Andrew Lay leads us into Advent/Christmas and, creatively listening to the old, familiar texts, finds fresh meaning for today’s Christians.  Lay restores the holy to the holidays in this fine presentation of the blessing of the Incarnation.

—Bishop Will Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, author of Accidental Preacher: A Memoir.

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Hope for the Holidays offers hope for Advent and common days. It is very interesting, informative, and inspirational. In examining John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds, and Wise Men, we are led to see that God is involved in the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. The author has a unique ability to make real these ancient characters of our faith. We see and feel their struggles for faith in dark moments. We see how their attempts to make sense of life reflect our own, and we come to understand that God is with us as well. If God could bless and use them, why not us? If God gave hope then, why not now? I give thanks for the privilege of having my faith renewed through this remarkable writing and heartily commend it to you.

—Bishop Richard Looney, Retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church.

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In this well written book, Andrew Lay fleshes out John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, Isaiah and the Shepherds, the Wise Men as heralds of hope. As if arriving at Bethlehem’s manger, these explorations culminate, in the Epilogue, in the Word Made Flesh to which these heralds point. All along, Lay invites his readers to narrate their own lives in light of the Christmas hope to which its first celebrants pointed. Questions at the end of each chapter help readers make the connection between the biblical story and their own, and also make the book useful for group or individual use. There are many Advent studies and devotional volumes available, but Lay leads us by a fresh, thoughtful, and pastoral route to the heart of the Christmas hope. I strongly commend Hope for the Holidays to all who, like the Wise Men themselves, wish to “return by another way,” to their lives after the holidays are over; to lives filled with the hope the enfleshed Word brings daily.

—William McDonald, Professor of Religion, Chair - Religion and Philosophy, Associate Dean - Humanities & Fine Arts, Tennessee Wesleyan University. 

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In these troubled and bewildering times, we yearn for an enduring hope that sustains us and pulls us toward a promising future. As Andrew Lay reminds us, that enduring hope is found in the Christmas Story as God works through ordinary people to accomplish the divine purposes. The author introduces us anew to the characters in the Christmas Story; and through their responses to God's revelation, our hope is renewed, and our faith is strengthened. This engaging book is an excellent resource for individuals and groups who long for "hope for the holiday" and beyond. 

—Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School.

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Finding hope may be the first and most basic task of faith. In Hope for the Holidays, Andrew Lay peels back the layers of the Christmas story to help us discover a wellspring of unending hope in a most unlikely place. If you're having trouble finding hope these days, my advice is to start your search by finding a copy of Hope for the Holidays.  

—Rev. Wil Cantrell, Concord United Methodist Church, Knoxville, TN.