Did you known the word “Lent” comes from the Old English “lencten” or “lengten”, which means “spring” and literally translates as “lengthening” (of hours of daylight). This in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic “langatīnaz” from langaz (“long”) + tīnaz (“day”). In the Southern Hemisphere, however, the first signs of spring are around August, not February.
Tag Archives: seasons
The cast of Christmas reassembles for Easter by Steve Turner
The cast of Christmas reassembles for Easter Take the wise men to the Emperor’s palace. Wash their hands in water. Get them to say something about truth. Does anyone know any good Jewish jokes? The one about a carpenter who thought he was a King? The one about the Saviour who couldn’t save himself? TheContinue reading “The cast of Christmas reassembles for Easter by Steve Turner”
Christmas is really for the children by Steve Turner
Christmas is really for the children Christmas is really for the children. Especially for children who like animals, stables, stars and babies wrapped in swaddling clothes. Then there are wise men, kings in fine robes, humble shepherds and a hint of rich perfume. Easter is not really for the children unless accompanied by a creamContinue reading “Christmas is really for the children by Steve Turner”
Advent Down Under
To kick of the season of Advent, here is a poem by a good friend, Lucy Jarasius. Lucy is a Christian with interests in dancing, ministry with Aboriginal Australians and social justice. Adventist Dreaming ©Lucy Jarasius 2014 Iffhuwanah, Maid of Gondwana, made of earth dreaming darkly waiting for light-shining, night-splitting Amor capable of scalingContinue reading “Advent Down Under”
The Real History of Halloween
Given that Halloween is only a week away and references are coming up in Facebook, World of Warcraft and all sorts of places, I thought it would be worthwhile exploring the meaning of Halloween from a Christian perspective. The following article was written by Caitlin Smith, a former Occultist and online acquaintance of mine. IfContinue reading “The Real History of Halloween”
God is always in season
If we Christians sometimes seem indifferent to the rhythms of the seasons it is not necessarily due to some anti-nature bias. On the contrary, environmental concern is thoroughly compatible with Christianity (even if its not universally practiced). The reason is to be found elsewhere, in our understanding of God. It is because we only worshipContinue reading “God is always in season”
Imbolc Festival 2012
The Daily Mail has published a fascinating series of images from an Imbolc festival in the UK. It’s well worth checking out.
Halloween: the night I met my wife
As we approach Halloween, I find myself reflecting on the night I met my wife. It was at a Halloween party. I was a non-Christian at the time, quite anti-Christian in fact. She was a Christian … who’d come dressed as a witch. We found each other interesting, the rest is history. A lot ofContinue reading “Halloween: the night I met my wife”
The wheel of the year and the tree of life
Yesterday, in introducing the book, Encountering New Religious Movements and the Thin Places missional worship experiment, reference was made to a collaborative project “in designing an artistic reinterpretation of the sabbats that visually portrays Christ’s mission.” Well, here’s the actual artwork. You’ll find more, including the explanation at The Wheel and the Tree, the online version ofContinue reading “The wheel of the year and the tree of life”
Thanksgiving for the Dead
Coming up on October 31 we’ll be running an alternative worship service at Pendle Hill Baptist to give thanks for the dead. Aligning with All Saint’s Eve it will be a time to reflect on lost loved ones and the faithful who have gone before us and impacted on us. Second year we’ve done it, lastContinue reading “Thanksgiving for the Dead”
Curious Christian 