Advent and Christmas 2025
Imagine Peace
| Christmas Day 2025 |
The day is finally here! Christmas has arrived. We celebrate because Jesus’ coming to earth is the beginning of God’s Kingdom coming - the kingdom of God is near! The angels worshipped God saying “Peace to those on who His favour rests.” Peace….Imagine a world at peace. And not just the absence of war, but true peace - a fullness, a wholeness. The restoring of broken things, the reconciling of all things. Read more
The day is finally here! Christmas has arrived. We celebrate because Jesus’ coming to earth is the beginning of God’s Kingdom coming - the kingdom of God is near! The angels worshipped God saying “Peace to those on who His favour rests.” Peace….Imagine a world at peace. And not just the absence of war, but true peace - a fullness, a wholeness. The restoring of broken things, the reconciling of all things. Read more
Darkness and Silence: God speaks and brings light
| Advent 2025 / 4 |
During the Season of Advent, we are reminded about our need to wait with expectation and hope even when it feels like we are living in darkness and silence. And so, we listen to the song of Simeon, and reflect with him as he finally sees the Messiah after (probably) decades of waiting. Simeon had to wait for God’s promised to him to be fulfilled. Israel had to wait centuries for the Messiah to come. Read more
During the Season of Advent, we are reminded about our need to wait with expectation and hope even when it feels like we are living in darkness and silence. And so, we listen to the song of Simeon, and reflect with him as he finally sees the Messiah after (probably) decades of waiting. Simeon had to wait for God’s promised to him to be fulfilled. Israel had to wait centuries for the Messiah to come. Read more
Violence And Redemption
| Advent 2025 / 3 |
The Christmas story is not a fluffy picturesque story of peace and joy, it is gritty and real. It includes pain and scandal, violence and murder. And so, Advent calls us to pause and dwell upon the world as it is and the world as it will be. We should not ignore the reality of the world we live in, but neither should we be overwhelmed by the horror of it. Read more
The Christmas story is not a fluffy picturesque story of peace and joy, it is gritty and real. It includes pain and scandal, violence and murder. And so, Advent calls us to pause and dwell upon the world as it is and the world as it will be. We should not ignore the reality of the world we live in, but neither should we be overwhelmed by the horror of it. Read more
Flight and Compassion
| Advent 2025 / 2 |
We consider the contentious topic of immigration and migration and what the Nativity story can teach us about how we handle this topic. Readings Luke 1:46-55 John 1:46 Quotes “They might have been scavengers, trying to sponge off the goodness of others, seeking to take shelter and resources that rightfully belonged to the locals” Listening to the Music of the Soul, Guli Francis-Dehqani “movingly convey that blessings come when we open our arms to those we do not know.” Listening to the Music of the Soul, Guli Francis-Dehqani Read more
We consider the contentious topic of immigration and migration and what the Nativity story can teach us about how we handle this topic. Readings Luke 1:46-55 John 1:46 Quotes “They might have been scavengers, trying to sponge off the goodness of others, seeking to take shelter and resources that rightfully belonged to the locals” Listening to the Music of the Soul, Guli Francis-Dehqani “movingly convey that blessings come when we open our arms to those we do not know.” Listening to the Music of the Soul, Guli Francis-Dehqani Read more
Good News to the Powerless
| Advent 2025 / 1 |
As we start the season of Advent, we are using the Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2025: Listening to the Music of the Soul by Guli Francis-Dehqani. In this series we will be considering how the Nativity Story is still incredibly relevant for us today. It speaks into the big issues that we face in the world today. The first one for us to consider is how it is good news to the powerless. Read more
As we start the season of Advent, we are using the Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2025: Listening to the Music of the Soul by Guli Francis-Dehqani. In this series we will be considering how the Nativity Story is still incredibly relevant for us today. It speaks into the big issues that we face in the world today. The first one for us to consider is how it is good news to the powerless. Read more
