This is for those at the Christmas Dinner. Adrian mentioned about teh tradition of the Gavle goat in Gavle, Sweden. Since 1966 it has been the tradition to build a 5 metre high goat. and it has also been the tradition to try to burn it down, to the point point where they have webcam’s trained on it. You can read more about it here.

The question was whether it would it survive this year:

That’ll be a “No!”

Here’s a scheme to get me blogging again! I am going to attempt a series of posts reflecting on the whole advent period. I might put up thoughts, quotes, links to resources. I say might because who knows!!

What I am going to start with is an alternate Christmas Carol, just to get me in the mode. The best way to appreciate this is to sing it out loud to yourself [or others?!]:

*Jingle All The Way*

Chorus:
Profits here, profits there,
profits everywhere
Christmas time is funny
we smell money in the air
Advertise, glamorize,
fool you with a flair.
Let’s make sure that Christmas
is a businesslike affair.

You’re eating up our lies and dashing to the stores
Then all our prices rise and how the money pours
If we don’t keep you drugged and watching your TV
You might see the hypocrisy
then where would business be?

Chorus

We’ll tell you how to think and tell you what to try
What to eat and drink and how to live and die
And if our plan succeeds, when Christmas-time is nigh
Instead of seeking love and peace you’ll hunt for gifts to buy

Chorus

[ed: I hope this doesn't set the tone for the whole series, you scrooge!!]

ht indymedia

Advent

A good point was made yesterday by Dave Hill in our Home church. We were talking about Isaiah 64 and the Jews desparation for God’s intervention in their situation. Dave mentioned that we are so comfortable that we very rarely get to that point of desparation.

I gues the reality that we can manage through life not actually needing God. In fact we can get through life without needing each other too. It made me think that I hope that I decide to need God, before he decides to bring me to a point where I have to need him.

As one African famously said: “I didn’t know Jesus was all I needed until Jesus was all I had”.

Advent

A good point was made yesterday by Dave Hill in our Home church. We were talking about Isaiah 64 and the Jews desparation for God’s intervention in their situation. Dave mentioned that we are so comfortable that we very rarely get to that point of desparation.

I gues the reality that we can manage through life not actually needing God. In fact we can get through life without needing each other too. It made me think that I hope that I decide to need God, before he decides to bring me to a point where I have to need him.

As one African famously said: “I didn’t know Jesus was all I needed until Jesus was all I had”.

Advent

A good point was made yesterday by Dave Hill in our Home church. We were talking about Isaiah 64 and the Jews desparation for God’s intervention in their situation. Dave mentioned that we are so comfortable that we very rarely get to that point of desparation.

I gues the reality that we can manage through life not actually needing God. In fact we can get through life without needing each other too. It made me think that I hope that I decide to need God, before he decides to bring me to a point where I have to need him.

As one African famously said: “I didn’t know Jesus was all I needed until Jesus was all I had”.