Category: Advent

Mary and Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-55

December 7, 2015

Advent 4 – “Wait Elizabeth, you mean Uncle Zech can’t talk?”
“No. Like an idiot he questioned what the angel had said; didn’t believe that God was able to do it. So the angel gave him proof! Ha! Serves him right, the daft old goat! Makes meal times a bit more peaceful I can tell you – no more listening to endless fishing stories!” … More Mary and Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-55

Micah 5:2-5a

December 7, 2015

Advent 4 – God knew, from before the start of time, that we would mess up. And God planned, from before the start of time, that Jesus would be the solution. He always had in mind to have divine Jesus be born as a human baby, live as a human child, suffer and die and rise again. This was not God panicking over what to do about sin. This always was Plan A. … More Micah 5:2-5a

Zephaniah 3:14-20

November 30, 2015

Advent 3 – In Advent we look forward to the coming of the one who is here now in our rubbish and mess, and who will be in glory. The one who is the symbol of God’s dwelling, the present temple and the future temple in the heavenly city. “its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.” Rev 21:22

Advent – a time of waiting, a time of looking forward to God dwelling with us, God who will come and who is right now and who always has been. Past, present and future. Jesus, the start of God in our midst. Emmanuel. … More Zephaniah 3:14-20

Luke 3:7-18

November 30, 2015

Advent 3 – “Welcome, dearly beloved. You’re all bunch of hypocritical snakes.”
OK, ummn, interesting tactic. Has the Rev been at the communion wine a little early?
It gets worse.
“So you’ve been at St Dithering’s for forty years, man and boy? Don’t care. There are drunks down the Red Lion closer to God than you!”
I say, steady on there, Vicar! … More Luke 3:7-18

Malachi 3:1-4

November 23, 2015

Advent 2 – Refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap? How is fire like soap, and what’s a fuller when he’s at home? (That’s Northern for ‘whoever he is’.) Stand back, here comes the science bit! … More Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 3:1-6

November 23, 2015

Advent 2 – John was sent to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’. He was the PR Events Manager who went ahead of the VIP, making sure everything, everyone, was ready for his coming. We need to make sure we’re ready too. Advent is the perfect time for a spiritual spring-clean. After all, if the Queen were coming round for tea, you’d make sure the loo was sparkling and there were some good biscuits in, wouldn’t you? … More Luke 3:1-6

Luke 21:25-36

November 16, 2015

So we are living in the time between times, the time of preparation. We are not standing around doing nothing on the off-chance that Jesus is coming back next week, but neither are we so bound up with our lives here and now that we forget about our lives there and then. … More Luke 21:25-36