News (Page 195)

When the time was right

Paul doesn’t give a narrative account of the birth of Jesus but he does refer to it in his letters. In Galatians 4:4-5 he writes,” When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we…

Levelling Up

I have reflected before on our strange attitude to taxation. For what seems like an age, politics appears to have been obsessed by tax rates. The potential for tax cuts offset by the need to increase taxation is the balance. Why are we surprised and indignant, if we are surprised and indignant, that after the…

GOD OF SURPRISES

I have been going through some old Methodist Recorders to refresh in my mind some of the things I had read and then to throw them out. I came across an article written by our President (and ex-Chair of our District), Rev Graham Thompson headed “Expect to be Surprised”.  He says “as we stand on…

Lectionary Reflections – Sunday 18th December 2022

Fourth Sunday of Advent                 Year A                                                 18th December 2022 Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 7 v10-16;       Psalm 80 v1-7, 17-19;      Romans 1 v1-7;       Matthew 1 v18-25. Poor Mary! By tradition, Mary is the focus of the fourth Sunday in Advent, though you would be hard put to evidence that from today’s readings! This is how Jesus…