3.A child of Abraham? I had betrayed my own to aid our conquerors and fill my pockets. But here came one who could humiliate the proud and righteous, the sons who never set a foot wrong and stuck their feet out for no-one. Here came one who could turn rocks into his children. Could IContinue reading “Christmas with St Matthew 2”
Tag Archives: Jesus
Christmas with St Matthew 1
1.Why do I begin this way? I, a Levite, turned tax collector for the Romans, turned apostle. Why do I begin with this family tree? Because I know about faithfulness. I know the way that His faithfulness pursues, points the finger of grace and calls, in spite of everything. And because I know about shameContinue reading “Christmas with St Matthew 1”
Advent 2: Such bright morning
This morning’s church service began with words that we would never associate normally with Advent: the beautiful closing words of Zephaniah 3, with their image of a God who rejoices over us with singing. But they only seem out of place in Advent if we see the end point of Advent to be Christmas. IfContinue reading “Advent 2: Such bright morning”
Advent 1: Boughs bent with thickset fruit
Every Advent, living in the southern hemisphere, my family and I gather in the abundant harvest of plums that our various plum trees grow. It’s become something of an Advent tradition, where decorating the house to mark the season is accompanied by also clambering through the often thorny branches to separate what the birds haveContinue reading “Advent 1: Boughs bent with thickset fruit”
On the twelfth day of Christmas…
Today was the first proper summer day of the year in my home city, and the first in several weeks, so I and many other Victorians migrated to the beaches to enjoy it. And the beach is not a bad place to see in the last day of Christmas, particularly if you want Shakespeare’s TwelfthContinue reading “On the twelfth day of Christmas…”
On the eleventh day of Christmas…
We’re nearly at the end of Christmas season, and, if we’ve managed to stay focused on the season and not on all the busyness of the new year, we may be beginning to wonder where to put our attentions now. Traditionally tomorrow would be the time for the big party (the Twelfth Night that’s mostlyContinue reading “On the eleventh day of Christmas…”
On the tenth day of Christmas…
At first there’s nothing especially Christmassy about the story of Ruth from the Old Testament. It doesn’t have the messianic promises of Isaiah or Hannah’s song. There’s nothing about kingship or a promised saviour. So why is it one of the readings for today, the tenth day of Christmas? Ruth’s is a story where mostContinue reading “On the tenth day of Christmas…”
On the ninth day of Christmas…
Fittingly, after yesterday reminded us that Jesus was – and is – fully God and fully human, today we remember one of the early church leaders who did much to ensure the church held on to that truth. January 2 in the western church calendar remembers two of the Cappadocian Fathers, Basil the Great andContinue reading “On the ninth day of Christmas…”
On the eighth day of Christmas…
Possibly one of the more awkward moments in Christmas season is the feast of Jesus’ circumcision. If like me you grew up in the 90s and your view of circumcision has been somewhat influenced by Robin Hood: Men in Tights, that won’t help. But it’s historically a fact that Jesus, like all Jewish baby boysContinue reading “On the eighth day of Christmas…”
On the seventh day of Christmas…
Today is simply called the “First Sunday After Christmas”. Because Christmas Day roams throughout the days of the week from year to year, the first Sunday after Christmas could arrive anywhere between one and seven days after Christmas Day. In churches that observe this day, you may well hear this passage from Isaiah being read:Continue reading “On the seventh day of Christmas…”
The Consolations of Writing 