Silverfish! One of the biggest challenges for those of us charged with narrating the Nativity each year is to allow the essence of the story to emerge through the sentiment and tinsel and, yes, the celebratory drudgery that many deem it their annual obligation to tolerate. A few Christmases ago, we ordered a heavy dutyContinue reading “Keeping the Startle in Christmas”
Tag Archives: Christmas
Advent Reflection – Love: action,not sentiment
Last week was tetchy. People were tired and stressed. Meetings were terse and abrupt. Summer storms, both meteorological and emotional passed swiftly over. The combination of festive preparations and end-of-year wrap ups added to the testy cocktail. Yet there were moments of pause and reflection – little oases of reality that emerged through the fluffContinue reading “Advent Reflection – Love: action,not sentiment”
We Three Kings of Orient Are…
… but not the magi of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:1-20! We don’t know how many there were – tradition varies from the popular three to the less known twelve. The magi are not described as “kings” – there are two kings in Matthews’s account – Herod and Jesus – and the nature of their respectiveContinue reading “We Three Kings of Orient Are…”
Christmas breaks in…
… see what I mean? There’s kind of a Mexican stand-off between Advent and Christmas observance. We had our annual community Christmas party last night – barbecue followed by games and carol-singing. I used the epilogue to tell a story about “the angel in a gum tree”, sneaking in a flog for the ChristmasContinue reading “Christmas breaks in…”
‘Tis the Season to be Fasting…
… fa lalala la, lala la la! I usually feel like King Canute at this time of the year – raising my arms, seeking to hold back the relentless tide of Christmas festivities washing tsunami like over the beaches of Advent – the “little Lent” – the season of preparation, reflection and fasting. MyContinue reading “‘Tis the Season to be Fasting…”
Incarnation strikes retail hub
I ventured into Perth’s CBD this morning, on leave from my pulpit and looking for a church service to sneak into. For the first time, I saw the new street decorations, unashamedly and unabashedly telling the story of the Incarnation, from the Annunciation through to the Flight to Egypt. The replicas of medieval paintings enthralledContinue reading “Incarnation strikes retail hub”
Wondering Pilgrim 