John Davies - Notes From a Small Vicar

Celebrating the obsessions of twelve year-old boys

So the obsessions of twelve year-old boys might be an example to us, an example of a spirit we should never lose, whatever our age or experience - a spirit of curiosity, a spirit of dedication to discovery, a spirit of determination to grow in knowledge and insight and skill, in wisdom and maturity.

Sir Bradley Wiggins recently told a reporter, "At 12 I told my art teacher, I’m going to be Olympic champion, I’m going to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour." 

- from today's talk, Celebrating the obsessions of twelve year-old boys.

If Jesus was born today

If Jesus was born today what would it be like? 

 

Well, Mary was an ordinary girl, 

So if it happened today 

I picture the angel Gabriel appearing to her 

at home while she was sitting reading the TV Quick 

or tapping her on the shoulder in Aldi. 

 

If Jesus was born today what would it be like? 

 

Well, Joseph was an ordinary man, 

A carpenter, a worker with wood. 

So if it happened today 

I picture the angel Gabriel appearing to him 

while he was out shop fitting 

or sitting in his van at traffic lights. 

 

If Jesus was born today he would come into the lives of ordinary people like you and me. 

 

If Jesus was born today 

Mary wouldn't be worrying about finding room at the inn: 

She'd be worrying about getting a bed at the hospital; 

Joseph wouldn't be thinking about hiring a donkey to get her there: 

He'd be tidying out the van, topping up the oil, fixing that dodgy brake 

To make sure there'd be no problems once her waters broke. 

 

If Jesus was born today 

Maybe the choir of angels would be singing outside A+E. 

Maybe it would be a group of hospital porters they would choose to tell the good news to. 

 

If Jesus was born today 

The good news would be the same. 

The good news that God is no longer a spiteful, vengeful, violent God 

Bringing misery to the world. 

From now on God is a loving, gracious, giving God 

Bringing peace to all who look for it. 

 

If God came to earth today ... 

The thing is, God does come to earth today - we just need to look for him. 

Remember the words of that favourite carol: 

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; 

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. 

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; 

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel! 

 

Happy Christmas - and may the love, grace and peace of God be with you and all your loved ones today.

 

Tweeting the message this Christmas

Tonight's talk, I'm tweeting, in line with various Archbishops etc. The full sermon is here: John 1 - Finding the right word. Read the much-shortened Twitter version here.

Mary's song of great reversal

At this moment the political agenda of the United States is being set by the President’s embrace of the intelligence of the victim. This is precisely what Mary foresaw in her song of praise for God’s great acts of reversal in history, then and now. In the United States today, at a time of mourning, people of faith are encouraged by the President’s affirmation that with energy, goodwill and political commitment, a world of violence can be turned upside-down in favour of the lowly, the broken, the victims. Those who know The Magnificat will remember: God did just that for Mary: and so, He can do it for them.

- from my talk today, Mary's song of great reversal

 

The judgement of Jesus and the judgement of John

Jesus judges with a power of a different quality from the power of the judgement of John. Jesus relinquishes the power to destroy others and becomes a vulnerable one, exposed to the deathly powers of others, prepared to be destroyed, to give everything away in the cause of love and life.  The Last Judgement of Jesus is something else altogether because it is not concerned with death. When it comes, it comes on the other side of death, death which he has overcome, and it carries the power of life in all its fullness. 

I managed to get Frankie Goes to Hollywood into my sermon on The Last Judgement today - in a good way. Read it here: The judgement of Jesus and the judgement of John.

 

Promises, promises, or just empty words?

‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away’.

That’s what Jesus said, and who are we to disbelieve his promises?

Well, we are people of our time, and in our time people are inclined to disbelieve promises. ...

- from my talk today, Promises, promises, or just empty words?