Gooden Blog

At The Gooden School, the season of Advent offers us something rare, an invitation to pause. In the midst of December’s bustle, with performances, projects, family commitments, and year-end deadlines, Advent gently calls us back to the heart of the season. It reminds us that this time of preparation is not merely about counting down the days until Christmas morning, but about making space, space for meaning, for reflection, and for hope.
 

This week in Chapel, we turned to the powerful story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Scripture tells us that while Zechariah, a priest, was offering incense in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him with astonishing news: his wife, Elizabeth, elderly and long thought unable to have a child, would give birth to a son. This child, to be named John, would prepare the way for the Lord.
 

Zechariah’s reaction was deeply human. Faced with something unimaginable, he doubted. And in response, he was rendered silent until the day his son was born. But this silence was not simply a consequence; it became a space for transformation. When the moment arrived to name the child, Zechariah faithfully wrote “John,” and immediately his voice returned. His first words? Words of praise.
 

There is something profoundly relevant about this story for us at Gooden as we move through December. Zechariah’s silence, like Advent itself, invites reflection. It reminds us that sometimes we need to step back from the noise in order to hear what truly matters.
 

The Rev. David A. Madison, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, captures this beautifully:
“So in these remaining days before Christmas, perhaps the most countercultural thing we can do is pause. Not to abandon our work, but to remember its meaning. To ask ourselves not just ‘What needs to get done?’ but ‘What am I being called to?’”
 

Those questions do not magically clear our calendars. They will not make December any less busy. But they can transform how we move through the season, helping us walk with presence, grounding us in purpose, and opening us to a hope that does not rely on immediate results.
 

At Gooden, we want Advent to be a season that shapes our hearts as much as our schedules. A season that encourages our community, students, families, faculty, and staff to pause, listen, and reflect. To remember that behind every task and tradition is a deeper calling.
 

As Christmas approaches, may we find opportunities to step away from the hurried pace and into the quiet invitation of Advent. May we hold space for gratitude, for wonder, for faith, and for the possibility of being changed, just as Zechariah was, by a moment of stillness.