LOVE CAME DOWN: Anglican Readings for Advent and Christmas

Webber's collection of Anglican readings for Advent and the 12 days of Christmas is a feast for the mind and the heart. He acknowledges in the introduction that some readers might be surprised at the "dark themes" in the liturgy during the four weeks leading up to Christmas, because our culture wants the whole season of Christmas to be a whirl of gift-giving and parties. But he says we must invest in serious thought, inner repentance and spiritual preparation before we are ready to celebrate Christ's birth. The readings come from a host of Anglicans, including Madeleine L'Engle, John Donne, Christina Rossetti, Phillips Brooks and Dorothy Sayers. Pensive readers who are willing to dig deeply into the riches of the season will welcome this book as a guide to observing Advent as a period of solemnity and hope. (Sept.)