Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Churches yesterday celebrated the fourth Sunday in Advent, lighting the fourth candle – the candle of the angels. Christians remembered angels appearing to shepherds announcing, ‘Peace to all men’. So it’s also known as the ‘peace candle’. It’s easy to respond to the human aspects of the Christmas narrative – engagement, pregnancy, journeys, working shepherds,Continue reading “Angels and Fairies”

Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum A newborn King to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pumOur finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pumTo lay before the King pa-rum-pum-pum-pumSo to honour Him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum When we come. Yesterday was difficult. Boris’ announcement that Covid is spreading faster has resulted in further restrictions for Christmas. Arrangements will have to change; long awaited family gatherings abandoned;Continue reading “The Little Drummer Boy”

When Covid-world started last March there were rainbows – in homes, supporting NHS staff… We remembered the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and Dorothy singing:        Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blueAnd the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true Times may be tough, but we’ll pull together. Rainbows meant hope. The worldContinue reading “Return to Oz”

Yesterday was a mixed muddle… Watching our bird feeders I saw a ‘blackcap’ for the first time. That’s exciting! We prepared shepherds’ pie for 30 at our church café – given to folk in the local community. We were reminded of foodbanks, poverty, hunger, accommodation for the homeless… We heard of a local man involvedContinue reading “Life and Love in a Mixed Muddle”

British pantomime traditions are bonkers – the dame (a man dressed up as a woman), the chief boy (who’s really a girl), contrived story lines, questionable jokes, animals characters… and audience participation, with compulsory exchanges of ‘O no he didn’t!’ and ‘He’s behind you!’ In this morning’s local paper ‘Christmas Cards For Care Homes’ describesContinue reading “He’s Behind You!”

Yesterday was George Loveley’s funeral. We joined the service at All Nations Church, Bedford by zoom and remembered, with gratitude, George’s life (17th Nov 1920 – 27th Nov 2020). We were reminded that he was born in 1920, he died in 2020 but it’s ‘the dash’, the 100 years and 10 days between, that counted.Continue reading “It’s the Dash that Counts”

I’ve always enjoyed nativity plays – the dressing up; creativity in turning children into cows, camels or stars; inventing characters or embellishing parts of the story (through ‘poetic licence’ or desire to give every child a part)… three innkeepers each saying, ‘No Room!’… I’ve heard the Christmas story each December – Mary, Joseph, Bethlehem, shepherds,Continue reading “No Room at the Inn”

Yesterday our church family met together for the first time – after 40 weeks of you-tubing, zooming and physically isolating. Masked, socially-distanced and non-singing some of us assembled… We remembered familiar words from Ecclesiastes: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… a time to weep and a timeContinue reading “Gaudete”

Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?Did you knowthat your Baby Boy has come to make you new?This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you. Christmas must involve families, traditions and compulsory presents. We’re obsessed withContinue reading “Mary did you know?”

At the end of a tiring and difficult term a young teacher went to church. Many had service sheets; the teacher just got out his school timetable and spread it out. A godly elder reported this to the pastor; the young teacher was summoned to the pastor’s office to explain his actions: ‘I’ve been workingContinue reading “The School Timetable”