Keep Watch with Me: An Advent Reader for Peacemakers

by Michael T. McRay, Claire Brown

Keep Watch With An Advent Reader for Peacemakers is a collaborative daily devotional featuring diverse black, white, LGBTQ, Latinx, Palestinian, incarcerated, Native American, Australian, Americans, Irish, South African, clergy, laity, activists, authors, organizers, and more. The season of Advent, as the church prepares for the birth of Christ, is a penitential season of reckoning with our need and the needs of the world. Keep Watch With Me offers stories, reflections, prayers, and spiritual practices to sustain and challenge the faith of those who work for justice and peace, and long for the coming of God with us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Justice

176 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Leslie ☆︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really, really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, it’s all over the place. I get the sense that every collaborator was told, “Write about whatever you want as long as it has some connection to Advent,” and some writers ignored the Advent part.

Certain installments are abstract and directionless and stretch to draw parallels that aren’t actually there. Take the prayer on page 71, which is very lyrical, but doesn’t actually say anything. It ends, “In the name of everything and nothing and whatever will save us, in the name of this small moment. Yes, this small moment. This very small moment. Amen.” That looks pretty on a page, but what is its purpose as a message to God? When I say those words, what am I imploring God to do? What am I surrendering to him? Nothing but pretty, empty text.

What really turned me off was the installment about police brutality and Black Lives Matter, which was written by — drumroll, please — a white person. *Groan.* Dear fellow white people: I don’t care what deep insights you have about “the ways we white folks are privileged.” Police brutality in the context of BLM is not your story to tell.

[Heather Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advent Reader for the Hopeful

It seems that as soon as the new Starbucks cups roll out for the holiday season, the "war on Christmas" brigade rolls in to aggressively remind the Twitterverse what the Advent season is "really all about". Unfortunately, this never really gets us to what this season really is all about. As Michael sums it up on Day 1, "Advent is all about waiting. It is about patience, expectation, and longing. We wait in hope for the arrival of something better than what we have now. This is a joyful hope. But Advent is about ache too, because longing and waiting are also painful experiences. For our exiled friends in prison longing for freedom, for our oppressed brothers and sisters waiting for justice, for our loved ones on the streets dreaming of a warm home, waiting is agony. Both Advent and peacemaking are experiences of hope, and hope is the stuff of survival."

With daily reflections, prayers, and spiritual practices from people all over the world doing the wearying work of peacemaking, the reader is reminded that peace and hope are found amidst conflict and disagreement. That in this season of anxious anticipation as we wrestle with the already-not-yet, stories and thoughts of hope inspire us to see the beauty in this broken world. They also remind us that we're not alone in this wrestling and waiting. I invite you to slow down and Keep Watch with Me this Advent season.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the most impactful devotional I’ve ever read. Claire Brown and Michael McRay invited a wide range of voices: Brown states in the introduction, “Our contributors are an incredible line-up of folks from around the world: black, white, LGBTQ+, Latinx, Palestinian, incarcerated, indigenous, Australian, American, Irish, South African, clergy, laity, activists, authors, organizers.”
Their writings call the reader to truly enter into an attitude of waiting and reflection.
I’d love to see another compilation from this duo, but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll be pulling this one out every Advent season, and continuing to reflect on the ideas and practices long after Christmas.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good social justice (read: character of Jesus) focused Advent devotional. Short, poignant scripture and reflections for our busy world. One to revisit for sure.

[Carlina Scalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled into reflecting with an Advent reader this December and was pleasantly surprised by how much I connected with the material. I enjoyed the diversity of voices included here (every author's bio was super interesting!) and the focus on peacemaking. Above all, I enjoyed the newness and curiosity each author brought to the day's bible passage - books like this remind me that, with a little creativity and less rigidity, religious texts can be interpreted and analyzed in new and relevant ways, the same way analyses of older literature can reveal new insights.

[Megan Cano · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

[Randy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Keep Watch with Me" by Michael McRay is an outstanding book that works as a roadmap for us to experience a sacred space for healing. As Advent begins and we start the journey to the birth of Christ things can feel dark and uncertain as if we are being led to a dead end; however, "Keep Watch with Me" offers us unspeakable hope through it's daily devotions.....not to mention the wide array of contributors; including, writers who are black, white, LGBTQ, Latinx, Palestinian, incarcerated, activists, Native American, and more. As someone who intentionally lives life with individuals experiencing poverty this book is a breathe of fresh air.....a book I could give to my community and they would understand.

I highly recommend, "Keep Watch with Me."

Randy Evans
Director of Walking Tall Wilmington
Lead Curator of The Feast Gathering

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christian voices that permeate our American religious and political discourse has been overtaken by right-wing, xenophobic haters.
How refreshing to read a daily advent populated by Christian leaders throughout the world who are returning Christ's gaze and love to the marginalized, the others who seek Him.
We live in a terrifying, dangerous world driven by human creatures who seek power and riches at the cost and suffering of their neighbors.
We need encouragement, especially at this time of year when Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior is celebrated for his life, sacrifice and eternal love.

[Darren Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful invitation and preparation for the hope that somehow sustains amidst all the messiness of life. This advent reader draws you into and reminds you of that hope through beautifully written reflections and stories on what hope and this season is really all about. The diversity of perspectives ensures all who journey through this reader will find something they can hold onto. The practices at the end of each reading are also lovely opportunities to go deeper and reflect as you journey your way toward celebrating the birth of Christ.

[Joseph Mole · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are short, easy to read, daily reflections for advent. The sharp focus on peacemaking and justice, framed particularly by the pieces written by authors who are in prison, made this a powerful read for me.

[Zana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never kept Advent before; it’s a bit heretical for Quakers. But the yearly meeting has a program based on this book, and it has been an excellent practice this year. I’m pretty sure this is an unconventional Advent reader, which made it just right for me. A call to justice and healing.

[Sybylla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed this year

I may have sought a devotional on a whim, but I was so glad to find one this challenging and yet kind. Keep Watch with Me challenged me to be a better peacemaker, while taking care of myself and my community along the way.

[Rebecca L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional with lots of sermon starters

[Megan Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most active advent reader I’ve read in a long time

[Amy Colbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6

[Laura Kisthardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Advent devotion. The reflections were written by a diverse compilation of authors. I liked how each day included a spiritual practice.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciate the diversity of writers in this Advent devotional. Short and accessible writings in a busy season!

[Ash Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth revisiting again next Advent. This is a good, intentional practice for the season, especially with the world we are living in today.