Star of Wonder?
Did the Star of Bethlehem actually exist? I will look at various theories surrounding the Star of Bethlehem and ask a leading astronomer from Durham University for his views.
Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.
(Matt 1:2)
Ever since Matthew the Apostle penned these words in the decades following Jesus’ death, the search has been on to link the Star to an actual astronomical event, even though only one of the Gospels even mentions it. Continue reading ‘Did the Star of Bethlehem really exist?’
Matthew 22:34 – 39
Love is our natural birthright as a Christian – it’s an internal evidence of the Spirit within us. But the doing is external evidence for the world to see. That is the Fruit of the Spirit. We have love in us because God is Love; it’s getting it out that’s the problem. Continue reading ‘Loving others as yourself’
Galatians 5:16-26
Manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit is something all Christians can and should do. It is not dependent upon our personalities. As someone who is socially confident and obviously gifted in creative and spiritual things, I used to believe that the opposite of me is what a Christian should be. Surely quiet, ‘background’ people are naturally more gentle, faithful, patient and self-controlled. Continue reading ‘Personality and the Fruit of the Spirit’
Matthew 15:1-17
The cantelope pepper I told you about yesterday turned out to be a bit of a one hit wonder. It bore one gorgeous, tasty, fleshy red fruit, but that was it. Meanwhile, the little chilli took its time and finally produced a small, but significant crop. I had to decide between keeping the flashy pepper or the faithful chilli as the latter was slowly being strangled by the former. One needed to be cut back so the other could grow. Continue reading ‘Fruit that will last’
I once had a chilli plant growing in my kitchen. Year after year it produced the hottest little chillis you could imagine. And it was beautiful too. I loved my chilli plant and actually shed a tear when it died after my housesitter forgot to water it when I was away on a month-long holiday. Fortunately I had dried some of the chillis so I used them to replant. I prepared the soil with the best compost I could find, planted the seeds, watered them and put them on a sunny window sill.
About a month later the chillis began to grow. But one plant outdid its siblings: the shoots were greener, the leaves bigger and the first flower was enormous. It was only when the fruit began to form and became round and bulbous that I realised this wasn’t a chilli but a cantelope pepper. I now have a scrawny chilli plant in the same pot as this high achiever but because their root balls are so entwined I can’t separate them.
In Matthew 7:15 – 23 Jesus warns people about the fruit of false prophets. They appeared to be one thing but turned out to be something else. However, this principle can be applied more broadly to all people and all Christians. We will be judged not by our potential or what we claim to be, but what, in the end, we finally produce. By their fruit you will know them.
This meditation is taken from a series in Faith Station. Published by King’s Cross Training.
Over the next few months I’ll be posting a series on the Fruit of the Spirit that I wrote for King’s Cross Training’s Faith Station devotional. This is the first…
A spiritual MOT
Metaphors are wonderful things. They are images that help us understand deep concepts and ideas. In this series we will be looking at the image of fruit to illustrate some characteristics of the Christian life. But before we do that, I thought it would be helpful to use another metaphor. Over the next few months you will be getting a spiritual MOT or ‘road worthy’. When you take your car in to be checked the authorised agent has a list of things that should work, which your vehicle is judged against. If your old rust bucket doesn’t pass the test it will not be allowed on the road as it would be a danger to other road users. Continue reading ‘Fruit of the Spirit – a ‘MOT’’
When Jesus walked the earth he didn’t hire a hall, put out some posters and hope the people would come to him. No, he put on his shoes and took to the road, meeting people as they worked, lived and played. Now and then he would drop into a synagogue, a place of gathering for learned discussion; then finish off his day having a drink with some friends at a local. Jesus went to where the people were.
Increasingly, in this ‘Internet age’, the people are found online. A recent survey suggests that your average Briton spends at least six hours online a week 1 – that’s far more than they spend in a church building. In response to this, a number of church and ‘para-church’ groups are providing – online meeting places – for Christians and those exploring their faith to gather. Continue reading ‘The Cyber Church’
Even though we don’t like to admit it, Christmas is coming and presents need to be bought. If you are looking for a good book for children, apart from the usual sleigh bells and nativity tales, here’s my recommendation:
Title: What's Christmas
Written by: Alexa Tewkesbury
Illustrated by: Steve Boulter
For ages: 3 – 6
Publisher: CWR
Award winning author Alexa Tewkesbury has written an endearing tale challenging the traditional ways of telling the Christmas story. Snow Bear wants to know what Christmas is. She is given a series of explanations ranging from singing angels to the birth of a baby king. But what she really wants to know is what it all means. It’s only when Old Polar tells her about how much God loves us that she finally understands. The beautifully constructed text is matched by charming illustrations and a little bit of subversive humour (look out for the Puffin Guide to the North Pole!).
As a writer I believe that storytelling is one of the best ways to communicate the truth and fiction is not always the opposite of fact. Stories, whether fictional or otherwise, can help us view the world in a clearer way. Someone else who believes that is Raffi Shahinian. Raffi hosts a ‘blog carnival’ on his site Parables of a Prodigal World In it he presents a round-up of some of the most thought-provoking Christian writing on the web today. This week he has featured my ‘Tainted Gold’ Olympic article. So if you want to wile away an afternoon, drop by.
Welcome to my site - I'm Fiona Veitch Smith, a freelance journalist, author, playwright and writing teacher. This site contains thoughts and articles I've written on a range of topics. I hope you find them useful.
Hope for the credit crunch