Cathedral Bookstore’s Advent Newsletter is Online

Christmas cheer can be an elusive emotion these days, and shopping is a big part of the problem. Bright advertisements overpower the warm flickers of wonder, and the gentle magic of anticipation doesn’t have much chance to build in the face of the full-frontal force of Black Friday. Mary and Joseph have not even made it to the Bethlehem city limits yet before the hay has been dusted out of the manger and replaced with monogrammed pillows and cashmere throws.

Frankincense is out this season, French perfume is in. And you’d better get it all fast, because supply chains are broken. Despite this commercial pressure, joyful gift-giving doesn’t have to be just a memory from Christmas Past. The Cathedral Bookstore offers an antidote to the hype. Imagine instead: It’s a chilly December Sunday. After worshiping in a historic church where you listen to the strains of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” and watch another candle light up the Advent wreath, you stroll through the Bishop’s Courtyard to catch up with friends. Buoyed by coffee and conversation, you come into the Bookstore, where you find a special book or gift for your loved ones.

We wrap your choices for you in pretty paper and bright ribbons, and you head home with renewed energy, able to experience the joys of the season. Or, during the week, you take lunch hour to stop by the Cathedral, attend the noon service in Golding Chapel, have a tasty Treebeards meal, and pick up your presents, wrapped and ready to deliver. To facilitate these scenarios, we’ve curated our annual Advent Newsletter, book and gift suggestions which you can find at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/adventnewsletter.

Call ahead and order for pickup or come in and browse. You’ll find gifts unique to the Cathedral, including embroidered Cathedral aprons (perfect for everything from Altar Guild duties to smoking brisket in the backyard), Dieter Ufer’s handmade wooden Christmas trees (the last ones he says he will make), Resurrection Angel stained glass windows (packaged with Dean Thompson’s beautiful sermon “Clipped Wings”) and many other items that are both useful and delightful, such as Kei & Molly’s bright tea towels, elegant 2022 desk calendars, tea cozies, seasonal candles, and beautiful artisan jewelry.

Spend Advent preparing your heart and enjoying your people, not rushing around shopping. Simple gifts chosen with love and wrapped with care while you connect with Cathedral friends old and new will help to fan the flames of Christmas cheer far more than enduring one more round of Rudolph at the mall or hunching over a computer screen praying for pre-Christmas delivery will. Take a look at our Advent Newsletter, and remember: We’re here to help!

All of us in the Bookstore wish you a peaceful Advent, a Merry Christmas, and a healthy and happy New Year!