Lectionary 28/12/2025
- First Sunday after Christmas - Year A
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A stranger who would be a friend to people
A stranger who would be a friend to people
by Andrew Pratt
First Sunday after Christmas Day Isaiah 63: 7 – 9 Hymn: A stranger who would be a friend to people A stranger who would be a friend to people, to hold and fold within the arms of love, a shaking, stirring, challenger of nations, yes, this is God, in whom we live and move.... An…
Herod waiting Herod watching
Herod waiting Herod watching
by Andrew Pratt
First after Christmas Year A Matthew 2: 13 – 23 Hymn: Herod waiting, Herod watching Herod waiting, Herod watching, Herod grasping, holding power, Herod fearful for the future, Herod counting every hour... Tune: HEROD WAITING, HEROD WATCHING - sheet music available to download. …
Flight into Epypt
Flight into Epypt
by Marjorie Dobson
First Sunday after Christmas Day Matthew 2. 13-23 Meditation: Flight into Egypt Another journey! And we’re going in the wrong direction again. What is God trying to do to me? To us? Why can’t we just go home and live in peace? I know Jesus is a sturdy child – and a happy one too,…
The boy in the Temple
The boy in the Temple
by Marjorie Dobson
First Sunday after Christmas year A (second service) Luke 2.41-52 The boy in the Temple Parents were panicking, searching and desperate. Where was the child who should be in their care? Friends started muttering, chattering, gossiping, ‘Surely they must have known he wasn’t there…
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas Year A
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas Year A
by SPCK - Jane Williams
The First Sunday of Christmas - Year A Isaiah 63:7–9 Hebrews 2:10–18 Matthew 2:13–23 Isaiah and Hebrews show us God’s way of being in the world, a way that should be blindingly obvious to us at Christmas. Isaiah is reminding the people of all that God has done for them throughout…
Intercessions for Years A, B and C Book - Intercessions – Christmas 1 – Year A
Intercessions for Years A, B and C Book - Intercessions – Christmas 1 – Year A
by SPCK - Ian Black
Intercessions – Christmas 1 – Year A Glory to God in the highest And peace to his people on earth. Lord of grace, your love is steadfast and we are saved by your presence in your Son. Give to your Church the gifts of grace to proclaim your liberty . . . We will exalt your name. L…
Twelve Months of Sundays Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas Year A
Twelve Months of Sundays Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
The First Sunday of Christmas - Year A Isaiah 63: 7-9 Hebrews 2: 10-18 Matthew 12: 13-23 More Isaianic translation problems. Fortunately here the meaning is not in doubt. ‘In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them’? – or is it ‘He became t…
Clouds and Glory Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas - Year A
Clouds and Glory Year A - The First Sunday of Christmas - Year A
by SPCK - David Adam
The First Sunday of Christmas Isaiah 63.7-9: Ps. 148. [1-6] 7-14 : Hebrews 2. 10-18 : Matthew 2. 13-23 Opening Prayer, Prayer of Intercession, The Peace and The Blessing. Father, we remember before you all who are persecuted for their faith, those imprisoned for their beliefs, Fa…
Herod Waiting, Herod Watching
Herod Waiting, Herod Watching
by Andrew Pratt
Music for the hymn 'Herod Waiting, Herod Watching' by Andrew Pratt Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, www.stainer.co.uk. Please include any reproduction for local church and school use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial…
Prayers for All Occasions Book - New Year Prayer
Prayers for All Occasions Book - New Year Prayer
by SPCK - Ian Black
New Year Prayers for All Occasions Lord of time and eternity, we stand on the threshold of a new year. Strengthen our resolve to dedicate our lives afresh in your service leaving behind all that would distort your image within us... Taken from Prayers for All Occasions by Ian Bla…
All Desires Known - Defender of the Helpless Collect
All Desires Known - Defender of the Helpless Collect
by SPCK - Janet Morley
DEFENDER OF THE HELPLESS Collect Matthew 2.13–18; 1 Corinthians 1.2–9 God of the dispossessed, defender of the helpless, you grieve with all the women who weep... Christmas 1 (A); Holy Innocents (ABC) Taken from All Desires Known by Janet Morley Published by SPCK
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Unity in Everything
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Unity in Everything
by SPCK - N T Wright
