Christ Church Mandurah Resources

 Matt 2:1-12 The Epiphany – CCM I can remember a TV advertisement which the hardware store Bunnings showed after Christmas a few years ago. In fact I think it began on Boxing Day. It showed a little man sweeping away all the Christmas decorations and saying something like “Now that Christmas is over for another year…..” The implication being that we should pack away both the decorations and all the good feelings which Christmas engenders, and immediately get back to our normal routines. If that is your thinking, then Christmas must seem like a great deal of effort just for 24 hours. And I believe that the hot cross buns are already in the shops in anticipation of Easter. For Christians, the celebrations of Christmas go on, and today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the wise men, and the giving of the gifts to the baby Jesus. We know very little about these men –perhaps they were kings. It’s possible that they were Zoroastrian astrologers, and it was

 MATTHEW 5: 1:12 JOHN 3 REV 7 CCM Today in the church we commemorate All Saints Day. In fact, our readings this morning seem to have little in common, from the sermon on the mount, to the letter of John, to the book of revelation, but what they do have in common is the assurance that God knows his own children. And that is all those believers who have gone before and we here this morning. I wonder if you had any visitors last night, trick or treating. Local shops in town have had scary masks and witches hats in their windows for weeks. I had never heard of trick or treating when I was a child, but it is based on an ancient church tradition, that have nothing to do with witches. In the middle ages, poor people in the community begged for soul cakes, and would promise to pray for departed souls if they received them. And if, for example, you knew that your uncle Fred had led a sinful life here on earth, you would give out soul cakes and pay these people to pray for the soul of uncle Fred