2020 Advent Meditation

Latest Episodes:

Coming Soon—Advent 2020 Meditation Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

The word advent means waiting—it’s a four-week season when we practice waiting on the presence of God to show up, symbolized in the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. Advent season begins on Sunday, Nov 29, and culminates on Christmas Eve. We’ll publish meditations on Monday–Saturday each week of the Advent season.

Our 2020 Advent podcast includes guided prayer and meditation, as well as stories of how animals wait and survive in the dark and learn from them what it means to wait on God—and on hope—when things seem hidden from us. Part of the podcast includes stories from a book called All Creation Waits by author Gayle Boss and illustrated by David Klein.

We hope you’ll join us.

Note: the Advent meditations are part of our ongoing Blue Ocean Daily Prayer series. New listeners can also subscribe to the Advent series separately (search for “Blue Ocean 2020 Advent Meditation” in your favorite podcast app).

Blue Ocean Advent 2020 Meditation | Introduction Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

Each podcast lasts approximately 8–10 minutes, and the format goes like this:

We start with a variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick that reflects the Advent theme for the week. Historically, the four weeks of Advent focus first on hope, then peace, joy, and love. The Prayer of St. Patrick changes slightly each week to reflect those themes and we spend a minute using a portion of the prayer as a breath meditation to slow our bodies and minds so we can be open to the Divine.
Next there is a time of petition where we have an opportunity to pray for something or someone each day. This portion is more specifically guided.
Then Emily reads from a collection of Advent stories called All Creation Waits by author Gayle Boss and illustrated by David Klein. The author hails from western Michigan and when her first son was young she compiled stories to tell him during Advent of how various local animals respond to the darkness of winter and wait for the coming spring. Boss compiled those stories in book form and she has graciously given us permission to record those stories and share them with you.
Finally, to close out the podcast, we meditate on a thought offered by the story we’ve just heard.

A brief word about Advent for those of you for whom it might be new:

The word advent means waiting—it’s a four-week season when we practice waiting on the presence of God to show up, symbolized in the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.

In the Julian calendar (which was a later version of the Roman calendar), Dec. 24 or 25 was winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere daylight diminishes between summer solstice and winter solstice and then increases again starting at the end of December. The Romans celebrated the day when sunlight started its renewed expansion, Dec. 25, as the birth of the Sun god.

And so it seems that Christians in the third century adopted the birthday of the Sun god as the birthday of the Son of God. The idea being that, after increasing darkness, there appeared a great light. When we celebrate Advent we practice waiting in the darkness for the Light of the World to appear.

I want to note that darkness has several meanings in Scripture. In the modern Western world, the metaphor of dark and light historically has racist tinges—as if dark implies nefariousness and light implies goodness. But in Scripture, which predates our modern associations, darkness far more often simply means “things which are hidden and unseen”; it can mean evil; and it can also mean something like “powerfully holy.” A few of the most profound moments in the Bible depict God surrounded by darkness or by dark clouds.

During this 2020 Advent we meditate on the stories of how animals wait and survive in the dark and learn from them what it means to wait on God—and on hope—when things seem hidden from us.

Blue Ocean Advent 2020 Meditation | Week 1, Day 1 Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

I breathe in hope as I stand today: Calling on the Source, the Wellspring and the Living Water Believing in the Threeness, Witnessing the Oneness On my way to meet you face to face.

Now let’s spend about one minute using part of this prayer as a breath prayer. On the in breath, say: “I breathe in hope.” On the out breath: “…as I stand today.”

Petitionary Prayer

The theme of the first week of Advent is hope, and today we’ll ask God to give us hope for something specific in our daily work. Let’s start by thinking about what we hope for in our work lives—and work life of course includes you moms or dads who stay at home with kids, those of you who are unemployed and seeking the next thing, and those of you who might be retired or on disability…who define your vocations differently at this stage in life. Ask for hope for something in your daily tasks or outlook.

“God, give me hope for _________ in the work that I do.”

Story from All Creation Waits

Story from the Advent book, All Creation Waits, written by Gayle Boss and illustrated by David Klein—today’s story is about the painted turtle.

Reflection on Story

The author talks about the simplicity of utter quietude. Let’s take a minute to practice utter quietude right now, and perhaps you can find another moment or two in your day for focused silence.

Benediction

Go in peace Wash your hands Love your neighbor You are not alone.

Blue Ocean Advent 2020 Meditation | Week 1, Day 2 Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

I breathe in hope as I stand today: Calling on the Source, the Wellspring and the Living Water Believing in the Threeness, Witnessing the Oneness On my way to meet you face to face.

Now let’s spend about one minute using part of this prayer as a breath prayer. On the in breath, say: “I breathe in hope.” On the out breath: “… as I stand today.”

Petitionary Prayer

Today we’ll pray for someone we care about, saying, “God, give [my loved one] hope for _________.” For example, “God give my mom hope for a happy future.”

Story from All Creation Waits

Story from the Advent book, All Creation Waits, written by Gayle Boss and illustrated by David Klein—today’s story is about the muskrat.

Reflection on Story

The author talks about the muskrat making a shelter for a bit of breathing room. Let’s take a minute for a little breathing room right now, thinking about what other things help you find breathing room in your life.

Benediction

Go in peace Wash your hands Love your neighbor You are not alone.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

A brief word about Advent for those of you for whom it might be new:

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

Petitionary Prayer

Story from All Creation Waits

Reflection on Story

Benediction

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

Petitionary Prayer

Story from All Creation Waits

Reflection on Story

Benediction

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

2020 Advent Meditation

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

2020 Blue Ocean Church Advent Meditation Podcast

A brief word about Advent for those of you for whom it might be new:

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

Petitionary Prayer

Story from All Creation Waits

Reflection on Story

Benediction

Variation on a Prayer of St. Patrick

Petitionary Prayer

Story from All Creation Waits

Reflection on Story

Benediction

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6