Xmas 2020 Archives - Faith in grey places

“And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 The LORD to the Prophet Joel

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 5: Fire

“No, Soren, you can’t fly into fire!” Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is a children’s fantasy-adventure 3D animated […]

Holy Spirit, Joel, John, John the Baptist, Luke, Xmas2020

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A voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 4: Revelation

The twelfth day of Christmas is also known as the ‘Feast of the Epiphany.’ This word means ‘revelation.’ In the

Holy Spirit, John, John the Baptist, Matthew, Xmas2020

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“Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” The Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 40:3

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 3: Ways

As any consent activist will tell you, boundaries are crucial to your health and wellbeing. Transgressing boundaries is inherently unfaithful. It’s no

Isaiah, John, John the Baptist, prophecy, Xmas2020

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Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people. Luke Luke 2:52

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 2: Growth

People say that shame is the feeling you have when you believe something is inherently wrong with who you are. Guilt,

Holy Spirit, Immanuel, John, Luke, shame, Xmas2020

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 2: Growth Read More »

“The light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.” John the Evangelist John 1:5

Christmas 2020: Week 6, Day 1: Meeting

“I think we’ve found Screwtape’s opposite number.” In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis imagined the plight of an ordinary Christian man. His

Immanuel, John, Xmas2020

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“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” The Prophet Zechariah Zechariah 9:9

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 7: Gentleness

Apparently, one translation of the Greek phrase ‘Kyrie eleison’ is ‘Sir, take it easy.’ Christians are more familiar with ‘Lord,

Christ, Isaiah, king, prophecy, Xmas2020, Zechariah (prophet)

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“You are a priest forever— the kind of priest Melchizedek was.” King David Psalm 110:4

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 6: Saviour

“Above all, Tolkien has a fascination with names for their own sake that will probably seem excessive to anyone whose

Christ, David, Isaiah, king, Melchizedek, Psalms, Xmas2020

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And after entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Matthew 2:11

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 5: Integrity

In 2019, I read Kathy Khang’s book Raise Your Voice. She’s a Korean-American and writes about having courage to speak

Christ, Isaiah, magi, Matthew, nativity, Xmas2020

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"With the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him." Daniel Daniel 7:13

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 4: Empires

Let’s talk about divisions. On the one hand, boundaries are good. We put down markers to divide one space from

Christ, Daniel, Isaiah, judgement day, kingdom of heaven, Xmas2020

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“All kings will bow down to him; all nations will serve him. For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help.” King Solomon Psalm 72:11-12

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 3: Justice

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” Grantland Rice, sports commentator. There’s a day

Christ, David, Isaiah, king, Psalms, Solomon, Xmas2020

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 3: Justice Read More »

“Your house (royal dynasty) and your kingdom will endure forever before Me” The LORD to King David 2 Samuel 7:16

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 2: Accountability

Some of the things Jesus said were pretty uncomfortable. One of them was this: ‘For whoever has will be given

2 Samuel, Christ, David, Isaiah, king, Solomon, Xmas2020

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"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat" The Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 11:6

Christmas 2020: Week 5, Day 1: King

Gondor has no King, Gondor needs no King. Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring Some days, I’m with Boromir. The quote

Christ, Isaiah, king, Xmas2020

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"I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began." Wisdom Proverbs 8:22

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 7: Calling

“I am no longer my own, but yours.” Charles Wesley. These are the opening words of a prayer written by

Christ, Luke, nativity, Proverbs, Simeon, wisdom, Xmas2020

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"The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He has named Me.” The Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 49:1

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 6: Princeling

I’m a sucker for good princess stories. I love the idea of being special (who doesn’t?). I love royalty being

Christ, Isaiah, Luke, nativity, prophecy, Simeon, Xmas2020

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The time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:6

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 5: Unexpected

I write this on Christmas Eve, 2020, in the UK where a new lockdown has been declared to manage the

Christ, Luke, nativity, Simeon, Xmas2020

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"He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle." The Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 42:3

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 4: Gateway

It’s funny how crime and throwaway culture go hand in hand. Take fast fashion. It’s not technically a crime, but

Christ, Isaiah, Luke, Simeon, Xmas2020

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 4: Gateway Read More »

Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. Genesis 15:6

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 3: Family

“Family is the first community you know.” I was listening to a British Asian woman speak about her experience of

Abraham, Christ, Genesis, inclusion, Luke, Simeon, Xmas2020

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 3: Family Read More »

“There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.” The Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 53:2

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 2: Scandal

The Greek word ‘skandalon’ is the root of our English word ‘scandal’. It means ‘stumbling block.’ But it should mean

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Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looing forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38

Christmas 2020: Week 4, Day 1: Departure

The song we’re looking at this week is called the ‘nunc dimittis’ in Latin. And for some reason, I’ve always

Christ, Luke, prophecy, rest, Simeon, Xmas2020

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“The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming” The Prophet Malachi Malachi 3:1

Christmas 2020: Week 3, Day 7: Cause

“With hindsight, some could see why things had gone wrong and recognized they had been hard to work with.” Ruth

John the Baptist, Luke, Malachi, prophecy, Xmas2020, Zechariah (priest)

Christmas 2020: Week 3, Day 7: Cause Read More »