Carve Out Reflective Time to Hear the Silent Voices from the Greatest Story Ever Told

Carve Out Reflective Time to Hear the Silent Voices from the Greatest Story Ever Told

Church Calendar - Holidays
November 27, 2023•3 min read

As we enter into the Advent season and a time that typically feels rushed and chaotic, it is especially important for us to find the time to slow down.  It feels counterintuitive to slow down when the “to do” list is longer than usual. We have more to accomplish, yet we need to become even more intentional about slowing down. If we don’t slow down to remember the reason for the season, it will pass us by in a blur only to be filled with activities that might have nothing to do with Advent and leave us feeling exhausted and empty.  You know – it’s all the things to do and places to be like attending office parties and open houses, making lists, shopping, baking cookies and holiday treats, decorating, wrapping, visiting relatives we may or may not like, sending Christmas cards or letters, cooking big meals for large gatherings, and more. The end of December will arrive, we will be exhausted and in the hubbub of activity we will have once again forgotten the reason for the season.

Believe me, I am not suggesting that you add one more thing to your plate! Instead, I am asking what is one or two things that are on your plate that could come off of your plate?  Maybe it is something you don’t really enjoy or something that you do out of a sense of obligation or tradition.  Is it time to say goodbye?  Perhaps it is something that causes more stress than it’s worth. Is it time for a farewell party? Ready to scrape that duty off your plate forever?

Now that you’ve cleared your plate from some of those time, emotional, and energy suckers, replace them with something meaningful and memorable.  Take time to reflect on the reason for the season – the birth of Jesus.  Have you ever wondered what Joseph might have said when he found out Mary was expecting or those days leading up to the birth of Jesus? Or have you ever considered what the Shepherds or the Wisemen were thinking?  Have you ever paused in this season to reflect on the hope that Christmas brings?

Rachel Gilmore, my coauthor, and I would like to invite you on a sacred journey into The Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent.  In this devotional and guide, you will find the four themed weeks of H.O.P.E. (healing, opportunity of love, peace, and joy) heard through the prominent character voices of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wisemen, and John the Baptist. Journey out on a solo trip or invite some friends to reflect with you on the weekly theme to bring more meaning and hope to this transformational time of the year.

If Advent weren’t enough of a reason to take time for study and reflection, here are a few more reasons for intentionally slowing down and taking time for reflection.  According to Mission to Learn, making reflection a daily habit helps you learn from your mistakes, celebrate your successes, generate new ideas, help others, gives your perspective, and daily reflection helps you relax. Those are some powerful reasons to consider daily reflection time!

Gift yourself the time to slow down, the time for reflection, and the potential for transformation during this Advent season. Reflect on this season of H.O.P.E.  Listen to the Voices of Christmas.

advent seasonvoices of christmasdaily devotional
Kay’s purpose is to Equip and Empower Leaders of Faith Communities How to Engage in More Effective Ministry. Kay Kotan is the founder of You Unlimited (coaching, consulting and training company) and The Greatest Expedition – a collaboration of more than twenty thought leaders providing resources and insights for a congregational journey to develop new MAPS (ministry action plans) to reach new people in your community.  Kay also launched Multipliers’ Movement – a gathering of kingdom multipliers for sharing, equipping, and encouraging. She is a CoachU and Advanced CoachU Graduate, an accredited coach (PCC: Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, International Coaching Federation, a Certified Path 1 Coach, and once served on the faculty at Coaching4Clergy. As a passionate lay person, she has a banking background and has been a business owner for more than 25 years. Kotan has served as a church developer for conferences and worked with churches, pastors, conferences, and judicatory leaders across the country for more than a decade. She is most proud to be the wife of Bob for over 30 years and the mother of their adult son, Cameron. Kay is the author of multiple books, workbooks, and resources including Gear Up: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church, Cry From the Pew, Full Schedules, Barren Souls, Being the Church in the Post Pandemic World, and Journey Preparation: Surveying Your Church’s Landscape, as well as the co-author of the books titled: IMPACT!: Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, Small Church Check-Up, Insights on Productivity, Renovate or Die – Ten Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission, Ministry 3.0 and Get Their Name , Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Necessary Nine – Nine Things Effective Pastors Do Differently, Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, Strategy Matters: Your Roadmap to Planning a Strategic Ministry Planning Retreat, Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent and Expanding the Expedition Reach Through Marketplace Multipliers. Mission Possible for the Small Church. Inside Out: Everting Ministry Models for the Postmodern Church, and more. Kotan and her co-author Bradford published their third version of the best-seller, Mission Possible: Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness. Mrs. Kotan spends her time investing in pastors, laity leaders, congregations, and judicatory leaders through equipping, coaching, and creating resources to help them discover and live into their fullest missional potential of effectiveness and fruitfulness to reach people for Jesus Christ. Through her enthusiasm, truth-telling, and passion, she challenges those who encounter her in both their thinking and their doing.

Kay Kotan

Kay’s purpose is to Equip and Empower Leaders of Faith Communities How to Engage in More Effective Ministry. Kay Kotan is the founder of You Unlimited (coaching, consulting and training company) and The Greatest Expedition – a collaboration of more than twenty thought leaders providing resources and insights for a congregational journey to develop new MAPS (ministry action plans) to reach new people in your community.  Kay also launched Multipliers’ Movement – a gathering of kingdom multipliers for sharing, equipping, and encouraging. She is a CoachU and Advanced CoachU Graduate, an accredited coach (PCC: Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, International Coaching Federation, a Certified Path 1 Coach, and once served on the faculty at Coaching4Clergy. As a passionate lay person, she has a banking background and has been a business owner for more than 25 years. Kotan has served as a church developer for conferences and worked with churches, pastors, conferences, and judicatory leaders across the country for more than a decade. She is most proud to be the wife of Bob for over 30 years and the mother of their adult son, Cameron. Kay is the author of multiple books, workbooks, and resources including Gear Up: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church, Cry From the Pew, Full Schedules, Barren Souls, Being the Church in the Post Pandemic World, and Journey Preparation: Surveying Your Church’s Landscape, as well as the co-author of the books titled: IMPACT!: Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, Small Church Check-Up, Insights on Productivity, Renovate or Die – Ten Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission, Ministry 3.0 and Get Their Name , Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Necessary Nine – Nine Things Effective Pastors Do Differently, Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, Strategy Matters: Your Roadmap to Planning a Strategic Ministry Planning Retreat, Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent and Expanding the Expedition Reach Through Marketplace Multipliers. Mission Possible for the Small Church. Inside Out: Everting Ministry Models for the Postmodern Church, and more. Kotan and her co-author Bradford published their third version of the best-seller, Mission Possible: Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness. Mrs. Kotan spends her time investing in pastors, laity leaders, congregations, and judicatory leaders through equipping, coaching, and creating resources to help them discover and live into their fullest missional potential of effectiveness and fruitfulness to reach people for Jesus Christ. Through her enthusiasm, truth-telling, and passion, she challenges those who encounter her in both their thinking and their doing.

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