[This is a re-post from a popular Epiphany item] On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my true love … finally took the hint and we had roast partridge for dinner, with a nice pear crumble for pudding! Twelfth Night marks the official end of Christmas and the start of Epiphany (January 6th), when we think … More Epiphany and Isa 43
This is the second part of a reflection on Epiphany. Check out last week’s post for a meditation about gifts. This part thinks about who may come. Reflecting Three Wise Men? Three Kings? Magi? Every year there is confusion at the nativity play: were they kings or wise men? And what are Magi, anyway*? The … More Isaiah 60:1-6 Matthew 2:1-12 – Epiphany
Engaging The wise men brought some pretty weird gifts for a new-born baby. Surely a blanket or baby-grow would have been more use? Or, I dunno, a proper bed? But the wise men brought what they had, and that’s all anyone can do. We also, can bring to God what we have. We may look … More Isaiah 60:1-6 Matthew 2:1-12 – Epiphany
You asked for paperback – so paperback you shall have!
Hot off the presses, ‘A Bucketful of Ideas for Church Drama’ is now available as a beautiful, shiny paperback. 130 pages of glorious fun, with a some poignant thoughtfulness too, in an easy-read typeface, perfect for rehearsals. … More It’s here! It’s here!
Fresh scripts launch God’s timeless word like a rocket. “Parables as Jesus would have told them – witty, punchy and thought-provoking.” Christmas and Easter? Sorted.
Some quiet and meditative, some a-pun-a-minute – there’s a script for every occasion. Meet Elijah’s ravens on holiday. Meet texting angels. Meet the Big Bad Cat. Then slow down and relive Good Friday through the eyes of one who was there – Jesus, remember me. … More Drama without the, well, drama!
Narr: So the three wise men packed their pyjamas and their tooth brushes, and went on a long journey to find the new king. They took presents with them too. Balthazar took a very useful present. Melchior took the latest new toy. Gaspar – well Gaspar took … mmmm-errr … something.
Bal: Urgh, I hate long journeys. These camels really give me the hump. … More Bold, Frankenstein and Mmmm-err
Epiphany – In the days of The Great and Mighty Roman Empire there were the good jobs – emperor, obviously, if you could keep the knives out of your back – and then there were the not-so-good jobs. Such as governor of Judea. Really, it was a bit of a dump. This was the job you got lumbered with when you had upset someone important. Judea was a cultural backwater, a nowhere, full of nobodies. Even the local religion was pathetic – they only had one god, for goodness sake! … More Matthew 2:1-12
(aside to audience) except that the scientific terminology won’t be invented for a couple of thousand years yet, so we’re a bit ahead of our time here.
Bal
But what could it mean?
Mel: Well, I’ve been looking through my guide to the stars (holds up celebrity gossip magazine) and it says that the new star means a new king!
Bal: That’s amazing! We should go and visit him. We could take gifts too – something useful would be good.
Mel:
Or the latest toy – something every kid would want. … More Bold, Frankenstein and Mmmm-errr
The Reflectionary 