Comments for The Advent Door

Comment on Door 24: The Secret Room by Mary Beth Packard

Mary Beth Packard — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:28:18 +0000

Thank you for that even if I was late getting to the party. My daughter Nancy had such a time of suspending the world, on Christmas Eve morning when we had decided to play Christmas (for expediency’s sake). It was a beautiful time of remembering and blessing one another.

As is our custom, we gave each other Christmas cards, but unlike our custom, we both had decided to write extended notes to each other, expressing our feelings for each other. What was remarkable was that we both said the same things! And ended saying the other is our ‘best friend.’ That from a daughter was such a blessing for me and, for a few minutes before the phone started its inevitable ringing, was that room where we each grew a little wiser. mbp

Comment on Jan Richardson by Chuck Peloquin

Chuck Peloquin — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:36:39 +0000

It has been a joy traveling through your 25 doors of Advent. Your writing was a continual source of inspiration during my 60th plus Advent journey. Of special inspiration were the doors revealing silence, way making, knocking from the inside, finding a secret room and doing some dreaming with Joseph. My favorites were lectio divina, my favorite kind of prayer, and remembering forward, the thrust of my Advent season this year as I erased the timelines between the Hebrew scriptures and the Christmas story. Your choice of words is also delighful. With gratitude.

Comment on Door 25: The Book of Beginnings by Sally LaFaver

Sally LaFaver — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:46:17 +0000

Christmas Blessings to you, Jan. Somewhere early in Advent I “found” your website and have experienced Advent in a new, always new, way through your meditations and art. Thank you from a very special place in my heart. You have given me hope that we truly can and will find God in the secret rooms and through the opening of the sacred doors to our hearts. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Comment on Door 25: The Book of Beginnings by Phyllis Thomas

Phyllis Thomas — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:39:27 +0000

Jan. You are a blessing! Though my days got more complicated as the Doors opened, I still took thoughtful time in each of them which always gave me respite and nourishment. The culmination today, after a day of celebration, does indeed give me hope for the beginnings God will write within me. I don’t want to lose this wonder and delight in keeping the secret space available for His residence in me. Thank you for your gifts of image and words each day. They were delightful and ministered to a special place in my heart. God bless you.

Comment on Door 24: The Secret Room by Carolyn Sargent

Carolyn Sargent — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 00:22:13 +0000

This door and these words make me weep…but I think the tears come from the well of gratitude that has gotten deeper and deeper this Advent season in part because of these images and essays: one more time, thanks, Jan. It has been a pleasure to ‘travel’ with you.

Comment on Door 24: The Secret Room by Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:09:57 +0000

Thank you, Jan, for this beautiful meditation. I have had a Christmas Eve morning of chaos (due to some vandalism in the building where I live), but I will seek a secret room this evening.

Comment on Door 23: Doing Some Dreaming by Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:41:21 +0000

After passing through 23 of your doors, I think it’s well past time for me to comment.

This Advent has been real-world like all the ones before it. But your insights have helped me ask questions about my experiences and feelings and move slowly to a deeper place. This has been done in a precious few moments carved out of each day.

Thank you for this blog.

Comment on Door 19: The Inhabited Psalter by Phyllis Thomas

Phyllis Thomas — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:46:02 +0000

Each day is still delightful! I particularly like the image today, minimal yet powerful. I was also reminded as I read through the expressions of the Psalms and different versions of the Word and your thoughts about other resources we have available, how privileged we are. Especially when I just received an e-mail from friends in Kenya who work with Wycliffe
Translators. They just celebrated the delivery of the first translation of the Bible for the Digo people. He has come to over 360,000 believers for the first time with God’s written Word in their hands. It sobered me to think how much I take for granted, and now the Digo people can join with those from generations past who inhabit scripture.

Comment on Door 18: “Build Your Own Door” Day by Melissa Tidwell

Melissa Tidwell — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:55:34 +0000

These postings have been such a gift to me. The art, the poetry, the personal sense of having a cool friend to talk theology with. Today’s make your own door exercise reminds me that C.S. Lewis said he wrote the Narnia books because they were the sort of books he wanted to read and realized he was going to have to write those books because nobody else would. Jan, thank you for creating this kind of book (in the new media sense of the word) and for sharing it with us. Thanks for not selling out or giving up. Thanks for caring about beauty in a world that seems programmed for excess and banality. Blessings

Comment on Door 15: Another Name for Patience by Abbey of the Arts

Abbey of the Arts — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:15:08 +0000

Thanks so much for the link Jan. This poem of yours is stunning! As is your collage. Nice to connect with you in this way. Christine