Reflection
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Verse 1: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
In the first verse of this Advent carol Jesus is called Emmanuel. Emmanuel is a Hebrew word meaning “God is with us”. It was some long years (too many!) after I became a Christian that I finally understood that Christianity was about relationship rather than religious observance. Accepting this truth at once sets us free…
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The Young Shepherd Boy
A short story loosely based on Luke 2:8-15. Hi, I’m Jesse. I’m 12 years old. I live with my family in Bethlehem and I’m training to be a shepherd, just like King David was all those years ago. My parents live in a large house at the edge of the town. It’s surrounded by a…
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Topical Bible Study 1: Belief
Smith Wigglesworth once said, “If you would believe half as much as you ask, you would receive.” I set out to look at what the Bible has to say about believing. Healing I started with the gospels and it soon became apparent that Jesus looked for belief in those who came to Him for healing.…
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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel – Introduction
If I were to be asked for my first thought on hearing the word “Advent” it would be to think of one of my favourite carols, ”O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. So, with the season of Advent upon us I decided to dig deeper into the origins of this carol and to give some thought…
