Second Sunday of Christmas Year A 4th January 2026 Lectionary Readings: ; Psalm 147 v12-20; Ephesians 1 v3-14; John 1 v1-18. Gathered, blessed and sent. This week’s readings reflect on the promises of God. In the passage from Jeremiah, the Lord says; “Listen to me you nations nearby or across the sea. I scattered the…
(This thought was published first in April 2021) One of the things small children seem to love to do, is jump into puddles and make a splash. There is a funny video that I have seen of a little girl probably about 2 years old with her pretty pink wellies and she is splashing in…
One of the titles given to Mary by the early church is that of ‘theotokos’ which translates into English as ‘mother of God’ or ‘God bearer’. It’s a reminder to us of the seriousness of this task to which she was called. “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most…
One of my prized possessions when I was a child was my 1960s Corgi Austin A60 De Luxe Motor School Car. I think that I might have received it as a Christmas present when I was about seven or eight years old. My brother had an identical car, so I am guessing that they were…
I was sad when the top ten chart for Christmas 2025 was announced at the end of last week with Kylie’s song ‘Xmas’ at Number 1. Although a record breaking success for her, it was poignant that it was the one festive song in the top ten that replaced ’ Christ’ with an ‘X’. Not…
Joy to the World!, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56347 [retrieved December 13, 2025]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/babasteve/31844535845/. It is a privilege to write today and to wish you all a joyful Christmas. A fortnight ago tomorrow I enjoyed a performance of Handel’s Messiah at The Royal Festival Hall.…
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In my village an outdoor carol event is held each year at 7pm on Christmas Eve. Carols, Bible readings and a large crib are organised by the 4 local congregations and a clergy or congregation member gives a very short address. Although laid on by the churches it is very much a village event and…
This week, our 10 minute service reflects on Matthew 2:10 – When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
It was one Christmas Eve, in the late 1990’s, that I returned home from work to visit an aged aunt living in the annexe of our house. As I entered her lounge, I was aware that she was listening to a Christmas carol concert from Cambridge, though not the famous King’s College. Shortly after my…