Monthly Archives: December 2012

New Year’s Eve: A Litany

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

January For resolutions unresolved, promises forgotten, commitments that crumbled, God forgive me. February From the long darkness save me; from coldness of heart deliver me. March For those who hunger, for those who thirst, may we who fast from overindulgence, … Continue reading →

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Holy Innocents

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

The hard historical evidence for the massacre of the innocents of Bethlehem may be sketchy, thank God, yet the meme pervades our culture, from Moses to Jesus; even though we can barely comprehend the idea, we admit it to our … Continue reading →

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Christmas haiku

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Christmas Day When we pray to a newborn baby, naked, poor whom angels adore

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Christmas Day: John’s Prologue

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Two of the three gospel readings that are offered for Christmas services in our lectionary use the story of the nativity from Luke, the story acted out in Christmas pageants and plays, the story of the manger and the shepherds … Continue reading →

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Christmas Eve: Good news

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

“I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” Good news. “To you is born this day a Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord.” Good news indeed. The shepherds were, it is safe to say, not used … Continue reading →

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Year C Advent 4: The Magnificat

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Mary went out with haste into the hill country. A young woman, a teenager pregnant with a baby of uncertain paternity, an unwed mother in first-century Galilee – you can bet that she got out of town with some haste. … Continue reading →

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Out of the mouths

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

“Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings…” – isn’t that what the Bible says? Yesterday, the NRA broke its quite understandable, even welcome, silence following the news out of Newtown last week. More guns, they suggested, would prevent more … Continue reading →

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Twenty-eight bells

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

In a few minutes, I will sound the bells at our church twenty-eight times, in memory of the people who died in Newtown, CT last week in an incident which has filled our country with grief, horror and sorrow. Over … Continue reading →

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Blue Christmas homily

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

I remember one Christmas Eve years ago, when I was a Sunday School teacher trying to wrangle small children dressed as shepherds and herd animals dressed as small children and deal with both kings and wise guys and try not … Continue reading →

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How long?

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Last week, as I was leaving my children’s school after the morning drop-off, a fluttering thing caught my eye. I realized that it was a red and black ribbon, tacked to a tree at the end of the driveway. It … Continue reading →

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