Author: stuart

  • A Multicultural Christmas? – it's nothing new!

    It is said that this country is only nominally Christian and that there are places in the UK where Christianity is a minority religion.  Of course Christianity has been a minority religion in other countries since the time of Christ.  Neither is the recent persecution of Christians anything new, though the portrayal in news items…

  • Beit Lahem – The House of Bread

    Midnight Mass 2013:  Beit Lahem – The House of Bread. It’s not Christmas without the ‘Christmas Special’.  Call me old and past it if you like, but – they don’t make them like the used to!  Except perhaps for Dr. Who and we’ll have to wait till the evening of Christmas Day for that.  The…

  • The Journey

    Nothing Changes: “A just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly” From Matthew Ch1 Joseph to Mary’s father perhaps:  “it wasn’t me, it was the Holy Spirit”  No really, that’s a good one – at least it’s original! Whatever Joseph might have been – the angels put him straight. …

  • A chrismas list

    It is most odd to me that many people often say, ‘O vicar, this is your Busy Time’.  As if I have the rest of the year off.  The more enlightened might mention something about Easter as well.  I’ve never come up with a suitable retort and have resigned myself to the benign ‘yes there…

  • Locusts and Wild Honey for Christmas Dinner?

    John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness:  Prepare the way of the Lord.  He’s a strange character – Locusts and Wild Honey!  What a diet.  Relationships between many things are changing.  This is especially noticeable at Christmas.  The relationship between the winter festival and the celebration of Christmas for example.  Cadbury…

  • On a town's poverty

    On returning to a town… The signs read as follows: Closed, Changed, Under new management, redesigned, updated, and I guess for some ‘left behind’ would also be appropriate. The old stone walls of a familiar building bid a welcome retreat from the rain. The welcome is short lived. A silent inquisition at the rerodos leaves…

  • Sliding Doors

    I’ve just written a piece on an old film on journey. Sliding Doors and the question What if?

  • February

    It’s February for goodness sake, February.  So why do I feel like January 2nd?

  • Remembrance

    ‘Y Ddau Brennin” The tale of the Two Kings – a Danish folk tale re-told for remembrance. In the book ‘Active Hope’ by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone a folk tale is recounted from Denmark.  Though the story is perhaps unremarkable, it sheds light on remembrance from a different angle.  Here it is, re-told from…

  • September

    Really?  Already? Well I guess it must be as everything green is blooming and giving forth its fruit, not least the apple tree which has just been harvested in full (far fewer than last year) it will soon be hedgerow jelly time!! mmmmm