Silent in the Background

Returning to preach at CCC after my sabbatical (study leave) I pulled my thoughts together around six questions, under the title “You’re Only Human”, borrowed from Kelly Kapic's book . Where have I been? I’ve been reading, thinking and writing about the very human relationship between Joseph and Jesus, and questions like: Who was Joseph, the man? What did it mean for the human boy Jesus to experience having two fathers? How does this relate to the experience of contemporary foster fathers and children in their care? The set word count for my MA dissertation is 18,000 words and I've written about that number, although I've not been working at the strict 200 words per day suggested by someone in my card as I started the sabbatical ("not too hard" they said!) I’ve got more to write, and it needs putting together as a whole, but I’ve done the main work, which was my main aim, and I’m confident that I will finish it in the time allowed. …but what about CCC?! Who are yo...

A reflection on Luke 2-4, based on the talk for CCC 2 January 2022   In 2022 we’re aiming to grow in ‘living like Jesus did’ (1 John 2:6), and we’re starting the year thinking about the Bible – what it is and what does it mean for how we live? In the early chapters of Luke we see that Jesus knew the Bible, Jesus trusted and used the Bible, and Jesus saw himself in the story of the Bible. Know the Bible Chapter 2 of Luke , seeing beyond the details of the Christmas story, paints a picture of a family who knew the requirements of the Torah, the Old Testament laws, and lived accordingly.  Eight days after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph named and circumcised him.  Just over a month after his birth they took Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple for the rites of purification, where they met Simeon and Anna. After returning to Nazareth Jesus grew and became strong within his family.  Over the next few years the family regularly attended the Passover celebrations in t...