Posts Tagged: ‘Luke’

The Night Before Christmas

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during December 2024]

“Twas the night before Christmas” is the opening line of a popular poem first published in 1823 and commonly ascribed to Clement Moore, an American professor and author. It relates a vision of Christmas Eve with snow, reindeer and a jovial Santa dispensing gifts whilst children are asleep. Although the poem predates the accession of Queen Victoria, the sentiments it expresses, along with the writings of Charles Dickens, have helped to form our perceptions of a Victorian Christmas. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Black Friday

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during November 2024]

Black Friday logo

In many parts of the USA the Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. The official date for Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, which means that, in theory, Black Friday 2024 is 29th November but the particular activities that gave the day its fame are rarely confined to just that date. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Remember, Remember

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during November 2024]

The 5th of November is one of those dates which seem to have a more than average frequency in a catalogue of world events. Even if we ignore the current headline-grabbing squabble amongst some dissident former colonialists,[1] events occurring on the 5th November have had a disproportionate effect on history. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Where do I Begin?

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during October 2024]

As often happens when preparing these reflections, it starts with a question: “Where do I begin …” Fortunately, the actress Julie Andrews is able to offer some advice:

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start [1]

For us as Christians (and for everybody else but few admit it) that takes us to the earliest verses of the Bible. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Sing It Again

[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during October 2024]

During the past few weeks we have been encouraged to think of worship as more than just singing songs on a Sunday morning. We heard five sermons exploring the impacts of a wider concept of worship.[1] Worship should:

  • engage our whole lives
  • offer us fresh insight
  • transform our ordinary actions
  • inspire our everyday communication
  • focus our wavering hearts

 
No doubt, when we heard those sermons we felt a desire to apply them but now, a few weeks later, has that resolution passed the same way as so many others? In short, do the words that we sing on Sunday still ring true on Tuesday morning? (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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Believe It, Or Not

[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during August 2024]

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.

This proclamation is known as the Memorial Acclamation and it has its formal origin in the liturgy of several of the early Eastern denominations. More recently it has been adopted by many of the major western denominations.[1] Whilst it is primarily used in communion services it is a simple statement of faith that is appropriate for many other occasions. (more…)

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Contributor: Steve Humphreys
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