A few months back I was diagnosed with a medical condition that required urgent surgery. A date was set, then cancelled, then reset. It seemed like an eternity until the day finally arrived. The only benefit was that I was able to use to time to make all the arrangements so I could be off work for a few weeks although, in my mind, I was thinking that when I woke up from the surgery, the problem would be fixed, and after a short recovery I would be back to life as normal. It turns out, that’s not how most operations work.

There is something special about Christmas lights. There is something about a house all lit up in coloured lights that makes me want to stop and have a look. Light shining in the darkness is compellingly attractive and that idea can help us understand the birth of Jesus.

Naming a new baby can be a challenging process, and not just for the parent. It can be hard for the child who has to live with the results of that choice. Mary and Joseph were spared this challenge because this important matter was decided by God and his decision was delivered by angel.

A couple of years before I moved to Young, I had just finished teaching a Scripture class at my local school when my Fire Brigade pager went off. Amongst other things, I was also the Captain of the local Rural Fire Brigade. I had foolishly decided to walk to school that day so, unfortunately, no car…

The bible describes the birth of Jesus like this…

All of this occurred to fulfil the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.”’ (Matthew 1:22-23).

Trust is a precious thing, easily lost and difficult to regain. A survey taken around the time of the last Federal election found that the Australian public’s trust in politicians and the political system is at its lowest in over 20 years.