Calvin Prof Authors Advent Meditations

November 10, 2007 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Summary: A Calvin professor of English has authored a book of meditations for
the Advent season.

Full story, including book cover JPG, see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2007-08/timmerman-book.htm

A Calvin professor of English has authored a book of meditations for the
Advent season, which begins this year on Sunday, December 2.

Light of the World: Daily Meditations for Advent (Liguori Publications) is a
collection of 40 devotionals for the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

"The underlying emphasis of the book is to walk with the reader through the
season and try to discover more about Jesus," said author John Timmerman of the
book.

Each chapter of Light of the World includes a meditation, scripture and
prayer. The book begins with a series of reflections on the people in Jesus'
life, including Mary, John the Baptist, Simeon and Anna, but it soon ranges far
and wide in concept and back and forth between Testaments.

Timmerman ruminates on King David and Esther and, in more than one chapter,
the devil. He ponders the names of Jesus and the many qualities of light that
reveal His nature. There are meditations on Jesus as the Storm Rider, the
eagle’s wings and the Bright and Morning Star and others that encourage the
reader to draw near, stand firm and remain in the quiet center of God.

The author does not shy away from sharing even painful memories, like that of
his niece's death.

As Timmerman writes: "The fact is that the Advent does not mean much of
anything unless there is a need for it. Either the hideous strength shadows
both our world and personal lives and we desperately need the light of our
Advent Savior, or all is well with the world and Satan is a myth, in which
case, the Advent Savior is a cosmic hoax."

Light of the World is a companion to Woman, Why Are You Weeping?: Daily
Meditations for Lent. That book uses the same mediation form to reflect on the
roles Jesus took in life and the pain he suffered, said Timmerman.

Timmerman said he prefers writing that comprehends the nitty gritty of the
believer's life rather than writing that sounds a continuous note of triumph:

"These books focus on trying to live the Christian life, and I emphasize the
'trying,'" he said. "That's quite frankly the best that we can do is to bumble
around in this world, hoping, with the prayer of others, to find our way."

-end-
Received on Sat Nov 10 23:05:17 2007