SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Annunciation: a poem
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Annunciation: a poem
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Annunciation: a poem There is only one thing that prevents The gentle movement, heaven into earth: Not the fear which godly greeting brings, Nor cold presumption (God could never speak), Nor empty tomb, nor barren heart,…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 11 Moses
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 11 Moses
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 11 Moses The wind whistles and rattles across the plain. Harsh and unforgiving, it scours the land, and few things grow. You hear it, and you don’t hear it. It is here, and it is gone. There is a dread chill in the air. Eventually it gets inside you. Then one day the cold…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 10 Isaiah
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 10 Isaiah
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 10 Isaiah The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 9 Mary
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 9 Mary
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 9 Mary In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 8 Elizabeth
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 8 Elizabeth
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 8 Elizabeth In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all th…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 7 Joseph
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 7 Joseph
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 7 Joseph Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her …
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 6 Martha
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 6 Martha
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 6 Martha Walking Backwards to Christmas In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 5 David
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 5 David
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 5 David In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 4 Casper
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 4 Casper
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 4 Casper After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ . . . When they saw that the star had s…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 3 Herod
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 3 Herod
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 3 Herod When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 2 Rachel
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 2 Rachel
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 2 Rachel When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had b…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 1 Anna
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Chapter 1 Anna
by SPCK - Stephen Cottrell
Chapter 1 Anna There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with f…
Walking Backwards to Christmas - Acknowledgements