Posted on by Tammy Friesen

We are pleased to announce the facilitators for our Advent book discussion that begins November 23rd!

Warm greetings from the Henri Nouwen Society!

We are deeply grateful to Brynn Lawrence and Ray Glennon for their willingness, in fact eagerness to co-facilitate our Advent book discussion! Many of you know Brynn and Ray from previous book discussions and have been blessed by their wise and gentle leadership. Here is a little background on each of them:

RAY GLENNON: Ray actively volunteers in his parish Confirmation and Adult Faith Formation Programs. He and his wife are members of a Catholic charismatic community where he also chairs the school board. Ray first became familiar with Henri’s work over 20 years ago. He came to know and trust in Henri’s written word in a special way in 2004 when he found The Return of the Prodigal Son for sale after Mass at the cathedral in Singapore at an important point in his life. He has a variety of experiences facilitating group discussions, including our most recent online discussion of Henri’s Can You Drink the Cup?. If you have any questions for Ray, please contact him at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/@RayGlennon.

BRYNN LAWRENCE: Brynn is a life coach and an experienced group facilitator. She has been helping to preserve Henri’s Legacy for the last five years, through her role as project coordinator of the Nouwen Archive Letter Project, and also by facilitating many of our online book discussions. Brynn is a Strategic Intervention Life Coach, and the founder of Abundant Life Coaching. If you have any questions for Brynn, please feel free to contact her at [email protected] or through her website.

BookstoreTogether Ray and Brynn will work to create a safe and welcoming space that provides the opportunity for participants to reflect on the readings, and to share thoughts and encouragement with others. So, we hope you will return to this blog on Sunday November 23rd to begin your Advent journey with Bookstoreus. To purchase A Spirituality of Homecoming and A Spirituality of Living, two of the titles in the Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series, please click here.

We will be dedicating our Advent discussion to the memory of John Mogabgab, editor of the Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series. John was a student of Henri’s at Yale Divinity School and later worked for Henri as his assistant and editor. Our beloved John was a member of the Henri Nouwen Society Board since its inception; he passed away on August 8th of this year. To learn more about John’s life and legacy, please click here.

35 Replies to “We are pleased to announce the facilitators for our Advent book discussion that begins November 23rd!”

  1. Hi everyone
    I live in Abbotsford, B.C. and I’m looking forward to making this book discussion a part of my spiritual practice for Advent. I consider Henri Nouwen one of my first and formative spiritual directors through his heart-felt thoughts captured in his many books.
    I have the privilege of accompanying others through spiritual direction and am the administrative person for the spiritual direction portion of the Henri Nouwen Society Website. I’m married to Tony, mother of three grown, married children, six grandchildren and one dog. I look forward to sharing this experience with all of you!

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  2. This is my first time joining a book discussion online. I have very purposely selected this for advent and nothing else. Trying to start the season with some simplicity! I have enjoyed several books by H. Nouwen.

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  3. Favorite Nouwen book: Return of the Prodigal Son. My life is hectic with drama I try not to get pulled in to. I may be more of a “stalker” than a responder but this is my attempt to stay grounded in a sad life season. We lost our precious son to cancer in January. I want to honor him by staying focused on the One whose resurrection will one day enable his.

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  4. I am looking forward to these readings & reflecting on the posted questions. This is my first Advent discussion but have benefitted from the two previous Lenten discussions. Discipline & keeping focused are always a challenge; this helps. Thank you Brynn & Ray for hosting & for the thoughtful questions which Henri so gifted us with. Welcome to all.

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  5. I’m happy to be joining the Advent discussion. I very much appreciate the gentle and loving tone of the previous discussions and the thought-provoking questions and reflections from the leaders and the participants. It does seem as if Henri’s gentle, loving spirit and his seeking nature is reflected here.

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  7. First time joining you. So looking forward to a wonderful Advent… Won’t get my books for a week or two.. But will catch up when they arrive!! Thanks, Dorothy

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  8. I have my books and looking forward to this discussion as well! Was so sorry to hear about John Mogabgab’s passing. I had just read about him in one of the several biographies I now have and decided to check on this website and there it was. So glad John left these books for us and look forward to reading them along with this community.

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    1. Thanks Gina for your lovely message. I am still having a hard time taking in John’s death but I know he is with us in spirit. I like to think of Henri and John watching over our Advent book discussion!
      So glad you will be with us.

      Blessings,
      Maureen
      Nouwen Legacy Manager

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  9. This will be my first time to join a group sharing Henri Nouwen’s writings, although I have read and reflected on his books for many years. I find myself expectant with joy about experienceing Advent with you experienced travelers in this, to me, new way, and have the books on Kindle and iPad.
    Nancy

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  10. I’m excited to join the Advent study again this year. I retired in April so now I can do things like this that I love. I have my books but do not see the reading assignments for the weeks posted yet – or am I missing them? Thanks for doing this. I am co-facilitating the JustFaith study in our parish this winter. One of the reasons I committed to doing it was because one of the books we read and discuss is Nouwen’s Compassion, one of my favorites. When we first started, the daily meditations covered reaching out to the marginalized and weak. I shared them with the participants and some people said they liked them so well they subscribed. What a gift your Society has been to me!

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    1. Hi Cel,
      Welcome back – glad you will be with us this Advent! The reading schedule was just posted – you will find the link on the top navigation bar on the homepage of the blog – last link on the right.

      Blessings,
      Maureen
      Nouwen Legacy Manager

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      1. Thanks Maureen, I was wondering about the schedule too. Discipline is a great starting topic for me. That apologetics course I have been taking at my parish has required a great deal of discipline to set aside time every day to do the readings, the homework, looking up scriptures, using the catechism, and reading the early church fathers. Discipline is so important, especially when I am plugging along and feeling like I am not bearing fruit and helps me just keep on keeping on.

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  11. I just received my books and am so happy to join once again in an Advent journey with Henri and all of you. This community has brought me great joy over the years. This time especially because I will be having surgery on Dec. 3rd and will be on sick leave from my teaching job for the entire month of December. I am anticipating a time of healing for both my body and my spirit this Advent! Thank you Brynn and Ray for leading us through this discussion…Advent has always been a very special time for me and I am so grateful to be a part of this community!

    Peace to all…we are all wounded healers

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  12. Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to all. I am almost ready. I have the “Living” book and should receive the “Homecoming” book next week. I am at the tail end of an Apologetics course at my parish; we have three more weeks and I will talk to others in my class to see if I can get a few to join in here but most of us are pretty crispy at this point. This course takes quite a bit of study working with the Bible, of course, the Catechism, of course and a book of writings from the Early Church Fathers: The Faith of the Early Fathers by Jurgens.

    Hopefully, these two books here will help me wind down for Christmas!

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  15. Got my books! I have done a few of these now and really enjoy them. I am excited to see both Ms. Lawrence and Mr. Glennon on this one as I have the utmost respect for both of you. I am mentioning this to some folks in our parish hoping to get them to join in on the study. Thanks for offering this one, I am truly looking forward to the experience. I always benefit greatly. A great way to spend Advent preparing for the coming of Christ.

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  17. Got my two books today and I shall start reading, one can read them over and over again and I always learn something new. Thank you Brynn and Ray for taking the time to lead us. God bless you Maureen for arranging daily meditations and these book discussions. Lata

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