RE-FORMING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, WITH THE EARTH, & WITH EACH OTHER
Peace to you,

As the snow continues to fall this Advent season, the Village is blanketed and the colorful Christmas lights illuminate trees on the Village Green. Over the past month, Villagers have selected Christmas trees with chalet mates and enjoyed time for reflection during Community Week, Swedish festivities at the Svenska Smörgåsbord, and preparations for Christmas. This Advent season, we wait in anticipation for the Light that is to come.

We hope you enjoy these stories and images from the past month at Holden!
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HOLDEN VILLAGE
 It's been a beautiful Advent in the valley. Happy holidays from the Holden Village community!
WEATHER
SNOW IS HERE!
Over the past few weeks, snow has blanketed the Village. Now at more than 35 inches of snowfall and counting, we are on track for a great winter. Visit Holden's weather page for the latest updates from the Village's weather station.
VILLAGE LIFE
SUMMER 2019 REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 1
Join us this summer in the Village! Registration for visits between May 1 - October 31, 2019 open January 1st at 8:00am PST. Be a part of Holden's summer community and join us for sessions with renowned teaching faculty , vibrant programming, a time for rest and renewal, hiking in the beautiful North Cascades, and more. We look forward to welcoming you to the Village.
STAY CONNECTED
HOLDEN EVENING PRAYER AROUND THE WORLD
Holdenites from all over the globe will be gathering on February 6th for Holden Evening Prayer Around the World (HEPAW), a celebration of Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer (known at Holden as Vespers '86). Join a HEPAW event near you or sign up to host one!
FOOD SERVICE
GUEST CHEFS IN THE HOLDEN KITCHEN
In the winter time, a smaller Village population allows for more creative freedom to make new meals in the kitchen! This winter, staff have been working with cooks to make a favorite dish for the whole Village, allowing them to share a meal that has special meaning to them. So far this winter, the community has been treated to Philly cheesesteak and calzones, to name a few!
KOINONIA
SUPPORT HOLDEN VILLAGE THIS CHRISTMAS
This year, Holden Village has again been filled with the spirit that has carried this place apart for decades. Music, laughter, and community filled the Village, as well as thought-provoking conversations led by renowned teaching faculty from around the world. Hundreds of guests came to experience the rhythms of the Village each week. It is our hope that Holden Village may continue as a place for civil conversation, for learning to listen deeply to one another, and for finding hope in a fearful world. Registration fees do not fully cover the cost of maintaining a Village community of learning, worship, hospitality, and celebration. Your gift will set us on firm financial footing for next summer’s programming and beyond and  help ensure that our rhythms remain for generations to come!
Check out the latest issue of the quarterly Holden Village Voice magazine and SUBSCRIBE to receive new issues in your mailbox!
BLESSING
"I cannot tell you how the light comes.
What I know is that it is more ancient than imagining.
That it travels across an astounding expanse to reach us.
That it loves searching out
what is hidden
what is lost
what is forgotten
or in peril
or in pain.
That it has a fondness for the body
for finding its way toward flesh
for tracing the edges of form
for shining forth through the eye,
the hand,
the heart.


I cannot tell you how the light comes, but that it does.
That it will.
That it works its way into the deepest dark that enfolds you,
though it may seem long ages in coming
or arrive in a shape you did not foresee.
And so may we this day turn ourselves toward it.
May we lift our faces to let it find us.
May we bend our bodies to follow the arc it makes.
May we open
and open more
and open still
to the blessed light that comes ."

Jan Richardson
Reference herein to any specific commercial products or services does not necessarily constitute or imply its
endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Holden Village.
 PHOTOS: Hannah Lauber VIDEO: Aj Williams