There's supposed to be a divide between kings and citizens, and between gods and humans. Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash But what happens when something, someone... crosses the divide? King Abdullah of Jordan is a barrier-crossing king. If you’ve ever seen the TV show “Undercover Boss,” that gives you some sort of idea. King Abdullah has made a habit of going undercover...

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It's easy to think of hallmark cards and nativity sets a stylised caricature, a cuddly cartoon; a domesticated Jesus. For many, that's the only Jesus they know or the only Jesus they like. What Jesus do you know? What Jesus do you like? In the movie "Talladega Nights," Will Ferrell delivers one of the greatest graces of all time: So tiny... yet still...

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Society places many pressures on us. Some are pretty obvious.But I'm not sure if you've noticed others of them. You probably haven't, because they're so engrained within us. We don't even realise there are other options... Until someone pushes the boundaries.      Goes against the grain.           Does something different. As a mum, I have found myself time...

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Growing up I can remember the power of a simple putdown. It was a pretty 'primary-school' tactic, but all you had to do was say a compliment... pause... and then add an emphatic "not!" "You're cool... not." "You're really good at sport... not." You get the point.  Somehow it was more powerful than simply calling someone a loser or hopeless at sport. It's...

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I dunno if you've ever really stopped.  and thought.  and read the Christmas story.  for yourself? Not "the Christmas story" but the Christmas story. There are details missing, that I'm sure were in there...       s o m e w h e r e . Or was that someone else's version. And there are details included, that I'm sure weren't there...

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At Christmas it’s easy to become overwhelmed by noise. The sound of products scanning “bliiip bliiip,” carollers singing “pa rum pum pum pum,” santas shouting “ho ho ho,” advertisers selling "buy, buy, buy!" There is a lot of noise. I think we might actually like it. Under that cover of white noise, it's easy to hide, it's easy to forget about all the...

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Christmas. There are so many traditions and celebrations and things that bring people together.  What's your favourite? Tonight was our local Carols. It's a pretty special time spent with the community, singing songs together. At our Carols, all songs were about Jesus.  I don't enjoy all of them – Some are slow and boring, Some have questionable lyrics, Some just have too many...

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One of the words that gets thrown around a lot at Christmas is "hope." But what are actually saying? And what are we hoping for? Matthew, quoting the prophet Isaiah from centuries before, writes about one in whom "the nations will put their hope." [Matt 12:21] This is not the same as hoping that you don't get socks again for Christmas this year....

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I am a pastor's wife. My husband works as a pastor, and so that gives me the title of "pastor's wife." There are lots of articles written for me and about me: 12 Ways to Support your Pastor Husband 10 Choices you will Never Regret Making as a Pastor's Wife Pastor's Wife: Helper or Hindrance 5 Types of Friends Ministry Wives Should Pursue...

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A Middle-Eastern family on the run. A people longing, hoping, for something better. A journey from home with no certainty of safety. It's a familiar story; we can become desensitised. In the last few days we've been writing about welcoming and sharing, generosity and service; extension for the sake of another. Can we extend that same heart to those seeking refuge? Photo by...

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I was invited to a Christmas dinner tonight. I shared the meal, in a local backyard, with a dozen or so people, three of whom I'd met before. We all brought something to share: Quiche from homegrown leeks and eggs from her ducks; Homemade rye sourdough that was prepared from 6am this morning; Broad beans from their garden; Lasagne made with milk and beef from their...

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"We'll need to get a bigger table!" That's one of my favourite catch-cries at Christmas. With all the unexpected guests, drop-ins and tag-a-longs, people are used to making room. It's open and inclusive, a time where everyone is 'family,' where everyone is welcome at the table. Once at month at church we have a community dinner after the service. Everyone is welcome, there's...

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In about Year 8, I wrote a book. Ok, actually, I co-authored it with my mum. I shouldn't bring her in to this because I didn't get very good marks... and she is a wonderful writer. But together we wrote a book and, despite my marks, I am proud of it. It was a picture book for a Christian Studies assignment about hearing...

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Singing and Christmas go together. Celebrities and record companies know it. Each year the market is flooded with B-grade albums, hastily smashed together to get some easy holiday sales. Gwen Stefani has recently released "You Make It Feel Like Christmas," Sia has "Everyday It's Christmas" and Hanson, yes Hanson are back with "Finally, It's Christmas." Even Elvis and Frank Sinatra have released new...

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How near is God? Is he way up in the sky, looking down on us? Was he near 2000 or so years ago? Is he so close that he lives within us? How near is God to you? I've been reading this book called Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick. And it's been speaking to me. About lots of lots of things... Photo...

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Yesterday we bought our Christmas tree. We drove to the farm and walked along the rows and rows of trees, discussing their size and shape, imagining their place in our living room. Some were recently planted, others recently cut down. Trees tell a story. Years of abundance and years of stress – stretching and straining for sunlight, forming firm foundations, – growing slowly,...

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We bought a Christmas tree today. A real one. We went to the farm, chose our tree, the man cut it down, and then our car smelt like Christmas. There's something magical about a Christmas tree farm. Row after row after row of trees, varying in shape and size. Huge trees, brand new trees, stumps showing the cycle; reminding us of this shared...

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Over the summer I will watch a lot of cricket. But there is something about sitting down on the couch that instantly makes me hungry. I'll go looking for a quick fix or an easy option and then sit back down. So when you combine the long days of test cricket and the readily available food, I end up mindlessly eating throughout the...

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Do you know about Jesus? Or do you know Jesus? We talk about it a lot. Because it's important.  Knowing about Jesus is good. But is that all that matters? "The Word became flesh and blood  and moved into the neighbourhood." John 1:14 MSG Photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash He intended to move into the sort of neighbourhood we hoped to move into: One where we chat...

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Advent calendars have really taken off. I remember cheap chocolate and crappy cardboard.Now it's all about Pinterest-worthy DIY creations, branded, high-end productions, and hipster craft beer selections. What are we celebrating anyway? Advent is about much more than just counting down the days to Christmas. In fact, as Mike Frost clearly explains, there is much more to it than that (read his excellent blog...

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I’ve moved furniture around in my house again. We move things often, we like to change things up. But it’s meant that this year, there’s not much room for our nativity scene; one thing I always make room for at Christmas.  There is no perfect place for them.  So here we are: Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the wise men, some shepherds, some animals and an angel,...

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