✨ The Sacred Pause: A 5-Day Audio Retreat If you need a place to exhale after Christmas, join me for ‘The Sacred Pause,’ a 5-day audio retreat starting December 26th. For just $9, we will trade the hustle for a holy hush—Click here for more information
Show Notes:
Gentle Pathways: The Time Came
Church Season:
Advent: Week 4
Colour: Purple
Lectionary Day: Christmas Eve
This week’s Collect:
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen
Lectionary Readings:
Passage:
Luke 2:6-7 (NLT) “And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
Reflection Theme:
This devotional explores how God comes not in grandeur but in vulnerability—taking whatever space we offer, even the unprepared and insufficient places.
Journaling Questions:
Where in your life do you feel “no lodging available”—places too full, too chaotic, too unprepared for God?
What would it look like to tend to Christ’s presence in your life with the same simple care Mary showed?
How does God’s willingness to come to “insufficient” spaces challenge your perfectionism this Christmas?
Collect of Grace:
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
🌻 If today’s devotional blessed you, consider sharing this episode with a friend or family member who might also need a moment of quiet connection with God today. 🌻
😸The Sacred Pause: A 5-Day Audio Retreat If you need a place to exhale after Christmas, join me for ‘The Sacred Pause,’ a 5-day audio retreat starting December 26th. For just $9, we will trade the hustle for a holy hush—Click here for more information
Hi, I’m Darlene Hull, a Certified Mental Health, Human Flourishing, and Insight Coach specializing in trauma, recovery, and resilience, who guides Christian women to structural peace. Drawing on years of contemplative practice, spiritual direction, and the rich heritage of Celtic Christian wisdom, Darlene’s focus is simple: dismantling the exhaustion of spiritual performance and leading clients into the stable rest (Menuchah) secured by Christ’s finished work.
Darlene is a partner in the Order of Imago Christi and a vowed member of the Order of the Mustard Seed (OMS). She works as a Spiritual Formation Coach and Christian Life Coach from her home in Calgary, Alberta.
When not writing or coaching, Darlene rounds out her life with long walks, voracious reading, endless cups of strong tea, and a ridiculous amount of laughter.
Cover Photo: Taran Hull
Photo by Lisá Yakurím on Pexels
Background music: Shakib Hasan (Pixabay Music Attribution)
All Biblical quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
