Pilgrims of Hope: Advent 2024

Pilgrims of Hope: Advent 2024

Welcome to our Advent retreat for 2024.

This year our retreat has been written by our friend, Gemma Simmonds CJ.

This audio retreat is a chance to pray with some longer sessions during the Advent season.

How does it work?

We release one 20-minute session every Monday during Advent. You can find this on our app and website. We encourage you to mull over the retreat material and pray with it throughout the week. Notice what is staying with you!

What is this year’s retreat about?

This new liturgical year is also the opening of a Jubilee Year within the church, to which everyone is invited. The year’s title is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Jubilee is a biblical concept of a time of rest, renewal and liberation. It emphasises God’s faithfulness, justice and compassion. We look towards the coming of Christ as the ultimate jubilee, who comes to restore, renew and liberate.

Advent is above all a time of hope. Isaiah chapter 9 speaks of the people who walk in darkness seeing a great light. The last five years have seen times of deep darkness over our world with a global pandemic and the outbreak or continuance of devastating conflicts. You may also have been through times of personal darkness through bereavement, illness or losses of different kinds.

As pilgrims of hope our Advent journey this year invites us to travel in confidence, looking to the birth of Jesus as the source of all hope for our world.

What is the schedule?

Introduction: Thursday 28th November

Session 1: Monday 2nd December

Session 2: Monday 9th December

Session 3: Monday 16th December

Session 4: Monday 23rd December

Conclusion: Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24th December