There is something I often think about as we start to approach Christmas and talking about this over the years. The incarnation is quite a hard concept to really understand! When you really drill down into what it means and the implications of it … More Does it matter if we don’t completely understand the incarnation?
What else could we give you on the fifth day of Christmas than five gold rings? … More The 5th Day of Christmas 2024
Our gift to you for the fourth day of Christmas is of course four calling birds … More The 4th Day of Christmas 2024
On the third day of Christmas our gift to you is of course three French hens. This is also the day on which we mark the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod – recounted for you in the hauntingly beautiful Coventry Carol … More The 3rd Day of Christmas 2024
On the second day of Christmas 2024 our gift to you is of course two turtle doves. Also known as “Boxing Day” (in the UK) and St Stephen’s Day (elsewhere), we also celebrate Good King Wenceslas, and the fact that this is indeed the most Wonderful Time of the Year … More The 2nd Day of Christmas 2024
What’s in a name? Some of us have names that were chosen for their meaning, or because they were in the family. Sometimes there is an association, and other times the parents simply liked the name. Some people like their names and some hate them, and choose their own nickname instead. My father was named Albert George, but at one workplace they already had a Bert and a George, so they randomly called him Tony … More What’s in a name?
Good King Wenceslas is a traditional carol that gets sung most years during the Christmas season. Have you ever thought about the words whilst singing them? It’s a narrative song, with elements of dialogue … More Good King Wenceslas:
On this the first day of Christmas 2024 we wish you a blessed festive season. Our first Christmas gift to you is of course a partridge in a pear tree, followed by Rev Sue reading “Christmas Magic”, and our choir will sing for you “O Come all ye Faithful”, with the glorious final verse, sung only on Christmas Day … More The 1st Day of Christmas 2024
I spent two weeks of October in Lahore, Pakistan, which has a longstanding link with Manchester Diocese. What most people have asked me before and since, my mother being one of the loudest voices, is why do you want to go to Pakistan? It is a question I asked myself many times after registering interest in the visit … More My Time in Lahore
I meet up each month for lunch with a group of friends. Usually Wednesday lunchtimes are fairly quiet – this week the pub was full, mostly with people celebrating Christmas, although from the church perspective we’re still in Advent. Every year we have these dilemmas – when to put up the Christmas tree, to have the Christmas flowers and to bring out the crib … More Gaudete Sunday
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 