Sermons And Gubbins

This sermon was given at our Advent Four service on Sunday 22nd December. The gospel was Luke 1:39-55 . I hope you enjoy reading it!   Advent is a strange period in the Church’s year, if you think about it. We always say that it is about waiting. We’re waiting for Christmas Day, for Christ to be born. But, of course, we know that Christ was already born. He was born over two thousand years ago. So, what are we waiting for?   What is Christmas Day, when it comes?   Are we just celebrating another birthday, maybe? Congratulations, Jesus! You don’t look a day over nine hundred! I think, though, that we really should get a bigger cake next year, what with all these candles. Oh, and a fire extinguisher might be handy too…   I don’t know about you. It feels more than that to me?   I think, each year that we go through Advent, we’re actually, genuinely waiting again – each year – for Christ to be born. Not waiting for another birthday, or remembe...

This sermon was preached at our Midnight Mass service on Christmas Eve 2023. It's a rehash of my sermon from the same service in 2021. I hope you enjoy reading it, anyway! Happy Christmas to you! Can you feel it? Have you got that Christmassy feeling yet?   However old we get, there’s still something magical about Christmas isn’t there? And tonight, when Christmas Eve turns into Christmas morning is – for me – the most magical time of the whole season. Maybe it’s all that sherry I drank earlier? Or  maybe , it’s the fact that it *is* night time – the witching hour, if you like, and just being here with you all, with the flickering candles and the beautiful, stirring Christmas music evoking that sense of magic for me. Perhaps that’s why you’re here too? To seek a small glimpse of that Christmas magic?   Even as we grow out of childhood and into adults, I think we still, deep down, hold out hope that the magic of Christmas still exists. We cling to the possibility of all th...

This poem was written for our December poetry group. The theme given was either Love or Christmas... I chose the latter. I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy Christmas! God is Sleeping "Peace on earth", the angels whispered. And for one night, there was peace. The strife was hushed  as all ears strained to hear the snuffles of the sleeping baby, The tiny whimpers providing the signs of life Of a living, breathing, murmuring God. "Do not be afraid", the angels commanded. And for once, all was calm. Fear was cast out as all heartbeats settled in time to a single lullaby, Rocking the creator of the universe as he slept, Safe in the swaddled embrace of the Father's perfect love. "We bring great joy!", the angels sang. And for once, the whole world joined the chorus. The Light shone in the streets and fields as all voices joined as one in laugher and song, And the baby in the manger momentarily opened his eyes  And blew a raspberry to the darkness. But now, t...

This sermon was given at our midnight mass service on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day 2021. Merry Christmas to you! Can you feel it? Have you got that Christmassy feeling yet? However old we get, there’s still something magical about Christmas isn’t there? And tonight, when Christmas Eve turns into Christmas morning is – for me – the most magical time of the whole season. Maybe it’s all that mulled wine I drank earlier? Or maybe, it’s the fact that it is night time – the witching hour, if you like, and just being here with you all, with the flickering candles and the beautiful, stirring Christmas music evoking that sense of magic for me. Perhaps that’s why you’re here too? To seek a small glimpse of that Christmas magic? Even as we grow out of childhood and into adults, I think we still, deep down, hold out hope that the magic of Christmas still exists. We cling to the possibility of all that Christmas promises; reconciliation with alienated family-members, children playing happily – and ...

This talk was first given at our 10:15 service on Sunday 30th December. Our Sunday School was still on leave for Christmas, so I tried to ensure the children were catered for in my talk today! The Gospel was  Luke 2:41-52 , where Jesus stays behind in the temple without his parents. Right! Well, that’s it! Christmas is all done for another year, and now we’ve got some tidying up to do! We need to prepare to go ahead into 2019, and get ready for everything the new year will bring! We’ve got some stuff to do in the church here for that… would anyone like to help me? <children come up> Excellent. Ok. Up here, we’ve got our travelling nativity. Maybe it came to some of your houses over Christmas? Well, now Christmas is done, we need to get it all ready for the new year. Some of the figures probably need a bit of a wash, and maybe a bit of a patch-up here and there. And we need to get a new sign-up sheet sorted don’t we, so we know where it needs to go next year? Ok – you take Mar...

This sermon was first given at our Epiphany service on Sunday 7th January 2018. The gospel was Matthew 2:1-12 . I am quite sure you’ve heard the joke about imagining if, instead of three wise men, there’d have been three wise women in our reading today? They would, of course, have planned their journey well ahead, got directions to the stable instead of to King Herod’s gaff, turned up in time to actually see the child as a baby, rather than – as is currently assumed – roughly two years later, made a casserole, and brought useful gifts, like nappies, baby clothes and a Moses basket. Gold, frankincense & myrrh - the more traditional gifts of the magi...   Things would have all gone that much smoother for the holy family in those early days if that were the case, wouldn’t they? That’s not how the story goes, though. No. Instead of that, we are told about the visit of the magi; mysterious astrologers from a pagan religion (probably Zoroastrianism), with their...

This poem was given in place of a sermon at our 10:15 service on Christmas Eve. It's (obviously) based on Clement Clark Moore's famous poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas .  I hope you enjoy it. ‘Twas the day before Christmas, and all o’er the world Every grown-up was busy; every boy, every girl. The stockings weren’t up yet, the mulled wine not yet spiced, The presents unwrapped still – <gasp!> – the cake’s not been iced! Church-goers were dotted alone in their rows Whilst shopping lists higher thoughts in their heads o’er-imposed. And mum’s getting frantic, and dad’s getting ‘merry’ And – oh no, no, no! We’ve just run out of sherry! And out in the towns, packed shops fill up their coffers As last-minute shoppers vie for last minute offers. Home, quick! Put lights up, to compete with our neighbour; But somewhere else, now, a teenage girl is in labour. And she’s waited – her advent has been 40 weeks – And she thinks of the child that she be...