Sunday's coming!

Dec 26th Isaiah 63: 7-9 Matthew 2: 13-23 So here we are, caught between Christmas and New year. The bin is full of wrapping paper, we’re wondering quite where to put the presents and looking forward to al those delicious left-overs of Christmas dinner. The new year beckons and we wonder what 2011 might bring us: and in our papers we read stories of political unrest in Korea & Pakistan, of the terribly sad deaths & diappearances and the unhealthy scrum of the sales…what happened to the story – just yesterday of peace on earth and good will to all people? Matthew, bravely, tells us what happens immediately after the magi have returned to the East. Here is the unsavoury part, the bit that gets missed out of our Carol services. Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt, and Herod in his fury orders the massacre of all the boys aged two and under in the whole region in his attempt to rid himself of the threat of this rival so-called ‘king’ of whom the magi spoke. Some of the most compellin...

Yes, it's short - do I expect complaints on christmas morning? NO. Christmas morning You might have felt that the whole week has been building up to this morning – that’s certainly the way it’s been in my household! – but for the modern-day Magi – those who like to watch the stars and planets, the big event this week was the lunar eclipse on Tuesday morning. At about 6.30 in the morning, the moon passed into the shadow of the earth & so for a little while went first a coppery-colour & then quite dark – until reappearing as the relative positions of the earth, moon & sun, shifted. No, I didn’t get up at 6.30am – but there was some wonderful footage on the BBC website – and a very excited astronomer describing what we could see. He said ‘there’s the moon, a quarter of a million miles away; and you can also see Venus, very brightly – 46 million miles away. And in the opposite half of the sky there’s Saturn, a billion miles away. It’s at a time like this we can see our plac...

Not sure I have time to post everything I'm saying over the next, mad 48 hours: but here's this evening's reflection: Christmas Eve. It’s been a hectic few weeks, hasn’t it: and I’m sure I’ve complained as loudly as anyone - so much to do, so much to plan and think about, constant lists.. and then the snow to make everything that bit more difficult! And then the blessed Angels sing ‘Peace on earth’ – and we wonder how to even get a moment’s peace, let alone how to pray for peace for our mad world. I’ve got an uncle who is forever sending me emails of jokes & little quotes & things. This was one of his better ones: a wonderful quote from a 7 year old named Bobby: "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." It’s really tempting to spend a few minutes giving you a talk that goes ‘never mind all the presents & cards & decorations & stuff’ the REAL meaning of Christmas is this – the birth of Jesus....

So, here's the bones: Matthew 1: 18-25 Then 'Joseph's story' Well, everyone knows the story of Mary & the angel. But you can’t blame me for not believing it at first. I’ve seen it before, you know, some of my friends... Betrothed a long time and – well, they get a bit impatient and accidents happen & they get married pretty quickly. But we weren’t like that – Mary & me. We were content to wait, do it right. Then she came & told me about the baby. I was devastated. Well, I knew it wasn’t mine – so I naturally assumed it was another man. ‘Let me tell you about it’ Mary said – I didn’t want to hear it – I didn’t want to know who it was and how much she loved him more than me, and how sorry she was for letting me down & hurting me. I didn’t want to hear her say anything.. I just wanted to get away. I stormed out & left her standing there shaking her head. My brother said to me ‘Have her stoned – her and her fancy man – whoever he is – that’s the law...

I've been looking in particular at Matthew 1:18-25 which gives the birth of Jesus very much from Joseph's point of view. I'm thinking of balancing it (as the gospels do) with Mary's point of view, and then bringing us to our own point of view, as we look at some fairly simple questions: what will this birth mean? - shame & scandal; or life & hope? what should I do - run & hide? grin & bear it? listen to what God's messengers are telling me? where is God in this? sorting out the mess? causing it? right in the midst of it? If I have time (hah!) I think I'd like to write reflections by Mary & by Joseph, with time to think in between & then a concluding reflection bringing it 'home'. Oh yes, and I have a wedding on Saturday & 2 carol services on Sunday to finishing organising too!

... here are the notes from Sunday's sermon at the adult baptism. It seemed to make sense to people. I hope so. I have to confess I’m getting to the stage when I’m losing track of what day it is. Twice last week I thought it was Friday when it wasn’t – once on Wednesday and once on Thursday. The problem with these days as Christmas is getting closer is that they’re all a bit the same – loads to do, a mixture of writing cards, opening cards, writing more cards, buying and wrapping presents, thinking about food & drink and (for me at least) preparing lots of services. I may not know what day it is – but I know it’s very nearly Christmas – the signs are all around in The TV adverts, the shops, the music, the lights & trees... it all seems to have come round incredibly quickly. We are all filled with expectation & excitement... or apprehension & dread, depending on your psychological make-up. It’s soon going to be Christmas. So I’d forgive you for wondering why we have...

Yes, posts are getting later. Yes, it's my "busy time". No, I'm not ready for Christmas - but then, I feel like coming over all deep & theological & saying 'I'm not meant to be ready yet - it's still Advent'. So this week's readings are: Isaiah 35:1-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 Challenge number one is that we have one of our 'Creative church' services this week (when we try to present the Word other than simply by someone reading all 3 readings as the 'Readings', and invite people to respond in some other than simply by listening and coming forward for communion). Challenge number two is that we have a baptism of an adult (sprinkling, not full immersion) this week, and so potentially have people there who wont be too clued up on the first Isaiah and how important the later redactions of the text are. Challenge number three is the usual one about passages from later in Jesus' (and John the Baptist's) life being use...

So for those who like to play 'spot the difference' - the end is quite changed! Advent 2: Isaiah 11: 1-10, Matthew 3: 1-12 Of all the characters we might find on our Christmas cards – Mary, Joseph, Kings, Shepherds, angels… I have never once seen one with an image of John the Baptist. Of course at the time of Jesus’ birth he would only have been a baby himself, but although he’s recognised as a prophet who points us to Jesus the Christ, he’s really not the stuff of Christmas cards – wild, scary, with a rather daunting message of repentance. In fact just this week a friend sent me a picture of John the Baptist looking suitably wild & woolly and saying ‘Merry Christmas you brood of vipers. Now repent’. Not available in all good card shops anytime soon. John’ message isn’t an easy one. “Choose” says John – choose to repent and be baptised or choose to perish. And don’t think you can hedge your bets by being baptised but not really changing anything else about your life: to the...

If anyone reads this sermon you might think there's a funny jump from the penultimate paragraph to the final one - yes, I think so too: but I'm not sure what else i want to say just yet - think I need time away from it & then will come back & see whether something comes. You might also notice that I've not gone with the 'stump of Jesse' or the 'wilderness' theme (see posts below).. perhaps I should have! Advent 2 : Isaiah 11: 1-10, Matthew 3: 1-12 Of all the characters we might find on our Christmas cards – Mary, Joseph, Kings, Shepherds, angels… I have never once seen one with an image of John the Baptist. Of course at the time of Jesus’ birth he would only have been a baby himself, but although he’s recognised as a prophet who points us to Jesus the Christ, he’s really not the stuff of Christmas cards – wild, scary, with a rather daunting message of repentance. In fact just this week a friend sent me a picture of John the Baptist looking suitably w...