After taking a year off to accommodate a certain book tour, I’m excited to be back with another haul of yuletide goodies. (Click here to read the guide from 2021). Since the Merry Swiftmas paper is sold out pretty much everywhere, probably best to go with the Pizza on Earth from Brittany Paige for all your wrapping needs.

For Those Who Haven’t Moved on from Nick Cave’s Faith, Hope and Carnage — and Don’t Intend to: A Red Hand Charm or Bad Seed beachball

For The Mockingcast Listener Looking to Vibe Out on 70s Gospel Tracks Similar to Its Theme Song: Christians Catch Hell: Gospel Roots, 1976-79 by Various Artists or Let Jesus Work it Out by The Daytonians

For Your Swiftie Niece Who Hasn’t Been the Same Since Seeing the Eras Tour and You Know For a Fact Isn’t Getting Anything this Christmas (or Next) Cause of How Much Her Parents Shelled Out for the Tickets: A pair of Meet Me at Midnight slippers

For Your Pastor Who Leans a Bit Too Heavy on Sports Illustrations in His Sermons But You Have to Admit Was Right About The Saint of Second Chances: A St. Paul Saints baseball cap

For Your Spiritually Inclined BFF Who Carried Around a Calvin and Hobbes Collection in Her Backpack Until Middle School, Just So She Could Read it on the Bus: The Holy Ghost by John Hendrix, The Mysteries by Bill Watterson, or any of the Poorly Drawn Lines collections by Reza Farazmand

For Your Small Group Leader Who Introduces Himself as “a Calvinist but Not One of Those Kind of Calvinists”: A How To Tell Friends They Are Technically Heretics journal

For Your 90s-Loving Sister-in-Law Who Forwarded You All those Amazing Matthew Perry Tributes: A Chandler Bing Lego mini-figure

For Your Therapist Who You Know Sees Couples Cause She Shares Thinly Disguised Details About Them in Your Sessions (Which Leads You to Wonder if She’s Doing the Same About You), Yet You Love Her Too Much to Dwell on It: How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key

For Your High School-Aged Nephew Who Could Really Stand to Tone it Down on Social Media and Rediscover His Sense of Humor: The Force action figure or one of these amazing prank puzzles

For Your Nostalgia-Addled Husband Whose Habits You Don’t Really Want to Encourage But Hey It’s Christmas: An assortment of Reaction Action Figures (Joe Strummer, Run DMC Christmas in Hollis 3-Pack, or anyone from the Dr Teeth & the Electric Mayhem collection), or a Super Powers tri-blend t-shirt

For Your Intimidatingly Erudite Aunt Who Always Gives You Classical Music-related Presents Because You Pretended to Like It Once Fifteen Years Ago and It’s Too Late to Course-Correct Now: Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Dunne by Katherine Rundell — or her equally brilliant Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise

For Your Used-to-Be-Baptist-Now-Anglican Friend From College Who You Think Is Finished Deconstructing But Are Not 100% Sure: A bottle of Prayers of Sinners red blend wine

For the Staff at Your Church Who You Know Are Dealing With More Than They Let On and Could Probably Use a Reminder about How Beautiful and Urgent Their Calling Is: Sealed by Katie Langston, or The Living Color of Luke’s Gospel by Larry Parsley

For the Mockingbird Completist, or Just Anyone Who Appreciates Thoughtful Writing and Gorgeous Design That’s Explicitly Grace-Centered yet Totally Non-Embarrassing: A Mockingbird Magazine Boxed Set, 11-20. Or a gift subscription. Or both!

For the Dr Becky-Obsessed Young Mother Who Could Make it Through Most of the Day Without Screaming–But Then Daylight Savings Time Ended: A Gentle Parenting after 5pm candle from Frolic, or There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof that You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent by Glenn Boozan and Priscilla Witte

For the Office Secret Santa Recipient With the Jesus Fish on Their Car Who Is Always Trying to Draft You into Deeply Uncomfortable Religious Conversations with Co-Workers: I Love Jesus Soy Much That’s How I Roll sushi socks

For Your Kombucha-Brewing Cousin Who Invited You to their Solstice Celebration this Weekend and You Don’t Know How to Tell Them It’s at the Same Time as Lessons & Carols: A Marnie Pure Source Energy mug by BJA

For the Preacher Looking for a Same Old Song-Endorsed Sermon Writing Aid that Smells Like the Gospel: A Frankincense candle from Norden

For Your Sweet Neighbor Who You Can’t Help But Notice Is Dealing with Some Conspicuous Absences This Christmas: A Holdovers snowglobe (and tickets to the movie)

For Your Literature-Loving Former Roommate Who Finally Got a Place of Her Own, Thank God, Cause it Was Starting to Get Weird: A set of Piranesi prints by Seth Hahne

For the Foodie Friend from Church Who’s About 50-50 on the Recs, the Fruit Rollup Ice Cream Being an Undeniable Win (Baked Salad Not so Much): a What Would Jesus Stew? Wooden spoon, a jar of Lusty Monk Original Sin mustard or a Lot’s Wife saltshaker

For that Sorta Hip Mom in Your Playgroup Who Keeps Asking You About Church But You Can’t Tell If She’s Genuinely Curious or Just Being Polite: The Faith Guide for Littles Boxed Set from Storymakers

For the Seminarian With the Huge Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table Who’s Curious About What Effective Christian Witness Looks Like in 2023: Poet Priest Vol 2 by Andy Squyres

For Yourself if You’re Looking to Splurge on Something Worldclass That Will Look Great on Your Bookshelf and Also Garner Some Religious Cred: The Gospels hardcover collection from Alabaster

For the Twenty-something Step Son With Whom You Bond About All Things Pop Culture But You Can Tell Is Still a Little Iffy about You: an ATN News T-Shirt, a copy of A Masterpiece in Disarray: Making David Lynch’s Dune, An Oral History, or an I am Kenough sweatshirt

For Anyone You Truly Love: A ticket to our Conference in NYC (4/25-27)

COMMENTS

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4 responses to “A Mockingbird Gift Guide: 2023 Edition”

1. Beverly Seng says:

   12/14/2023 at 1:12 pm

   Dave, pure genius! I can’t believe you’ve taken so much time for us. Thank you so much!

   Reply
2. Alan McNamara says:

   12/20/2023 at 5:34 pm

   I laughed and laughed and almost bought something

   Reply
3. Cheryl Pickrell says:

   12/21/2023 at 1:42 pm

   My husband is in love with the St Paul Saints baseball hat you recommended. It arrived yesterday. He proudly put it on and said,” I’m thinking about wearing it to bed!” This is from a seventy five year old Giants, University of Arizona, and several Little League, club, and high school baseball teams of our grandkids. He has scores of hats , but this will be forever his favorite. We are so grateful for Movkingbird and look forward to new essays daily.

   Reply
4. Gary Pickrell says:

   12/21/2023 at 1:46 pm

   PS My wife sent the message about the St Paul Saints hat before I could add that this will open up a lot of conversations about a man who wrote two thirds of the New Testament on the themes of love, grace, mercy, hope, and faith.

   Reply