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Observations

Christmas Is A Let Down

John Lennon got it wrong: war isn’t over. At so many levels Christmas seems not to live up to its billing. What is actually going on?

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Musing On Biblical Themes

Was Christmas Like This?

Most popular images of the first Christmas don’t get the story quite right and I think that matters.

Categories
Observations

The Real Meaning of Christmas

If we really want to get back to the origins of the festival, we should consider getting uproariously drunk in front of a blazing fire and celebrating the return of the sun.

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Observations

Some Thoughts on Christmas Services

A dog is for life, not just for Christmas. And Christmas services are the same; they need to be part of a long-term, thought through process of explaining the gospel, not something that we forget about on Boxing Day.

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Do Not Use

Throwback: God and Humanity

The Incarnation isn’t just for Christmas; it is the climax God’s commitment to humanity which started at creation and goes on into eternity.

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Observations

It Wasn’t A Christmas Card Scene

Eventually, after who knows how long (but it seemed longer to Mary) the little boy was born. The midwife slapped his bum, cleaned him up and passed him to his mum.

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Do Not Use

Throwback: The Real Meaning of Christmas

I don’t think that Jesus needs Christmas. He is not diminished if people consider December 25 as a day to eat too much and to lie bloated in front of the TV rather than celebrating it as his birthday (which it almost certainly isn’t, anyway).

Categories
Observations

Consumerism Eats Itself

How do you show you love your children? Not by spending time with them, reading to them and playing silly games, but by buying them expensive presents. Things are what counts (and incidentally, an iPad makes a great baby sitter).

Categories
Observations

There’s a New World Coming

The Christmas story isn’t really about angels, shepherds, wise men, little donkeys or any of the other paraphenalia of Christmas, it is about the recreation of the whole world

Categories
Observations

God’s Best Gift: A Playstation

As a child, I never understood how Jesus was a gift. I didn’t get to see him or play with him and I certainly never got to see him work any miracles.