Word in the Hand

Gospel Luke 2:16-21  T he shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.   When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. Sometimes you could imagine that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus partially because she was this young, innocent, obedient young woman with no authority or status to call her own. Virtually no more than a living 'Ark of the 'Covenant'; a tabernacle (as some of her other titles name her). It is an easy place to put Mary - to name her no mor...

Luke 2:22,39-40 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.   When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.   God's favour seems to mean something different to God than it does to us. Jesus does not have the fostering of Moses; the charisma of Joseph or even the prophetic hope of John. It is much simpler than that. God's favour seems to grant him parents that love him; the curiosity of youth and the encouragement to grow outside the prejudices and assumptions that a small town can label you with.  Even though, as a man, he is still only 'Mary's son' to the locals; being Mary's (and Joseph's) son seems to have taught him all he needed to know - but it couldn't...

Luke 2:22,39-40 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.   When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.   God's favour seems to mean something different to God than it does to us. Jesus does not have the fostering of Moses; the charisma of Joseph or even the prophetic hope of John. It is much simpler than that. God's favour seems to grant him parents that love him; the curiosity of youth and the encouragement to grow outside the prejudices and assumptions that a small town can label you with.  Even though, as a man, he is still only 'Mary's son' to the locals; being Mary's (and Joseph's) son seems to have taught him all he needed to know - but it couldn't have been eas...

A lovely telling of the Christmas Story. A beautiful crib. There is comfort in the repeating of this tradition year after year and it’s not always easy to see the awesome wonder of it. Our God, a child in the arms of a young woman. The Christian faith is rooted in the fact that ordinary people do extraordinary things. That Mary accepted her part in her relationship with God and said ‘Yes’. That Joseph accepted his part in his relationship with God and said ‘Yes’. That shepherds, innkeepers, kings and philosophers found some way in their hearts to say ‘Yes’ . And that these and all the other ‘Yes’s’ from the most unlikely people, throughout Jesus’ life gave God the opportunity to be born among us, to live a life with us, to laugh and cry with us, to make his own choice to die for us and to be with us now. Listen to a baby cry. Left in a cot or pram sobbing for attention, for reassurance. How long can you bear it before you make the choice? To move out of earshot hoping some...

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,  the Expected of the nations and their 
 Saviour.   Come and save us, O Lord our God. If I hear ‘How long have you got?’ one more time – someone may get hurt. Less than a week, actually…which has been the longest week of my life. Never mind the nine months that went before; the 'Yes'; the waiting and wondering; the protection  of Joseph; the comfort of Elizabeth; the knowing that there is no going back. Never mind the ever-spreading ‘everything’, insomnia and nesting urges; listening to the older womens horror stories (why do they do that?); making space; finding room; fearing that you you will be born in the dust at the side of the road. O, yes, the realisation that  soon, you will be born. Because, really, I’d be quite happy for you to stay right where you are: to carry on being ‘the Bump’. I’ve got used to being this shape; living in a pregnancy time zone; cradling your weight in my arms; resting my hands on your...

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. As a rule; I am not particularly afraid of the dark; in fact it has been a solace and a haven for me in much of my life. Strange noises and the suspicious shapes in the shadows tell me that there are many  things outside my imagining and they are often not to be feared. Those of you who share the experience of these periods of insomnia and broken sleep may or may not agree with me but it is in those times that I have generally got to know myself, and my God, better.  it is in the darkness that we reveal our little selves, without embarassment or shame - we weep until our eyes throb with the saltiness of grief - grind our teeth with anguish or anger  - groan at our helplessness- for who is there to see? In the darkness we are able to hurl our fears and regrets at what may feel like a closed door or a strong embrace. It is the confe...

Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel; you open and no one closes; you close and no one opens. Come, and deliver from the chains of prison those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. lost gloves2011 God sits on a chair of darkness in my soul. He is God alone, supreme in his majesty  I sit at his feet, a child in the dark beside him; my joy is aware of his glance and my sorrow is tempted to nest on the thought that his face is turned away from me. Jessica Powers Someone made the comment recently that Christmas should be where it was before the calendar changed - about two weeks ago or so. I have to say, I disagree. There is something viciously Lenten about waiting through these dark days and especially tomorrow, the darkest of days when the sun barely finds the desire to raise its head from the horizon. There is something in the thought that in a few days Joy will enter the world and it won't be enough; because it wasn't last year and I have the d...