Author Archives: Parish Church of St Mark, Chadderton

  Among the most well-known opening lines of any novel, certainly in the English language, is the opening sentence of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between. I don’t know if anyone here has read that book, I haven’t myself but I’m certainly familiar with how it begins, and I think many other people might beContinue reading “Sermon: Holy Family Sunday / Christmas 1 27th December, 2020”

Earlier on this week I was watching a programme on the TV called Charles Dickens and the Invention of Christmas. I don’t know if anyone else here saw it, but what the programme was about was the way in which what we now regard as Christmas traditions and the way we now celebrate Christmas were,Continue reading “Sermon: Nativity of the Lord 24th and 25th December, 2020”

We’ve just heard what must be one of the most well-known of all Bible stories, the story of the archangel Gabriel’s visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s a story we know by different names, The Annunciation, Mary’s Fiat, which means ‘let it be’ or perhaps as Mary’s ‘Yes’ to God. But by whatever nameContinue reading “Advent 4 – Sunday 20th December, 2020”