Embracing Joy and Tradition During the Holidays

What is Advent hope, and how do we hold onto it when life feels overwhelming?

In this first episode of a four-part Good Faith Advent series, Curtis Chang and author Sara Billups explore what true hope looks like for 21st-century Christians navigating consumer culture, climate anxiety, and widespread disillusionment with the church. Drawing on her experiences as a caregiver for her aging parents and as a Gen Xer shaped by the fundamentalism of the 1970s and 80s, Sara reflects on the Gospel story of Simeon, whose patient hope in the long-awaited birth of Jesus offers a timeless example for mid-lifers, millennials, and anyone yearning for hope in troubled times. With practical tips for sharing Advent's meaning with children, this episode provides encouragement for the whole family.

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Referenced in This Episode:

• Kate Bowler Everything HAppens for A Reason and Other Lies

• Misgivings About Hal Lindsay's "Planet Earth" by John Piper

• Engage with the Daily Office

• Use the Pray As You Go application

• Read The Morning Offering prayer

• Teaching Children The Examen Prayer

• Order a copy of Every Moment Holy

• Read The Benedictine Rules of Fidelity and Stability (PDF)

More From Sara Billups:

• Check out Sara Billups' Bitter Scroll Substack

• Buy & read Orphaned Believers by Sara Billups

• Listen to the That's The Spirit podcast with Sara Billups and Morgan Page