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I often return to musical theatre to reflect on life and faith …the Wizard of Oz, Les Misérables, Hairspray, Lion King… Yesterday I touched on ‘The Gospel according to The Sound of Music’ Climb every mountain,Search high and low,Follow every byway,Every path you know. Climbing mountains is active. This year has reminded us of theContinue reading “Climb Every Mountain”

Christmas always includes ‘The Sound of Music’. This year both the classic Julie Andrews film and the stage show were on television! Religion and politics come together: a young Austrian woman who believes that God has called her to serve Him is confronted by the power of Hitler’s Germany. I was reminded that much ofContinue reading “Maria, Martin and Donald (Religion and Politics)”

Scrooge asks the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be: ‘Are these the shadows of the things that Will be or are they the shadows of the things that May be only?’ Did Scrooge have to remain as he was? Did he control his own fate? Are we victims of our past, controlled by forces outsideContinue reading “Scrooge: Humbug to Happiness”

Scrooge is finally confronted by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Shrouded in black it has neither face nor voice. Scrooge exclaims, ‘Ghost of the Future! I fear you more than any spectre I have seen.’ We had a great Christmas Day yesterday. There were eight of us. We enjoyed much laughter, food, conversationContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come”

It’s Christmas! The second ghost, the ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ takes Scrooge to his clerk, Bob Cratchit with his poor but happy family. Tiny Tim, their youngest, crippled son says the well-known words, ‘God bless us every one’. Yesterday Mark cut my hair; due to new Covid restrictions Mark doesn’t know when his shop willContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Present”

Scrooge would be haunted by three spirits. The first was the ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’…. For many this year Christmas will be very different. Covid restrictions will mean that families, usually together, will be apart. The ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ will come as previous Christmases are revisited. Years of laughter, ordered chaos and happy memoriesContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Past”

‘It’s humbug still!’ said Scrooge. ‘I won’t believe it.’ His colour changed though, when, without a pause, it came on through the heavy door…. ‘I know him! Marley’s Ghost!’ Scrooge encounters the spirit of his long-dead business partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge initially humbugs the supernatural… I’m musing on ‘Revelation’ in my Bible – heaven, thrones,Continue reading “Marley’s Ghost”

‘…every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own  pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.’ I’m no literary expert. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is the only Dickens I’ve read; but I do love the way he paints Scrooge’s character. I’ve often identified withContinue reading “Scrooge”

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”