. This book brings me immense joy during the advent season.

[Sarah Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, simple advent. Light and short enough to read with the whole family, but still deep enough to glean from.
I especially enjoy the daily music and art selections (that often tie in thematically), including an website and playlist for easy follow-along.
In future editions, I’d love to see a little a little bit of historical and/or contextual details about the art, in particular. As is, it’s just the name of the work, artist, and year created, but I didn’t have time most days to seek out anything more even if I was curious.
I also appreciate that their are conversation starter questions each day, but I personally would’ve preferred less repetition and more variety.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this advent devotional. My favorite part was the visual art that helped me to think about the Christmas story in new ways.

[Gladimore · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book is complicated to review. It was a nice concept and I understood what the author wanted to do, but it did nothing for me. The only thing my husband and I really enjoyed were the songs and artwork at the end. The devotionals were just not (for lack of better words) devotional enough. Would like to she her try again with more umph.

We did however make a playlist on spotify of the songs we listened to each night, Advent 2020 (still listening to the songs, it will be completed by the end of december).

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29z...

[Risa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, lovely, LOVELY Advent devotional for any Christian! Written by a Catholic convert, she expertly crafts reflections approachable and attainable by everyone.

Tsh has also written a Lent devotional, ‘Bitter & Sweet’, which I also love and highly recommend!

Both are timeless and evergreen - the teachings are sound, thoughtful & designed around family life and these books will work with the liturgical seasons whichever days they land on.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each day is quick to read while still thought-provoking and substantive. I liked the extra options to answer a question and extend your reflections with art and music (more holistic sensory enjoyment of Advent!). But you can also just read what’s on the page and get a lot out of it without the extra stuff.

[libremilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alleluia!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family really enjoy this book as we journey through Advent toward Christmas and on to Epiphany.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly right for our family this year, and I suspect we will continue using it every year for the foreseeable future. It is short and simple, but profound and packed with scripture. The playlist and the artwork were meaningful, and the alternate readings added a wonderful dimension when I read them in the mornings by myself in addition to the regular readings which I did with my family in the evenings.

I especially appreciated the readings from Psalms for the first three weeks of advent (switching to the story of Christmas for the final week), and the hints of the second-coming of Christ throughout the book.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone with little too no liturgical church exposure, I greatly enjoyed the intro and history to advent. As someone who loves Jesus parallels to every day life, I loved the daily readings. Oxenreider did such an awesome job helping me see christ (and the need for his second coming) every day of this advent season. Now to celebrate Christmastide! Cheers!

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what I needed this advent season. This book is simple yet beautiful, and it helped me to immerse myself more fully in the significance of the season without heaping on guilt that I wasn’t doing more to celebrate.

[Éowyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book walked with me gently through an Advent with some of the best and most challenging moments I've known, and Our Lord used it in mighty ways to calm and quiet my soul; Scripture, art, and sacred music - I loved every minute of it!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this slow, easy advent devotional. I’d read and sip my coffee by the light of the Christmas tree before starting my day. I’m really missing it this morning, the day after Christmas.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this journal is that the author provides SO MANY ways to engage. There is a Bible reading (printed in the book), a comment on tbe reading, a question to consider, an artwork to contemplate, and a musical selection. Each day really stands on its own, so if you skip a day, it's ok.

I enjoyed my interaction with the book. I most liked the reflection question and the overall theme. I also enjoyed many of the musical selections. It was fun to discuss the different artworks and artists with the children.

Here are the drawbacks. The use of psalms came across as very "high church." It was good for me as an experiment, particularly in conjunction with adding an advent wreath with the children. I wished I had used the "Christmas" style readings at the back from the start. I think the children would have engaged it better. I also wished that the artist whose work the author referenced would have been indicated in the book. I do not have spotify, so it was cumbersome to open the web site, figure out the corresponding song and artist, and then search for it separately.

Overall, I liked it more and found it more useful than most Advent devotionals I have used recently. And the benefits greatly outweighed the drawbacks, particularly if you are intending to use it by yourself or just with older children (12+).

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Tsh Oxenreider. This is my first book of advent readings that I've completed. Not only has the book got a pretty cover, but the layout is wonderful too. Tsh gives a good explanation of advent at the beginning and her own journey with advent activities with her family, some of which I could relate to.

Each day has some commentary by Tsh, a scripture to read and pray, a question to ponder, a song to listen to, and a piece of art to look at and reflect on. She even has her playlist on Spotify. I found listening to the songs an added bonus. Most of the artists of her songs I chose, but there were a handful of songs that I chose a different artist. . . just a personal preference of style.

I can definitely see myself using this again next year and beyond. I'll also make a note to start listening to the advent songs ahead of the readings.

[Jaimie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so, I enjoyed the concept. I've never done a religious Advent but I'm trying to get deeper in my faith. I enjoy the aspect of the art and music after each one but I felt every day was just lacking. I got nothing out of it.

It said that you can do this with your kids even if they don't understand right now but my kid was bored to tears and didn't want to do it after a few days. I didn't make her. So I did it by myself. I'm glad I didn't ask my husband to do it with me because I feel he would have gone in the way of my daughter! I found myself just trying to get through it after so long but I didn't want to give up. It just was not good and I'll keep looking for something better.

[Meredith Nunley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This season is a recognition of the current state of life here on earth, acknowledging the fraught tension of living between the time of the already of the first Advent of God and the not yet of its full, redemptive completion.”

I of course did not finish this on time. One of the big things the Lord convicted me of during this was how busy I am and how much I need to slow down to prioritize silence and solitude and margin.

I also loved the art and music incorporated. It was so interesting to see the different cultural contexts that each artist drew Jesus in.

[JennyG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book! One of the main reasons I appreciate it is because it lays things out to multiple types of readers: those who may have been participating in advent for awhile and looking to enrich their season, those who are beginners, and/or those who aren’t Christian who simply want to know more about advent. The approach is uncomplicated yet rich in content. My only regret is that I didn’t order a physical copy in favor of my Kindle edition. However, I will be purchasing it as I foresee this book as being a family keepsake for years to come!

[Janna Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I wish it didn’t have the day of the week next to the date for each reading, as it obviously dates the book. Keeping off the day of the week would have allowed this to be a year after year advent book. It still will be for me, I’ll just have to ignore the day of the week to do so.

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be my advent book for the next foreseeable future. I loved its simplicity, ease , message and connection to music and art. Though in true advent season… I missed some days here and there but I look forward to reading them again next year.

A beautiful read with a beautiful message of darkness and light.

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our second year using this book. We like doing it every other year. I like that there are Scripture readings in the front with a little devotional, plus art and music that is linked for each day. We use this with our homeschool morning time. In the back, there is an alternate Scripture reading, and we use this for our family bedtime readings for December.

[Chattynatty Van Waning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Advent Devotional. Just enough for each day of advent. I really appreciated the daily question, the music song she suggested. I ended up using Spotify and making an advent playlist. She also shared some art piece- name and artist that you could Google. The art+ music + reading and reflection were truly a gift this Xmas. Plan to gift this in years to come.

[Audrey Marcusen McMacken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially enjoy her introduction and the song each day. But also just perfect length- especially as she includes the scripture reading each day. While there is something to finding it yourself (or pulling it up on my phone 🤷‍♀️) I appreciated this.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple, yet inviting and fulfilling Advent devotional. I read it alongside my best friend in Australia. Each day we shared with one another that day’s reflection question. It was a perfect way to journey through Advent!

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟 This was ok, but not my favorite Advent devotional I've read, felt a little fluffy and wordy not as much depth as I like. I did like the options of art and music to listen to at the end of each day, although I didn't listen or looked at all of them.