{"id":20040,"date":"2025-12-08T05:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/?p=20040"},"modified":"2025-12-03T14:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T20:21:21","slug":"season-28-episode-2-advent-week-2-blue-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2025\/12\/season-28-episode-2-advent-week-2-blue-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Season 28: Episode 2 | Advent Week 2: Blue Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, \u200b\u200bRuth and Marilyn discuss the concept of Blue Christmas services that acknowledge grief during the festive season and offer consolation to those experiencing loss. The episode also delves into the idea of dormancy, likening spiritual dormancy to the natural world’s winter phase, where growth happens unseen. The conversation highlights the importance of creating space for mourning, acknowledging our vulnerabilities, and the need for faith and guidance during these seasons of grief and apparent inertness.<\/p>\n

Questions for Reflection:<\/h3>\n

Where do you feel that you need to mourn? Have you had the guidance that you’ve needed for your mourning? And if not, how might you seek that out?<\/em>
\nIs there any place in your life right now that can be explained or given meaning through an understanding of dormancy?<\/em><\/p>\n

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In this season of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership<\/em> podcast, Ruth invites listeners to embark on a unique journey during Advent 2025. Departing from traditional liturgical approaches, we will focus on the overlap between the seasons of Advent and winter, inspired by Marilyn McIntyre’s book ‘Midwinter Light: Meditations for the Long Season.’ Ruth will be joined all through Advent by Marilyn McIntyre, herself. Together they will explore themes such as inner reflection, the significance of silence, and the profound connections between spirituality and the physical season of winter.<\/p>\n

\"\"Marilyn McEntyre<\/strong> is an author of over 20 books, including Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies<\/a><\/em> (2021) and Speaking Peace in a Climate of Conflict<\/em><\/a> (2020). Her book, What\u2019s in a Phrase? Pausing Where Scripture Gives You Pause<\/a><\/em> won the Christianity Today book award in spirituality. Midwinter Light<\/a>,<\/em> reflections on poems for the \u201clong season,\u201d has just been released. A former professor, now writer, writing coach, speaker, and retreat leader, her deepest interests lie in connections between spirituality, language, healing earth, and each other. She teaches regularly for programs at Western Seminary, New College Berkeley, and the Oblate School of Theology.
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SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS<\/a><\/p>\n

You can also access podcast on\u00a0Stitcher<\/a>\u00a0and Spotify<\/a>.<\/p>\n