These familiar words of Jesus are oft interpreted and preached upon.  This Sunday I am setting them alongside the story of Naaman's wifes' maid - the nameless Hebrew girl who is central to the whole story.  All of which got me wondering about other stories in the Bible at the heart of which are children and young people - how might emulating them impact our own faith and discipleship.

In recent times I have stopped posting so much about my sermon ideas as so many church folk now read this stuff.  Other readers have noticed this and apparently miss reading them.  So this is a kind of compromise - a bit of a teaser that doesn't give away what I'm thinking and talking about but does allow any or all readers some glimpses...  Let me know what you think of the idea of such 'teasers' (or this thread) either by comments or emails

This year I have opted to use the IBRA Words for Today Bible notes as the basis for my daily devotional reading.  Each year I choose a different 'stable' (IBRA/SU/BRF etc) because by the end of the year I feel I have grown too used to the style of a particular set of writers and editors and need a change.

Already the newness of this series is getting my mind working - which is good.  A series on the opening of Luke's gospel has inspired me to think more deeply about the backgrounds of Jesus and John the Baptist than ever before - and all because someone drew attention to words I've read times without number.  The writer observed that John the Baptist was from a middle class family whilst Jesus was from a working class background.  I guess what struck me was the former of these - even though I've always known Zechariah was of priestly descent I'd never paused to think about it.

John was born into a religious family, part of a long line of religious professionals, which may have made his nazarite status less odd than it sometimes appears.  He would have been steeped in the law and experienced first hand the realities of cleanliness laws.  I began to ponder more about his hidden early life.  His parents were already old when he was born, how much longer did they live?  Was he alone by the time he was 12? 20? 30?  Is it any wonder, with elderly parents who quite probably died while he was still young, that he went off to live in the wilderness in some kind of nomadic, hermit existence?  What was his life really like?  Did he and Jesus ever meet at family gatherings (how close were Mary and Elizabeth anyway?)?  And so on.

I was also struck by the difference between the probable life of Elizabeth and that of her 'kinswoman' Mary.  Like so many families in our time, one branch is financially comfortable whilst another is not, one branch are stalwarts of religious establishment, another, whilst seemingly devout, is not.  In Mary and Elizabeth the bizarre contrasts of normal family life are played out - different generations whose children are the same age (it struck me when reading my Christmas cards this year that I have friends who are grandparents and friends whose children are toddlers and all points between); comparative wealth, education and opportunity for one whilst another lives a simple, peasant life.  And yet the God who turns things upside down appoints John as forerunner for Jesus.

It's making me ponder... and that's got to be good.  I am looking forward to working with these notes this year - even though by the end of it I'll be ready for another change I suspect.

Happy New Year!  Having had a lovely week of visiting family and friends at all points south of home, I am now back to work - with cold fingers and toes despite having both heaters on full blast!  There are a few mm of snow on the roads, less on the roofs/rooves, but generally life is plodding along as 'folk dressed up like eskimoes' face the return to work.  Quite how the man in the coffee shop can cope with wearing a tee-shirt is beyond me, must be very warm in there - I'll check later when my toes are really, really cold.

Anyway, New Year, and that lovely sense of freshness as the diary pages are still crisp and white and the possibilities seem endless.  Even while the problems of last year rumble on unabated, it is good to dare to dream of the year ahead.  As I settle into my 'new' place it is exciting to begin to anticipate how the story will unfold, the new things God will show us and draw us to share in, as well as the continuation of good things already established.  Lots of challenges ahead no doubt but lots to enjoy too.

Happy and Hope-filled 2010 everyone.

Christmas Day in Glasgow was a really joyful occasion.  We shared together in worship before being joined by overseas students, lonely people and a few families for a lovely Christmas Lunch, interspersed with carols.  It was a great day, and the buzz of conversation, gales of laughter and smiling faces (and even the inevitable grumble from professional moaners!) combined to make it a real expression of love in action.

After a day off, we met again for worship on 27th, and despite poor weather conditions and several folk being away, had a good congregation including a few visitors as we pondered the differing emphases of the Luke and Matthew birth narratives and wondered 'what happened next' for shepherds and magi (not recorded anywhere) before asking ourselves 'what next' following our own encounter with the infant Jesus.

All in all a great few days.

PS If any 'Gathering Place' folk want copies of these or other photos, I can put them on a disc for you.

Half listening to the BBC news last night I caught the words 'David Taylor MP' and 'died'.  Looking up I saw a photo of my former MP who, at the age of 63, had died suddenly after a heart attack whilst out walking at a local beauty spot with his family.  It was something of a shock - this affable and accessible MP was well known through North West Leicestershire and a familiar face in Dibley and district.

I wouldn't say I knew him, but we were on first name terms - a characteristic of his style of working - and certainly many of my former congregation knew him quite well.  Living about 6 miles from Dibley, David was a stalwart of his local parish church, I believe a church warden at one point, and he gladly came and spent an evening at our "thing in a pub" talking about faith and politics with those who would come, around a dozen of us.  That says a lot about this man, who would interrupt a busy schedule to be among his people.

David was happy to be a back-bencher and revelled in constituency life.  Whether or not you shared his views (and he was quite often in trouble with the whip being more 'old labour' than 'new') you had to admire his conscientious hard work and genuine concern for those he represented.  Having already decided to step down at the next election, Daivd's term of office was already nearing its end, leaving a legacy of love and respect.  My thoughts are with his family and his constituents at this time of loss.  Well done, good and faithful servant.  RIP.