Advent

Ding-Dong Merrily Online: what can the bust-up over Greggs vegan sausage roll tell us about the Nativity?

In Gilbert and Sullivan's (probably mercifully) under-performed final collaboration The Grand Duke, a group of political degenerates try and bring down the government of a second-rate European power by means of a sausage roll. It is as ridiculous as it…

‘Light in the Darkness’ – Rev’d Jonathan Aitken preaches Christmas sermon to the Foreign Office

December 20, 2018
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Here is the sermon preached by the Rev'd Jonathan Aitken at the Foreign Office Carol Service, Grand Locarno Room, King Charles St, Westminster, on Tuesday 18th December 2018: It is a…

sentamu brexit withdrawal agreement deal

Sentamu: ‘pure’ (‘real’/ ‘hard’) Brexit is “a childish dream”

December 3, 2018
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On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury was asked about the disparity (/gulf) between the laity and clergy in the Church of England regarding the…

Advent Sunday: people don’t know Jesus, and that’s our fault

December 2, 2018
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There's a lot of confusion about Jesus: there are so many ideas about who he was or is that it almost seems as though there are lots of Jesuses. He…

Advent-cum-Mawlid: church holds joint birthday celebration for Mohammed and Jesus

December 4, 2017
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Mawlid (or Milad) is the Islamic festival commemorating the birthday of Mohammed. The only thing it has in common with Christmas is that it isn't actually the day the celebrated…

Sainsbury’s refuses to sell the Real Easter Egg – what’s their problem with Jesus?

March 20, 2017
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The Real Easter Egg, which explains the real meaning of Easter (yes, it mentions Jesus), is on sale in Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and dozens of independent retail outlets. But Sainsbury's…

Fourth Sunday of Advent: the searing loneliness of Christmas

December 20, 2015
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If you believe the festive ads, loneliness at Christmas seems to be a preserve of the elderly. John Lewis isolates an old man on the moon, and the German…

Third Sunday of Advent: rejoice in the recognition of Jesus

December 13, 2015
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Today is Gaudete Sunday: into the season of waiting, preparing and expecting, we inject a note of delight and good cheer: 'Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I…

Second Sunday of Advent: the gift of a child

December 6, 2015
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It is this Second Sunday of Advent, and the trees are going up. It's beginning to feel a bit more like Christmas. Children all over the world are eagerly…

Black Friday demonstrates that greed is now the god of Christmas

November 29, 2014
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There's that classic moment in Monty Python's Life of Brian when the People's Front of Judea, during their meeting to discuss the overthrow of the accursed Romans, end up getting into…