On the hills outside Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:1-13 & Luke 2:8-20)

A young shepherd boy had been out on the hills near Bethlehem tending his sheep when he was surprisingly summoned to return to his father Jesse’s house. When he arrived a feast was about to get started because Samuel the prophet had turned up. However, before Samuel would allow the food to be served he […]

Joyful worship (Matthew 2:10-11 & Luke 2:20)

The Nativity story describes two groups of people who come to meet the baby Jesus: the magi and the shepherds. You can’t really imagine two more different groups of people! The magi were pagan astrologers – magicians – who had travelled hundreds of miles and expected to walk into the palace in Jerusalem and be […]