Recently, the Rev. Dr. Steve Thomason found himself in a room with 100 middle schoolers. As an artist and theologian, he guided them through a simple breathing exercise, inviting them to imagine breathing in God’s unconditional love and breathing out their anxieties.
In that moment, something remarkable happened—complete silence fell over the room. “God is always talking in a whisper,” Steve told them quietly, demonstrating how even the most energetic groups can find sacred stillness when given the right invitation.
This powerful moment exemplifies the counter-cultural nature of Advent that Steve, associate professor of spiritual formation and dean of the chapel at Luther Seminary, discussed on a recent episode of the Pivot Podcast.
Embracing Darkness as Gift
The historical roots of Advent’s symbolism are deeply connected to the rhythms of the northern hemisphere, where the season coincides with the year’s darkest days. “Advent’s traditional imagery emerged from northern European spirituality,” Steve explains, describing how early Christians incorporated seasonal patterns of darkness and light into their spiritual practice. In contexts where winter brought literal darkness and dormancy, lighting candles and bringing in evergreens carried profound meaning about hope and trust in renewal.
While Christians worldwide now celebrate Advent regardless of their climate, this historical connection to darkness and light offers a powerful metaphor for spiritual practice. Today’s artificial lighting may let us ignore natural darkness, but Steve suggests this technological “fix” actually depletes something essential: “Christian spirituality has to embrace darkness. It has to embrace suffering. It has to embrace stillness.”
Rather than rushing to brighten every shadow, Advent invites us to value darkness as sacred space for listening and renewal.
Leading from Stillness
For church leaders feeling pressure to maintain busy holiday schedules, Steve offers this core wisdom: “If you want to lead your congregation into a slowness of Advent, then you as a leader have to be in a slowness of life.”
He encourages leaders to notice not just their formal leadership moments but their informal presence: “What are you like in the narthex walking to worship? Are you calm and present and not rattled? Or are you freaking out about everything in the world right now? Because that’s what they’re going to remember about you and that’s what they’re going to actually catch from you.”
Practical Steps Toward Sacred Presence
While acknowledging the challenge of creating alternative rhythms of community in our individualistic culture, Steve suggests several concrete practices for congregations:
- Create dedicated Advent devotional spaces: Guide your community in establishing a daily practice of contemplation. Steve suggests setting aside 15 minutes each morning or evening for guided meditation with scripture. Rather than complex reading plans with discussion questions, offer simple texts for lectio divina, allowing space for soaking in the words and listening deeply.
- Introduce contemplative practices in worship: Instead of just talking about stillness, create experiences of it. Steve shares how something as simple as leading a congregation through prayerful breathing can become a powerful moment of connection with God. Consider incorporating guided meditation into your services, perhaps demonstrating through simple exercises how to be present with Christ.
- Replace programming with simple gathering: Rather than adding more events to busy calendars, offer a weekly community meal without agenda or programming. “What if you had a simple communal meal where the congregation can gather and just eat together?” Steve suggests. Follow the meal with 20 minutes of silence in the sanctuary and a single hymn before sending people home. This practice both simplifies life (one less meal to prepare at home) and creates space for genuine connection.
- Use music intentionally: Choose music that embodies the contemplative nature of the season. Steve points to the historical example of Gregorian chants, whose monotone qualities naturally invite listeners into a slower, more meditative state. Consider incorporating instrumental pieces or simple repeated refrains that help people settle into sacred presence rather than always choosing high-energy selections.
- Consider “subtract-vent” instead of “add-vent”: Look critically at your community’s calendar and consider what could be eliminated rather than what could be added. Steve challenges leaders to consider: “What if instead of attending every program and every party and everything and hanging all the lights and doing, wrapping all the presents, what if you just didn’t?” Start small— perhaps choose one activity to set aside and replace it with contemplative space.
The invitation of Advent is not to add more activities but to subtract hurry and distraction. In a culture of perpetual acceleration, choosing to slow down and listen for God’s whisper may be one of the most revolutionary acts we can take. This Advent season offers an opportunity to rediscover ancient practices of stillness, darkness, and sacred presence—not as an escape from reality, but as a deeper engagement with what matters most.
