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Monthly Archives: November 2011

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Gulls and wrens

For the fainthearted . . .

Sitting one day on a park bench in Saint Stephen’s Green, there was a lesson in international politics.

Armed with a tuna baguette and a bar of chocolate for lunch, the mostly deserted park benches offered opportunity to sit and escape.  Across the pond a mother pushed her little boy in one of those three wheeled buggies.  Stopping near the water’s edge, she handed bread to the boy who threw pieces of it around him.  The birds began to swarm: mallard ducks swam across the water, pigeons in their dozens …

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent, 4th December 2011

For the fainthearted . . .

“And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Mark 1:5

Why did they go?

It’s a question Jesus would himself ask.  In Saint Matthew Chapter 11 and Saint Luke Chapter 7, he quizzes them about what they sought in John the Baptist, a reed shaken by the wind, a man dressed in fine clothes, a prophet?  ‘What did you go out to see?’ he asks and it is …

Light transport

For the fainthearted . . .

Though nearly seven o’clock in the evening, the Luas tram carriages travelling from Charlemont to Ranelagh were packed. A man set down his coat, briefcase and laptop in a space between seats and took out a pristine copy of the Irish Times, presumably his first chance to digest the news of the day. A man beside him looked tired, the shadows under his eyes dark, his expressionless face giving no clue to his thoughts.  The brightness of the lights in the carriage did no favours to those whose day had …

From the Huron to Annatrim

For the fainthearted . . .

In the chill last light of Sunday afternoon, we gathered in hundreds to bid farewell to a saintly lady.  Asked to share a few words, I reflected on Jesus’ words to those who had gone out into the wilderness to see John the Baptist, ‘what did you go out to see?’  What had brought people from their firesides to stand in this cold churchyard?

Pondering the huge attendances at funerals, there was a sense of a need to try to construct an Irish theology, a presentation of the Gospel in …

Advent hope

For the fainthearted . . .

The arrival of the season of Advent brings thoughts of Thomas Merton and how words he wrote made the season a different time.

It brings memories of driving along a road in Co. Antrim feeling tired and jaded and listening to the BBC on the car radio.

Christmas was approaching and I had no appetite for it. The season seemed to bring out the worst in people; it brought to church people who had not been seen all year. Being defensive about their failure to appear on any other occasion, …

Winning with Blondie

For the fainthearted . . .

Driving through drizzle and spray on a November evening, the line of tail lights stretched out in front.  Perhaps a tractor or lorry ahead, perhaps just the usual five o’clock traffic.  The drivetime news programme was dull, just more economic woes and politicians closing ranks to defend friends. Pressing the switch brought one of the local stations where they read out the funeral notices and announce bingo and whist drives.  ‘While others bring you talk at this time, we bring you music’, announced the presenter.

‘Probably because music programmes are …

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