Advent with Mike and Susan O'Brien

In this Advent-focused episode of The Ferment, Adam catches up with Mike and Susan O’Brien to chat about some themes to meditate on, the gifts that come through a season of waiting, and why Advent might feel like a heavy weight for some worship leaders. They talk through some practical ways to relieve the pressure of expectation, remove the tension and chaos of the season, and share an encouragement to prioritize the traditions that make Christmastime special and enjoyable for you and your family. Mike provides some thoughts about how to mix classic Christmas songs into a modern worship set, and ways we can take advantage of the liturgical gifts offered by our friends in different streams. Finally, Susan leads us in a spiritual direction exercise that allows us to connect with the Holy Spirit and prepare our hearts and minds for this coming Advent Season.

Mike O’Brien has served as a worship pastor, speaker, record producer and songwriter for over 25 years. For 18 years he served one church (Vineyard Community Church of Marietta, GA) training hundreds of worship leaders and musicians and is currently serving the church at large in worship team training and worship leader mentoring as the director for the Vineyard School of Worship.

Susan O’Brien is a spiritual director who works with people to become more aware of God’s presence in their lives. She received her certification through the Institute of Christian Spirituality at Lipscomb University and also holds a Bachelor of Theology from Point University. She believes that God is working in every person that she encounters. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Mike and their son, Ezekiel.

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