Special Edition: Thanksgiving Eve
It's time to prepare to behold the wondrous mystery.
We’re offering this special Thanksgiving Eve edition of the newsletter in lieu of our standard Friday mailing of The Weekly Well. Our usual schedule will resume on Friday, December 6.
As we look toward the start of Advent on December 1, some of us might be frantically crafting our to-do lists and dreading a busy month of deadlines. But what if it could be different? Author and writing teacher Leslie Leyland Fields joins us on the podcast to discuss the Advent book she recently edited, entitled A Radiant Birth: Advent Readings for a Bright Season. Leslie talks with us about her own complicated history with Advent and Christmas, then offers actionable suggestions for making choices that can shape a more manageable holiday season. We discuss her work as a writing teacher, and Leslie makes a convincing case for the importance of writing one’s story. In addition, InterVarsity Press is offering a discount on A Radiant Birth for listeners of this podcast. Just use the code IVPWSAP25 for 25% off and free shipping when you purchase the book at ivpress.com. You can find a link to the book and the discount code in the show notes.
Programming Note: We’ll be taking Leslie's advice to rest and reconnect in December — which means our airwaves will also be on winter break here at The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast. We encourage you to catch up on back episodes, get some rest yourself, and watch for our next season to begin in January 2025!
“Do what you and your family need. Let go of the cultural and even the church expectations. Just take time to behold — to behold the wondrous mystery of Christ among us and Christ in us and Christ born for us.”
We’re entering the holiday season in earnest this week, between Thanksgiving in the US on Thursday and the start of Advent on Sunday, December 1. As the festivities begin, we’re thinking about those for whom holidays feel tinged with grief this year. This piece about giving thanks when you don’t feel very thankful reminds us of the power of authenticity. Be gentle with yourselves and treat one another with tenderness in this season as we begin our annual season of waiting for the Christ child.
“I’m increasingly learning that it can be disorienting to feel heaviness or grief while in a season that is made up of the words giving and thanks …. Instead of feeling full with thanks to give, the fullness of this time often feels like it’s going to burst the seams of our sanity. ”
You’re Invited!
Holiday Prayer Schedule: no prayer meetings on Friday, November 29. But we’ll return on December 6! Join our online, 30-minute guided prayer meetings on Fridays at 8 am, 9 am, and 12 pm (Eastern). Can’t come? Send your prayer requests anyway by emailing us at wsap@intervarsity.org. Ready to pray? Join the Zoom meeting here for those Friday meetings.
Looking for an Advent devotional? We at The Well are planning to follow the 2024 Advent Project, available for free online and produced by the Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts. Join us if you like, and watch for opportunities to connect through this simple practice!
IVP Faculty exam copies. Professors can request a free exam or desk copy for InterVarsity Press titles adopted for classroom use up to three times a year. Your free exam or desk copy will be sent to you within four weeks. Register for a professional account to access this benefit!
Are you an InterVarsity alum? Use promo code IVCFALUMNI to get a 25% discount at ivpress.com.
Downloadable Pocket Prayer Card from Graduate Healthcare Ministries. Medical students at Brown asked for a small resource that would prompt them to pray throughout the day. Colleague Renee Nicholas created this card with psalms and short prayers to support them — and you’re invited to use it too! Thanks, Renee!
Calling All Scientists! The American Scientific Affiliation is hosting their Winter Symposium on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT. The topic is "AI & Christianity" and features speakers Joanna Ng and Rosalind Picard. Register for this online event here.
Save the Date: February 21-22, 2025 for Believers in Business. As the largest Christian MBA gathering in the country, the 2025 Believers in Business Conference is a key intersection of the Christian MBA and Christian professional communities. Mark your calendars to join them in New York this February!
Are you a new graduate student? We invite you to subscribe to a unique newsletter from InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries designed to support and encourage first-year grad students as they embark on the next step of their academic journey. If you’re a first-year graduate student, click here to subscribe.
Four More Things We Loved This Week
Just in time for Thanksgiving — the research behind gratitude practices (and how to create one). (Washington Post, unlocked)
Author Kate Bowler offers a free Advent Guide for individuals and groups entitled “The Weary World Rejoices.”
How Good Is Your Mobility? Here are seven ways to test yours. (NY Times, unlocked)
Even if you don’t enjoy cooking, you might find this list of the 25 most important recipes of the past 100 years to be a curious way to think about history. How many have you tasted?