In a world full of conflict and contradiction it can be easy for us to spiritualize a season like Advent as a way of escaping the discomfort we feel with the tension of what feels like a constant state of discord. When it seems there’s no relief from the stresses of modern life, we look to our stories and traditions to make us feel better, even if just for a moment.
But what if the tension is the point? What if it’s exactly what we need to move through the discomfort rather than trying to avoid it?
Maybe Advent is calling us to something more real, more practical. Maybe it’s inviting us into new ways to incarnate the wholeness of our spirituality and our humanity together.
This Advent season, our New Wineskins community will take a four-week journey with American author, educator, and activist Parker Palmer titled “A Hidden Wholeness” from our friends at The Work of the People. Through each video session and each week’s gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary, we’ll explore the traditional Advent themes of Peace, Hope, Love, and Joy through the lenses of hospitality and grace.
Each week, you are invited to light a candle as we begin our time together to symbolize the collective light of our humanity as a beckon and beacon to peace, hope, love, and joy.
Dec. 1 Gathering: “A Larger Welcome” (Peace candle)
Read Luke 21:25-26
Both the Hebrew scriptures and Christian New Testament extol the virtues of welcoming the stranger. And yet our society has become so individualistic and insular that we most often default to hate and distrust when it comes to our encounters with those who are different than us.
For our first Sunday in Advent, we’ll light the Peace candle as we discuss the ways radical hospitality can re-form our outlook and, ultimately, re-shape our society.
Please join us this Sunday, Dec. 1, in the New Wineskins Virtual Theology Pub powered by Zoom as we begin our Advent adventure with a discussion about how welcoming the stranger is not only a nice sentiment, but a transcendent turning point toward human wholeness.
6:00pm ET: Happy Half-Hour (informal meet & greet time)
6:30pm ET: Presentation & conversation begin
Check out this week’s discussion video
Click here to view this week’s discussion video on The Work of the People (email address required, no subscription necessary)
Advent 2025: Incarnating Wholeness
Descriptions below via The Work of the People. All videos available for viewing throughout the Advent season (email address required, no subscription necessary. Click here to download the discussion guides and full video transcripts.
Sunday, Dec. 1: A Larger Welcome (Peace candle) — This session explores the transformative power of hospitality. Parker Palmer reflects on how welcoming the stranger—both spiritually and civically—deepens our humanity, enlarges our worldview, and strengthens the bonds of community. Drawing from Scripture and lived experience, Palmer invites us to consider hospitality as a radical act of faith and connection. [Read Luke 21:25-36]
Sunday, Dec. 8: Habits of Hope (Hope candle) — In uncertain times, hope is sustained through small, faithful practices. Parker Palmer shares how cultivating habits of the heart fosters resilience and strengthens the fabric of community. This session invites participants to explore how intentional acts of love and courage can bring healing to both individuals and the world. [Read Luke 3:1-6]
Sunday, Dec. 15: Spaces of Grace (Love candle) — Spaces of grace are environments where safety, trust, and love create the conditions for transformation. Parker Palmer reflects on how such spaces foster healing, nurture connection, and enable people to flourish together. This session offers guidance for cultivating grace-filled spaces in our relationships, communities, and the wider world. [Read Luke 3:7-18]
Sunday, Dec. 22: Wholeness & Hospitality (Joy candle) — Wholeness emerges when we embrace life’s tensions with love and compassion. Parker Palmer explores the paradox of brokenness leading to greater capacity for connection, inviting participants to consider how holding tensions with grace can lead to healing and renewal. This session ties together the series’ themes, highlighting the relationship between hospitality, healing, and transformation. [Read Luke 1:46b-55]
Sunday, Dec. 29: NO GATHERING (Happy New Year!)
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