A review by merryberries
Christmas: The Season of Life and Light by Emily Hunter McGowin

4.0

(4/5 stars) This is the second book I've read in the Fullness of Time series, the first being [b:Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal|63007675|Lent The Season of Repentance and Renewal|Esau McCaulley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665938859l/63007675._SX50_.jpg|98853266], and I enjoyed the reflections as we get closer to the Christmas season. As Esau McCaulley writes in his introduction of the book,

"These are not, strictly speaking, devotionals. They are theological and spiritual reflections that seek to provide spiritual formation by helping the reader live fully into the practices of the season. We want readers to understand how the church is forming them in the likeness of Christ through the church calendar."

Though I do not attend a church that strictly follows the liturgy (McCaulley was ordained in the Anglican Church in North America and his partners in this series are also part of liturgical churches), I did find that this book pulled me into the beauty of the church calendar and the richness of the traditions beyond December 25th to the whole liturgical season (Dec 24 - Jan 6). Emily Hunter McGowin is a skilled writer and her reflections invite the reader to relish the theological truths revealed to us during the Christmas season - a God who became man to dwell among us, to care for the poor and lonely, to mourn with us, and ultimately to usher in a re-creation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Christmas: The Season of Life and Light is out now!