Sermons And Gubbins

This sermon was written for our Sunday morning service on 28th December; the festival of the Holy Innocents . The Gospel was Matthew 2:13-18 . I hope you enjoy reading it! May I start this morning by wishing you all a very happy Christmas!   After this morning’s Gospel reading, that sounds a bit incongruous, doesn’t it? Herod learnt that he had been tricked by the wise men, and so set out and killed all the infants in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or younger. Happy Christmas everyone! What a way to begin our Christmas season – mass murder and infanticide.   This part of the Christmas story is one we often gloss over. It does not – for obvious reasons – make it into our nativity plays. It does not feature in our crib scenes. It does not align with the message of peace and joy and hope that comes with the birth of the Christ child. As such, it may not be one that you’re that familiar with. Let me provide a synopsis:   The magi have visited He...

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...