Unity in Everything Philippians 2.1-4 We sat and watched spellbound as the actors moved at what seemed like the speed of light. It was a complex and intricate play, with many layers and double or treble meanings. At times things were happening so fast, all around the stage, that …
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The Mind of the Messiah
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The Mind of the Messiah
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Mind of the Messiah When people in the ancient world thought of heroic leaders, rulers and kings they often thought of Alexander the Great (356–323 BC). At the age of 20 he succeeded his father Philip to the throne of Macedonia, quickly made himself master of all Greece, and …
Luke for Everyone - The Boy Jesus
Luke for Everyone - The Boy Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Boy Jesus Luke 2.41-52 When I was a child, I walked a mile to the bus stop every morning, by myself or with my sister. At the other end of the trip, I walked by myself to school. In the evening, I came back the same way. I never felt unsafe, even in the dark winter days. Now,…
Prayers for First Sunday after Christmas
Prayers for First Sunday after Christmas
by John Birch
First Sunday after Christmas (Years A, B and C) OPENING WORDS A lot has happened in the last week. Some of us have spent time travelling, maybe to the places that we grew up in to visit family and old friends. Gifts and greetings have been exchanged, carols have been sung to remi…
Hebrews for Everyone - The Messiah and His Brothers and Sisters
Hebrews for Everyone - The Messiah and His Brothers and Sisters
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Messiah and His Brothers and Sisters HEBREWS 2.10-18 Some while ago there was a movie by the name of A River Runs through It. It told the story of two brothers growing up in the beautiful Montana countryside. The older one was quiet, studious, hard-working; he got a good job …
Nativity from Above
Nativity from Above
by Andy Lindley
Not scriptural accurate, but I wanted to convey, as the scriptures do also, the impact of Jesus' birth on the breadth of humanity from the lowly shepherds, gentiles, jews and even wise and noble. The light emanates from Christ, mirroring John's gospel, and that Jesus is the light…
Meditation - 1st Sunday of Christmas Year A
Meditation - 1st Sunday of Christmas Year A
by David Middleton
Meditation – 1st Sunday of Christmas Year A Another Joseph goes to Egypt Matthew 2: 13-23 Joseph reeled in agony at the news. He had just heard that back home, many infant lives had been lost at the hands of Herod, who, frightened that a newborn baby would take his throne, had mu…
LWPT Meditations - First Sunday of Christmas - Year A
LWPT Meditations - First Sunday of Christmas - Year A
by Susan Thorne
Meditation – First Sunday of Christmas Yr A Isaiah 63:7-9 Psalm 148 Hebrews 2:10-18 Matthew 2:13-23 After Christmas we have to return to reality, back from snowy landscapes peopled by shepherds and wise men, back from the glowing stable – far cleaner and more comfortable than an…
Snowy Bench
Snowy Bench
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - From Worldview to Theology
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - From Worldview to Theology
by SPCK - N T Wright
Part 1: PAUL AND HIS WORLD Chapter One RETURN OF THE RUNAWAY? 2 Philemon and the Study of Paul (iii) From Worldview to Theology The particular claim of the present book, then, embodied in the transition between Part II and Part III, is that when we understand the worldview of Pau…
Snowy scene with sledge
Snowy scene with sledge
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Snow Fun
Snow Fun
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Sledging
Sledging
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Snowy Gateway
Snowy Gateway
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Sparklers
Sparklers
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Robin
Robin
by Rose humphrey
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Times and Seasons - Full Service - First Sunday after Christmas - Year A
Times and Seasons - Full Service - First Sunday after Christmas - Year A
by Andrew Pratt and Marjorie Dobson
Full Service First Sunday after Christmas Year A Order of Service contains: Call to Worship Opening Hymn Prayer- God of our future Hymn Reading - Isaiah 63:7-9 Reading - Psalm 148 Hymn Reading - Hebrews 2:10-18 Reading - Matthew 2:13-23 Sermon Idea One - Flight into Egypt Sermon …
How can humans cause such carnage
How can humans cause such carnage
by Andrew Pratt
