Are you looking for a fresh look at things that we sometimes take for granted, skirt around or ignore completely - a dip-in book for Advent that sharpens our appreciation of and wonder at the season?From the angel appearing to a teenage girl to give her the shocking news of an unexpected pregnancy, to the sudden appearance of mysterious 'wise men' following a star in search of a king, the Christmas story can feel so familiar that we can forget just how outrageous - and, humanly speaking, impossible - its many twists and turns really are.The author of Into Your Hands presents non-dated Advent reading that combines reflection on the biblical events with wry comment on modern consumer culture. Five Impossible Things to Believe Before Christmas provokes Christians to consider afresh the shock of what we are asking people to believe. Each chapter concludes with questions for personal reflection, exercises for group use and a prayer.Contents include: Introduction The wings of an angel: angel visitations Threats to society: the subversive message of Christmas Daring to say yes: Mary The crack in the universe: how does God become a baby? Rounding it off: the star in the east.