CCBC

Posts from December 2017

Advent love – 24 December 2017

The traditional theme of this fourth and final Sunday of Advent is love.  This is rightly the climax of Advent when we remember and celebrate again that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3v16).  The hope, peace and joy that we experience…

Advent joy – 17 December 2017

The traditional theme of this third Sunday of Advent is joy.  The angel told the shepherds that he brought them “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2v10).  Timothy Keller writes that such joy is not “a fizziness or giddiness that goes away in the face of negative circumstances.  It is more like the ballast that…

Advent peace – 10 December 2017

The theme of this second Sunday of Advent is traditionally peace.  It has been said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish things you’ve started – one person claimed they were well on the way to such peace having finished one evening two bags of crisps, a strawberry cheesecake, a packet of biscuits, a bottle of coke and a…

Advent hope – 3 December 2017

Today marks the beginning of Advent – the lovely season building up to Christmas Day.  The theme of this first Sunday of Advent is traditionally hope.  Christian hope is very different from what the world describes as “hoping for the best” – for instance in regard to the weather, health, football results, even world peace.  By way of contrast, and as defined…

Little by little

I have been overwhelmed by the concern, casseroles, cards and communications I have received as a result of the extremely serious / excruciating / unbearable (delete one or more (or all)) gout I have been suffering in my right foot.  One or two may be relieved / exhilarated / disappointed (again delete whichever doesn’t apply) to hear that I believe I have…