advent – The Wisdom Years

Daily Short Text Messages for Advent

November 28, 2025Marjorie George

Advent begins Sunday, Nov. 30. In this season of preparation for the coming of God into the world in human form, we are invited to make space in our lives, even if just for a moment, each day, to consider what it means that God’s love is available to us every minute of every day of our lives.

The Wisdom Years offers a daily (Mon through Fri) short text message sent to your cell phone during Advent, a thought to carry with you each day during what can be a hectic time.

If you would like to receive this text message, send your name, email, and cell phone number to Marjorie George at marjoriegeorge62@gmail.com.

And also – for more Advent prayers, meditations, and inspirations we recommend:

Throw off the Darkness from Monasteries of the Heart. Daily practices will include scripture, good works, psalms, embodied movements, lectio, artistic responses, and holy leisure. Must have a Monasteries of the Heart account.

Advent Devotionals from Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. Each day receive a short scripture, a reflection, and a blessing. Signup by subscribing to Kate’s substack account.

And His Name Shall be Called Advent Devotional from Upper Room. Reflect on the four names that reveal the promise of God’s presence in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Advent Word from the Episcopal Church. An inspirational online Advent calendar featuring a daily prompt word selected from the Sunday Lectionary readings.

Gathered Wisdom, Nov 12, 2024

November 12, 2024Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey. From The Wisdom Years.

At the deepest levels of our hearts we are all aching, for each other and for the same eternally Loving One who calls us. It would be well, I think, if we could acknowledge this more often to one another.
-Gerald May, Will and Spirit
Found in Well for the Journey

Advent Rejoicing

Life is messy. But our God promises to stand with us in the midst of it. That is the message of Advent, says writer and podcaster Kate Bowler. This Advent, the Wisdom Years community will connect with the Advent message using Kate’s offering The Weary World Rejoices. We will read daily devotionals on our own, then come together on Thursdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 for an hour of online conversation.

To lean more and sign up to join us, click this link.

Our Vocation to be Bilingual and Ambidextrous

St. Paul thought that the second coming of Christ would happen in Paul’s lifetime. Clearly it did not. How are we to live, then, in this secular world until we come to eternal life?

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Lessons From A Sunrise

What do you expect from the morning sunrise? What if it’s cloudy and hazy?

Read the brief reflection.

From Interrupting the Silence.

God’s Love Includes Imperfection

We are living in love if we can maintain a daily yes, says Richard Rohr. “That doesn’t mean we don’t recognize injustice and stand against it, but we don’t let our hearts become hardened and our minds become rigid in its judgments.”

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Campaign for kindness

“Choosing kindness isn’t about avoiding our differences but navigating them with respect and compassion,” says a campaign that seeks to navigate faith and politics in a congregation with divided political views.

Read the reflection or listen to the NPR interview.

Found in Daily Good.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Adverbs for Advent

November 3, 2022Marjorie George

A Wisdom Years Advent study

November 27 to December 15

Gathering for conversation by Zoom
on Thursday, December 1, 8, and 15

4 p.m. (Central time)

How will we live Advent this year? How can we be intentional about answering the call of Advent to wait with expectation that our God is sending the Holy One to live among us as one of us? In Adverbs for Advent, author Marilyn McEntyre offers daily Advent meditations that can shape our lives, preparing us to be holy vessels for the coming Christ so that we too can declare a message of love and peace to our hurting world.

The adverbs we encounter in this devotional challenge us to live as Jesus did – patiently, harmoniously, joyously, boldly, and simply. In this Wisdom Years study, participants will read the meditations on their own, then gather on three Thursdays by Zoom – December 1, 8, and 15 for conversation and community.

Each week will end with a brief time of prayer and reflection. Participants should bring candles.

Participants can also opt to receive a daily thought or inspiration by text throughout Advent.

There is no cost for study. Participants will buy their own book.

To indicate your interest in the study or if you have questions, send an email to Marjorie George at marjoriegorge62@gmail.com.

To support independent book sellers, order from St. Mark’s Bookstore at https://www.stmarksbookstore.com