My friend, Steve Kneale, argues here that we should not give over every Sunday to Advent. His argument is that whilst it is not sinful to celebrate Christmas as a cultural festival, we are not required to, it’s not a Biblical command and nor is Advent a Biblical thing. So, he argues, to give up… Continue reading Leaning into advent
Tag: Advent
Home and grief
It’s now 3 years since we said goodbye to my mum and Sarah’s dad within the space of a few weeks. In both cases, there was an unexpectedness although we were aware of serious health conditions. In mum’s case, she had gone into hospital for surgery on a hiatus hernia but didn’t recover from the… Continue reading Home and grief
Someone is Worthy
As the prodigal son set off on his journey home, he kept rehearsing the little speech he had prepared. “Dad, I’ve done you wrong and I’ve sinned against God too. I’m not worthy to be your son anymore, please take me back as one of your hired workers.” Someone was looking out for him. His… Continue reading Someone is Worthy
Unworthy
A Son is along way from home, homeless, treated as an outcaste, on the brink of death. This could in fact describe two sons. In the story that Jesus has been telling, the younger son has left home for a far off country. There, he has wasted everything and at that point, famine hits. Penniless… Continue reading Unworthy
Worthy: What are you worth this Christmas?
Are you looking for something to give away to friends at Christmas that communicates the Gospel? Here’s a little booklet that we are going to be using as a giveaway at our church Christmas events. It’s based on some of the advent reflections I’ve been sharing over the past few weeks. Worthy tells the story… Continue reading Worthy: What are you worth this Christmas?
Because I’m worth it
“Because you’re worth it” the L’Oreal advertisements used to announce. The younger brother in Jesus’ parable believed that he was worth it (Luke 15:11-32). He went to his father to demand his share of the inheritance. In effect, he was telling dad that he was as good as dead to him. To impatient to wait… Continue reading Because I’m worth it
Where the lost things go
Jesus tells three parables about lost things in Luke 15. First he describes a sheep lost out in the darkness, away from the rest of the flock. The shepherd leaves 99 behind to go and find the one that is missing. This has famously been portrayed as an act of recklessness. Why doesn’t he settle… Continue reading Where the lost things go
What the carols mean. Advent Series
A few years back, we ran an Advent sermon series looking at the meaning of different carols at my then church. During the pandemic, I expanded this into a series of talks looking at a range of carols and advent hymns, both traditional and modern. You can listen to the talks here:
#Worthy
The theme for our church’s Christmas events this year is “Worthy?” We are planning two carol services, a traditional style service with classic carols and readings on the 15th December in the evening and a family, nativity service on the 22nd December. We’re also planning for something on Christmas Eve and possibly Christmas Day too.… Continue reading #Worthy
Arise and shine for Advent
Some people like to have a book to work through in the run up to Christmas (Advent). If you haven’t found anything for this year, then why not have a look at “Arise and Shine” which offers devotional studies from the book of Isaiah. I originally prepared this for use in Lent so there are… Continue reading Arise and shine for Advent
Faithroots 