My favorite season is Advent. All the anticipation and waiting. The preparations. Lighting a new candle each Sunday, then, on Christmas Eve, passing the fire from candle to candle.
When I came home from New Jersey, I found a treat in my mailbox (the good kind; not the kind from the neighborhood kids)–a copy of the Mosaic Bible.
The Mosaic Bible uses the New Living Translation. At the beginning of each book, the editors give a short paragraph summary of the content of the book, an outline, the author, the date, a one-sentence purpose statement, and the themes.
But my favorite part of the Mosaic Bible, and the reason I craved it, is the readings and art for the liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent and going through Pentecost. Each week contains suggested Scripture readings, meditations in poetry/hymn form, selections from theologians across centuries and continents, and art.
From the editor’s statement about this project: "The purpose of this Bible is to provide a way to encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian history. Why? Because when this happens, God’s profound and often unexpected work on behalf of his children becomes clear in new and exciting ways. It is important to see that the body of Christ is much bigger than the small piece we each experience in our everyday lives."
Mosaic draws together my favorite things: artistic expressions of God’s word, history, cultural richness, and the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. I can’t wait to begin using the readings this Sunday.
Because the readings can be broken up throughout the week, this is the ideal way for families to introduce their children to theologians and artists.
I highly recommend Mosaic, but you need to hurry and get yours. Advent begins this Sunday!
