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Clacks
For the first time ever, I have managed to drive to somewhere in Clackmannanshire and back to Bridge of Allan without getting lost. I did have a road atlas, a streetmap and a couple of maps downloaded from the internet with me, but it still felt like a great achievement. I don't understand why the…
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Songs of Praise
From the BBC website: “Songs of Praise: Christmas Highlights – Pop producer Pete Waterman takes a trip on a steam train and picks his favourite Christmas carols, including performances by Wells Cathedral Choir and Sir Cliff Richard.” Beyond parady.
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Sermon – Holy Innocents
The gospel reading this morning is one of those parts of the Christmas story which can take us by surprise. Indeed, it can be very tempting to miss it out. I had planned to use the Gospel readings for the first Sunday after Christmas instead, because I felt not a little squeamish about reading the…
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Working Time
I think that I might, just about, have recovered from Christmas. Having three services each 12 hours apart over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is hard work. The European Working Time Directive would suggest that one should not be encouraged (or allowed) to do this. It is only a matter of time before the churches…
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Christmas Day – Light that can never be extinguished
There is one image that comes back over and over again at Christmastime ? the image of Christ as the Light. When Jesus comes at Christmas it is as though a blindfold is being lifted or a light-switch flicked on. Suddenly, things become comprehensible which once made no sense. Suddenly, there is the possibility for…
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Listen to the Angel
The angel said to them: ?Do not be afraid; for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.? Let us listen to the angel this night.
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Light
Rejoice, rejoice – the light is coming back. The shortest day is past. I hate the darkness at this time of year. I've never understood why Christmas misses the solstice by just a couple of days. It would make more sense to me if they were one and the same. I find the idea of…
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Cat's Christmas Carol
Tilly received a Christmas Card on Sunday. It features the Blessed Virgin holding the Christ-Child who is looking downwards to where a cat is sitting beside a bowl. The card bears the following rhyme by Dorothy Sayers: All praise to His bountiful name!I do not know why He came;But I'm sure this is true -…
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Headlines
I can forgive the Scottish Sun quite a lot for headlines like the one they are using today – You Can be Sure of Chelle. This, of course is next to a picture of Michelle McManus, whom they think will win Pop Idol.
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di-dah-dah-di-dah-dit
A new morse code abbreviation has just been announced – in case you need to know, the @ symbol was lacking a morse abbreviation, and of course it is being used much more often these days for e-mail addresses. If you need to know, the new abbreviation is di-dah-dah-di-dah-dit which is the letters A and…