Sharing the Christmas Story

Author Sally Welch
Publisher BRF £8.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781800391062

For each day through the six weeks of Advent and the Christmas season, Sally Welch has chosen, and reflected on, a short Bible reading relating to the Christmas story. Within each week, she has considered the way the story is shared through prophecies, journeys, signs, poems, stories and conversations. Over these busy and exciting weeks, the book takes in the themes of promise, light, mystery, love, peace and hope. This autumn of 2022, with the nation and the world in turmoil, it feels like we need rather a lot of these things. Sally uses texts from Old and New Testaments, some well-known and others less well-known. At the end of each week Sally has suggested creative ideas for prayer.

There must have been many books of daily readings for Advent which have been published over the years. This one comes across as fresh and new. It is thoughtful and intelligent, but not academic; warm and attractive but not corny. I commend it to readers as individuals and for use by small groups this Advent.

Reviewed by HOWARD ROWE

Advent, Nativity