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Image of the Invisible: Daily Bible readings from Advent to Epiphany
When you hear the name ‘God’, does an image come into your head? Do you think of him as a shining light, or with a human shape, or as an anchor in the storm, a rock, a fortress?
As we look towards celebrating the incarnation at Christmas, we consider how God chose to express himself, in a moment in history, as a tiny baby. But what other images describe God in the Bible, and what can we learn about his character through them? How does an invisible God reveal himself to us in scripture and in Jesus? Amy Scott Robinson, a poet and storyteller, answers this question with imagination and a close reading of the text.
As we look towards celebrating the incarnation at Christmas, we consider how God chose to express himself, in a moment in history, as a tiny baby. But what other images describe God in the Bible, and what can we learn about his character through them? How does an invisible God reveal himself to us in scripture and in Jesus? Amy Scott Robinson, a poet and storyteller, answers this question with imagination and a close reading of the text.
- GenresChristianNonfiction
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2019
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Amy Scott Robinson
18 books11 followersAmy Scott Robinson is an author and performance storyteller. After studying English at Christ's College, Cambridge, she trained as a primary school teacher and then founded a business for storytelling in education.
Amy began writing scripts and poetry for charities, churches and providers of liturgical resources, before publishing her own works on puppetry and story. She still performs as a storyteller and ventriloquist, and produces works for adults as well as children.
She lives in a rectory in Suffolk with the Rector, two children and lots of puppets.
Amy began writing scripts and poetry for charities, churches and providers of liturgical resources, before publishing her own works on puppetry and story. She still performs as a storyteller and ventriloquist, and produces works for adults as well as children.
She lives in a rectory in Suffolk with the Rector, two children and lots of puppets.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 31, 2019
I endorsed this book: this was my endorsement
‘Sometimes we need a poet’s eye to see the God of the Bible afresh. Poet, storyteller and theologian Amy Scott Robinson uses the Bible’s own metaphors of God as artisan, metalworker, consuming fire and others to lead us more deeply into our understanding of God. If you like C.S. Lewis, Malcolm Guite or Lauren Winner, you will love this outstanding book of thought-provoking, gasp-inducing, beautiful devotions to enrich your vision of God.’
‘Sometimes we need a poet’s eye to see the God of the Bible afresh. Poet, storyteller and theologian Amy Scott Robinson uses the Bible’s own metaphors of God as artisan, metalworker, consuming fire and others to lead us more deeply into our understanding of God. If you like C.S. Lewis, Malcolm Guite or Lauren Winner, you will love this outstanding book of thought-provoking, gasp-inducing, beautiful devotions to enrich your vision of God.’
January 10, 2020
Challengingly thoughtful Advent resource.
I would not rush reading this book. Much would be missed, swept to one side. Amy brings many differing facets of God into focus as we look forward to celebrating Jesus birth and continues through Christmas to Candlemas.
I would not rush reading this book. Much would be missed, swept to one side. Amy brings many differing facets of God into focus as we look forward to celebrating Jesus birth and continues through Christmas to Candlemas.
January 6, 2020
A great little advent-epiphany devotional with some memorable images and poetic writing.
January 9, 2023
A beautiful and profound collection of readings from the Old and New Testaments, and reflections both personal and theological for Advent and for the 12 Days of Christmas, which offers several earthly metaphors for the Divine.
I loved this book, especially the author’s use of the images of art and craft workers: the processes followed by poet, musician, weaver, potter, clothier, architect, metalworker – it is deeply moving to consider how ingenious and appropriate these metaphors are.
The author also offers imaginative reflections which draw upon her own experiences of daily life, and these were exceptional. I feel she has made me see aspects of the Bible in a new way. One of these, which may seem quite small, is when she writes about the Epiphany: the visit of the Magi, and their gifts. She mentions that myrrh was not only used to anoint the bodies of the dead but would also have been used as an antiseptic ointment and maybe Mary would have used it to soothe baby Jesus’ nappy rash. This really struck me. In fact, I responded with, ‘How wonderful. What an amazing thought.’ Then she asks whether this shocks us, because that is good: the gifts of the Magi represent God is all his aspects, in the holy, in kingship, in sacrifice and also in the ‘physicality, vulnerability and mortality of the Word made flesh’.
It also beautifully countermands the meme that has gone round the internet, suggesting that if the Magi had been women, they would have brought practical gifts. I have two answers to that:
1) the bible doesn’t tell us there were three of them and doesn’t tell us they were men. We are simply told they were ‘Magi from the East’. They may have been women, or women may have been among them. And
2) yes, the gifts given were both symbolic AND practical.
A fantastic book and I was also very taken with some of the ideas the author puts forward for group work on the themes of each day. I didn’t follow it through with a group but I will be suggesting some of these ideas to my group for use with other themes in the year.
I loved this book, especially the author’s use of the images of art and craft workers: the processes followed by poet, musician, weaver, potter, clothier, architect, metalworker – it is deeply moving to consider how ingenious and appropriate these metaphors are.
The author also offers imaginative reflections which draw upon her own experiences of daily life, and these were exceptional. I feel she has made me see aspects of the Bible in a new way. One of these, which may seem quite small, is when she writes about the Epiphany: the visit of the Magi, and their gifts. She mentions that myrrh was not only used to anoint the bodies of the dead but would also have been used as an antiseptic ointment and maybe Mary would have used it to soothe baby Jesus’ nappy rash. This really struck me. In fact, I responded with, ‘How wonderful. What an amazing thought.’ Then she asks whether this shocks us, because that is good: the gifts of the Magi represent God is all his aspects, in the holy, in kingship, in sacrifice and also in the ‘physicality, vulnerability and mortality of the Word made flesh’.
It also beautifully countermands the meme that has gone round the internet, suggesting that if the Magi had been women, they would have brought practical gifts. I have two answers to that:
1) the bible doesn’t tell us there were three of them and doesn’t tell us they were men. We are simply told they were ‘Magi from the East’. They may have been women, or women may have been among them. And
2) yes, the gifts given were both symbolic AND practical.
A fantastic book and I was also very taken with some of the ideas the author puts forward for group work on the themes of each day. I didn’t follow it through with a group but I will be suggesting some of these ideas to my group for use with other themes in the year.
April 5, 2021
I've read this book last year - it was full of depth and imagery. So much so that this year I have decided to keep the Lent. I've never done it before, but getting closer to God was something on my mind since I had finished the devotional. It must be taken in chunk sizes to properly digest it and get the most out of it. I feel like I want to re-read it, the trouble is I gave all my copies away. It was simply not possible not to share the good stuff with the friends. I highly recommend it.
January 6, 2023
I only give 5 stars to books I want to read again, and I'm putting it on my calendar for this coming Advent to start this one over. Thank you, Amy Scott Robinson, for giving me new ways to think about some of the myriad facets of God. It fits right in with my word for 2023, which is prism. It will be good to chew on this again come December 2023.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews