Posted in Church, tagged Adam4d, Bible, Christmas, Father, flesh, grace, hope, John 1, John 1:14, Son, Truth, word on 25 December, 2014| 2 Comments »
The Vicar is out at Midnight Communion, aided by The Shropshire Lad, who has stayed for Christmas. The small(ish) boys are asleep (I think) upstairs. The Queen has gone to the midnight service for the first time – a couple of other teens from church are also joining her for the first time. My parents are staying and headed for bed. All is quiet and the fire is still hot. Time to wish you all a Merry Christmas – may you know God’s truth and grace – and see his glory – now and in the coming year.
Posted in Food, tagged accompaniments, Apple, Boxing Day, carrots, celery, chopped, Christmas, cranberry sauce, gammon, ham, healthy, leftoveres, Nuts, orange juice, red cabbage, salad, side dishes, sprouts, stilton, turkey on 17 December, 2014| 1 Comment »
This is a brilliant recipe that I mean to post every Christmas but then decide I can’t because I don’t have a photo. Anyway this year I still don’t have a picture of the salad, but here’s the recipe anyway. It is perfect for Boxing Day with cold turkey and ham, and a great way of using up the end of a jar of cranberry sauce or some extra sprouts.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1/4 red cabbage
1 celery stick (with leaves)
6-8 Brussel sprouts
1 small eating apple
1 carrot
75g/3 oz mixed nuts or walnuts/pecans
Stilton (optional – for a full meal of a salad)
Dressing: Mix together 3 tbspn vegetable oil, 2 tbspn cranberry sauce & 3 tbspn orange juice
Shred cabbage, apple, celery & sprouts in food processor or finely slice, grate the carrot (I use my processor for this too). Roughly chop the nuts by hand – the processor blitzes them too fine I find. Mix with the dressing and crumble stilton on top, if using. Feel vaguely healthy and like you’ve neutralised some of the Christmas cake and sherry.
No salad picture, so here’s some festive fairylights instead
Posted in Church, tagged Bible, Charlie Brown, Christmas, Linus, Luke 2, peanuts, true meaning of Christmas on 5 December, 2014| 2 Comments »
Shared by a friend earlier, this is from A Charlie Brown Christmas and was made nearly 50 years ago. Good stuff never grows old. I’ve not read a Peanuts cartoon for years (my parents had loads of the books when I was growing up) but this has made me want to revisit them.
Posted in Faith, tagged Advent, Bible, carol, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Epiphany, faith, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, meditation, Song of Solomon, Song of Songs on 6 January, 2014| 5 Comments »
It’s Epiphany today, when Christians remember the Magi who visited the infant Jesus and his parents, bringing gifts. But we’re still officially (I think) in the church’s Christmas season. I’m rather a hapless Anglican when it comes to the liturgical calendar. But I think it’s still legitimate to share a song that has delighted me in my meditation on the incarnation this year, prompted by an conversation which included the Engineer’s godmother, Song. She has just completed her Old Testament PhD on the Song of Songs, so we now have to call her Dr Song. And she pointed out to me that the carol Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, that I’d loved for a while whilst being puzzled as to its origins, has its roots (badoom-tish) in the Song:
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.Song of Solomon 2:3
The song has also been on my mind as I’ve been reading my bible this season. There are a lot of trees in the bible aren’t there?
Posted in Faith, tagged Children, Christianity, Christmas, faith, Fun, Kids, New Zealand, St Pauls Arts and Media, story on 24 December, 2013| 4 Comments »
Great fun retelling of the Christmas story. And also cute.
They won’t be expecting THAT…
Posted in Church, tagged Advent, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas in Dark Places, Church, download, faith, Glen Scrivener, Jesus, mp4, spoken word, summer, video, winter, YouTube on 13 December, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Glen Scrivener has produced another great spoken word piece this Advent. Christmas in Dark Places reminds us that:
He took on our frailty, he took on all comers
To turn all our winters to glorious summers.
Such a fantastic reminder as I gaze out on our bleak and misty winter churchyard, looking like a scene from Great Expectations. You can download the mp4 for use too.
Posted in Church, tagged Advent, Amanda Robbie, author, book, Christmas, encouragement, free, gift, giveaway, ivp, mess, The Ministry of a Messy House, writing on 9 December, 2013| 30 Comments »
If you’re like me, you probably have one or two (= about a hundred) things left to do to prepare for Christmas. Here in the Vicarage, we have been reading a few of the Jesse Tree readings at teatime but have so far failed to actually get a suitable twig to hang the decorations from. We’ve been pulling the decorations from their tin as we read. And then popping them back, saying ‘We must get a twig to hang these from’. And failing. Are things a bit upside down in your house too? Maybe you even have a few (all the?) pressies still left to buy. Or you need some encouragement in the final flapping. So, in a spirit of festive helpfulness, I have six paper copies of The Ministry of a Messy House to give away in time for Christmas.
Tell me below the latest you’ve been up wrapping on Christmas Eve in the comment box below and on Sunday evening I’ll draw six names out and post your book out first thing next Monday.
Posted in Church, tagged Alan Bennett, Amanda Robbie, Christmas, Church, Cold, Craft, faith, Food, Gary McMurray, Gidsy and Jo, Gone, Inner city, Ladies' Night, Lady in the Van, Martha Moger, Rachel Maynard, The Ministry of a Messy House, Vicarage on 25 November, 2013| 1 Comment »
Vicarage life has been as busy as ever this weekend. A few highlights:
We had a Ladies’ Craft Night. Dreamer had printed lovely fliers and told lots of people about the evening. And she and I had a meeting on Monday all about the crafts and plans for the evening. But then family illness meant she had to be away from the parish. So a couple of valiant church ladies stepped into the breach and helped me to set up and heaps of people helped to clear up afterwards. And somehow, by God’s grace, I managed to prepare the crafts AND a talk – all very simple, I hasten to add. And we had a wonderful night of chatting, creativity, delicious puddings and thinking about how Mary prepared for Christmas. Happily, the only problem was that there wasn’t enough time. So plans are now afoot for an Easter Craft Night – a great way to get church and friends together and share both the gospel and our lives.Posted in Church, tagged Advent, animation, carol services, Christmas, Christmas Time, resources, spoken word, UCCF, video, YouTube on 18 November, 2013| Leave a Comment »
This morning UCCF have launched a spoken word video for Advent and Christmas – great animation and words with a gentle challenge. Another option for your Christmas services, along with Someone is Coming and Joseph.
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