On Sunday I had the privilege of speaking on the throne titles of the Messiah in Isaiah 9. This amazing passage, written 700 years before the coming of Jesus, introduces him as the light who breaks in to the darkness of the world. In this talk, we consider how Jesus is: If you’re interested, you…
Tag: advent
The Messiah formerly known as Prince of Peace
It’s nearly Christmas. Which means it’s that time of year where Isaiah 9 gets its annual outing. This is an amazing chapter, prophesying the birth of the Messiah, who will bring great light to people walking in darkness. And he shall be called, ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9.6) There is so much in…
Gunpowder and Golden Ladders: Cai Guo-Qiang and the wonder of the incarnation
On Sunday I preached on Christmas as a story of hope; light breaking into the darkness. You can check out the talk here. I used an example to illustrate the power of the incarnation. It’s from the Netflix documentary Sky Ladder, about the work of the contemporary Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang who makes incredible artwork…
Light in the Darkness
On Sunday I had the privilege of speaking at a Carol Service at our new church, Oxford Community Church. I spoke on the subject of light in the darkness. It was a great fun morning, singing carols and celebrating hope! If you fancy checking it out you can do so here. The talk starts around…
Advent Reflection: The assumptions of Mary
‘“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne…
Advent Reflection: Five strands to the blessing of Elizabeth and Zechariah
‘In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth…
Advent Reflection: Which prayer and which response?
Luke 1 begins with the story of Zechariah, a priest who ‘just happens’ to be in the right place at the right time, serving in the Temple at the altar of incense. An angel appears to him, declaring that his prayers have been answered and that he is to become a father. What seems like…
Luke, Lots and the Lap of the God
November has arrived, and people are getting in the Christmas mood, just as the first batch of mince pies that hit the shelves back in July is tipping over its best before date. I’m still trying to hold off a little longer… but my resistance is being tested. Not by the lights, sounds and adverts,…
One Small Step for God (Luke 2)
Many of us are familiar with the general themes of the Christmas story, but a little hazy on the details. But the meaning is found in the details. In this talk from our Bethnal Green Carol Service, Liam reflects on Luke 2 and how the birth of Jesus changes everything. Listen or download (Right click…
Light Breaks In
It’s no coincidence that lights play a huge part in how we celebrate Christmas; the whole story is about light breaking into darkness. (mp3)
Liam Thatcher 