How can humans cause such carnage, ravage all the earth? How can people slaughter children they have brought to birth? Have we lost all moral sense, or is this just our human curse? When we turn the page of history life can seem so cheap. As we read of Herod’s hatred we are moved…
Poem/Meditation-A day to remember
Poem/Meditation-A day to remember
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/Meditation : A day to remember? Remember a birth, insignificant coming, disruption, taxation, migration, not homing; except to a stable or some say a cave, foreshadow of future, too imminent grave. This is the day, but three years yet onward. Our dates mix and muddle, confus…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Blessings and Atrocities
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Blessings and Atrocities
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Blessings and Atrocities Psalm 128-129 On the satirical Web site The Onion, one of last week’s headlines proclaimed, “Lack of Media Interest Makes Genocide Cover-Up Unnecessary.” The “story” explained that an African warlord had declared that global disinterest in the wholesale s…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Dance and Slaughter
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Dance and Slaughter
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Dance and Slaughter Psalm 148-149 As a teenager, I did not learn to dance or to shoot a gun for different reasons. I didn’t learn to dance because my church regarded dancing as “worldly”; it wasn’t appropriate to people who were really committed to God. I didn’t learn to shoot be…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Where is he who is born King of the Jews? Infancy narratives, Matthew 1—2 Mark begins with ‘the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’, but Matthew picks another key word – genesis: ‘the book of the generation (biblos geneseos) of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham’ (1.…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The Teacher’s vindication The Resurrection, Matthew 28 This atmosphere of supernatural intervention openly visible to all continues into Matthew’s resurrection account, as does his desire to tie up the loose ends and explain the difficulties. While Mark ends with a characteristic…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Those who are burdened with heavy loads The ministry of the ox The keynote for Luke’s portrait of Jesus is set in his initial visit to the synagogue at Nazareth (4.16–30). Luke’s story is three times longer than the equivalent accounts which occur much later in Mark and Matthew (…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - From four gospels forward to many Jesuses
Four Gospels, One Jesus - From four gospels forward to many Jesuses
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
From four gospels forward to many Jesuses Many interpretations tend to create the subject’s portrait in the author’s own image. Irenaeus applies the four living creatures not only to the evangelists themselves, but also to their portraits of Jesus: the four symbols are ‘images of…
Heavens and Waters Praise Him
Heavens and Waters Praise Him
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A composition image created by Twelvebaskets Ltd Original 'Grey Clouds' by Rose Humphrey Original 'Sea' by Rev David East Image layering, blending and text by Twelvebaskets Ltd For details of composition images and accreditation see our Terms & Conditions
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 148
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 148
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A selection of commentary, reflection and prayer ideas from various Christian authors and the full bible texts from the NRSV for this week's lectionary. NOW INCLUDING SERIALISED BOOKS FROM SPCK AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRF. Check below for details. Subscribe to Fresh Thoughts For S…
The Women's Bible Commentary - The Household Code
The Women's Bible Commentary - The Household Code
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Household Code The author believes that behaviour appropriate to the new life is communal in nature (3:12–15), constituted by Christian worship (3:16–17), and marked by the peace and harmony of the reconciled creation (3:14)…
The Act of Prayer Year B - First Sunday of Christmas Year B
The Act of Prayer Year B - First Sunday of Christmas Year B
by BRF - John Birch
First Sunday of Christmas Year B Opening prayer We join with creation and the angels above in praising our maker and redeemer for the wonders around us, the glory of his grace, and the Christ-child, born in a stable who is salvation for all people upon earth…
John 1:1-5 A reflection