Grant looked at the mug, then up at Sue. “Thanks for the tea,” he said. “No worries,” she replied. “When do the kids get home?” “Soon.” “How are they going?” “Not bad.” Then, “Braydon fights too much.” “Does he?” “Yep.” “I’ll have to have a word with him then.” “You can try.” A pause. TheContinue reading “Pageant Part 4”
Category Archives: Advent
Pageant Part 3
Braydon felt conflicted about his father. Over the years, he had taken something of a bullet defending a man whom the whole town hated. But his stories of his father’s superpowers had done nothing to aid the cause. When he had told his friends that his dad was coming to town that Christmas, they hadContinue reading “Pageant Part 3”
Pageant Part 2
Though some would no doubt leave this detail out of their versions of the story, Grant did in fact tell Sue that he would be coming to town that Christmas. Braydon and Kassie both had parts in the Christmas pageant and he wanted to be there. It was all arranged quite politely, if a littleContinue reading “Pageant Part 2”
Pageant: An Advent Story (Part 1)
Last year I decided to write a Christmas story which I would post each day on my blog through all of Advent. The result was the story “The Gift”, which you can still read in instalments here if you care to look for it (just search for “The Gift” and it should come up easilyContinue reading “Pageant: An Advent Story (Part 1)”
“She pondered all these things in her heart” (After Luci Shaw’s “Mary Considers Her Situation”)
The virgin sat,the angel’s wordsshimmering around the room. She fancied now that Danielmight have shared her trembling heartwhen Gabriel had spoken truth which did not fully sooth. The prophets spoke of shoots from stumpsand virgins bearing Israel’s sign,and yet she’d never heard her name connected with such wondrous things,too wonderful for her to bearand truthsContinue reading ““She pondered all these things in her heart” (After Luci Shaw’s “Mary Considers Her Situation”)”
Messiah
I was not ready: You came when I was sleeping, At my least expected midnight. Reality shook – this veil we call “The way things are”; angels sang And shepherds danced, but I – Exhausted by normality – Dozed while, in a baby’s cry, Four hundred years of silence found Their end-point in this night.
Uncertainty (After Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”)
As we begin the season of Advent, I thought it would be fitting to begin with some Advent-themed poems. The first is based on Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”, which itself is a response to Fra Angelico’s painting “The Annunciation”. Though inspired by Shaw’s poem, I have gone back to the original painting and writtenContinue reading “Uncertainty (After Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”)”
The Gift: Fifth Candle (Day Twenty-Four – Christmas Day)
The final chapter of the Advent story Alana is reading Annabelle a story. Annabelle loves to hear stories, and likes Alana’s stories best. In the morning, when the rest of the family arrived at the house and they had exchanged presents, Annabelle had asked Alana instantly to read to her the Christmas storybook that sheContinue reading “The Gift: Fifth Candle (Day Twenty-Four – Christmas Day)”
The Lord Our King (Christmas Day – The Birth of our Lord)
Christmas Day has arrived and so Advent, with all its joyful and fraught expectation, is over. But we still wait for the final coming of our King. Let this poem help us to fix our eyes on Him this Christmas. And a merry Christmas to you all from The Consolations of Writing! The Lord OurContinue reading “The Lord Our King (Christmas Day – The Birth of our Lord)”
The Scandal of Immanuel
A couple of years ago I wrote my first Advent poem, now something that I do each year. It’s probably one of my favourites of the poems that I’ve written, so I thought I would share it with you this Christmas Eve. It seems particularly fitting to post it on this site, which has beenContinue reading “The Scandal of Immanuel”
The Consolations of Writing 