Reflections for Daily Prayer: Advent 2024 to Eve of Advent 2025

Author Justine Allain Chapman et al
Publisher CHP £17.99 (also available as an App, £12.99)
Format pbk
ISBN 9781781404577

Advent approaches, and a new volume of Reflections for Daily Prayer heralds the start of the liturgical year. I find the annual publication of this volume comforting and encouraging, for it provides a wise and illuminating reflection for each weekday of the year, designed to accompany our office of Morning Prayer. Several thoughts came to mind as I perused this new edition.

First, I was struck by the wealth and depth of talent within the Church of England. I did not notice a single reflection which was dull or unoriginal; every page seemed to have a fresh, challenging insight from a wise bishop, a learned archdeacon or a distinguished author. I won’t name them all, but you can find their names on the Church House Publishing website. It is enough to say they are all distinguished Christians, who write with authority and sensitivity.

Secondly, we should thank God for the richness of scripture and the way it accompanies us through each year. This book enables us to spend the dark days of Advent with Revelation and the Thessalonian letters; Epiphany with Amos, Lent and Passiontide with the Gospel of John. We have Ephesians for the Easter season, and a variety of books for the long season of Trinity. These daily reflections cover great tranches of the Bible and help to embed the readings into our minds and our souls.

Morning Prayer should not be an occasional option for ministers. It is a refreshment and a daily renewal. As the book jacket emphasises, these reflections will enrich your daily prayer and provide spiritual food for the day. It may even give you new ideas for your sermons!

So, well done, Church of England – you are still capable of excellence and disseminating wisdom. And thank you, Church House Publishing, for making this helpful and accessible guide available to us. It is now available as an app as well as a paperback and represents good value for money. I calculated that each daily reflection costs under 6p or around 4p if you buy the app – not too much for a daily blessing!

Reviewed by Elizabeth Stephenson