Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our Church often seems very empty in lockdown. Rarely are there flickering candles now, people are not coming in and out, our 5pm worship – so much a feature of our Church takes place on line now. The building is … Continue reading →

Should we close church or should we not? I was asking myself this last week. In the first lockdown there was no choice. In the current one safe worship is permitted. A friend advised me not to consult too widely. … Continue reading →

In a lovely short poem entitled Epiphany the poet and economist Jeffery Wheatley gives thanks for some of the added details of the Christmas story which we find in Christmas Carols. (The first two verses of the poem are illustrated … Continue reading →

We all probably spent more time at home in 2020 than we intended. Now it looks as though this will be true for at least the first months of 2021. We’ve found comfort and security at home in the face … Continue reading →

The account of the life of St Apollinaria goes back to the 5th century, and is rather confused in parts. Nevertheless the curious story has within it lessons of acceptance and inclusion for the church today. So let’s commemorate Apollinaris … Continue reading →

O Holy Night is one of the best loved of all Christmas carols. The words and music combine to create a rousing and beautiful carol. It also has an interesting history. The carol was originally written as a poem by … Continue reading →

The story of the massacre of innocent children by King Herod (recalled especially by christians on December 28th) is a significant reminder of the innocence of children, and the way children suffer and are abused – not only in history … Continue reading →

After several years of hard work Edmund Sears, a Unitarian minister in Wayland, Massachusetts suffered a breakdown. He couldn’t return to work, and as he began to recover he took on part time work. In his dark days he heard … Continue reading →

A lovely story is told about the beautiful carol Silent Night. An Austrian parish priest, Joseph Mohr, discovered, on Christmas Eve, that mice had chewed through the bellows of the church harmonium and on that day, of all days, it … Continue reading →