Richard's Ramblings

In our Revised Common Lectionary, today, the Sunday before the beginning of Advent, is Christ the King. The liturgical colour is white. But I shan’t be wearing a stole, and we’re not going to change the lectern frontal only to have to change it again to Advent purple next week. But for centuries, before the advent (unintended pun) of the RCL, today was known in the English-speaking world as “Stir up Sunday”. The soubriquet derives from the opening words of the  Collect for the Day in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer  (Document of blessèd memory 😊 ) "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” And by tradition, it was when families gathered together in the kitchen to mix and steam Christmas pudding. Parents taught their children how to mix ingredients for the pudding. Everyone took a turn to stir the pudding mix and make a

Before you tell me, I know it’s unhealthy, but I’m partial to sugar-free cola. Better still, no sugar and no caffeine. Coke and Pepsi both sell sugar-free, caffeine-free cola, but my preferred brand of Que doesn’t. Their sugar-free is half the price of the major brands, with no noticeable difference in taste. Being a small player, Que is pushed out of sight to the top shelf in Coles’ drinks section. Where I, also a small player and shrinking with each passing year, can’t reach. On Thursday, straining on tiptoe to grasp a carton, I pulled three down, scattering cans all over the aisle. And all over me. Remember the story in Acts 1 of Matthias being chosen to replace Judas as an apostle? “They drew lots, and the lot fell on Matthias” That was me, on Thursday. The lot fell on me.   You might think that’s a strange way to pick a new apostle, smacking as it does of gambling. But it was how the ancient people of Israel chose priests, musicians, many sacred offices. They viewed it as a means

When I cook, I am an extravagant pourer of sauce, sprinkler of herbs, splasher of oil and wine. If a recipe says, ½ a clove of garlic, I’ll squeeze in two. If it calls for a tablespoon of red wine, well, clearly the cookery writer hasn’t got the foggiest, in goes a cupful. At least. What brought this to mind is the lovely old hymn “O, the deep deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free” to the equally lovely Welsh tune, Ebenezer. And what brought that to mind, is the prospect of a crab roll at Cardwell’s Café Vivia for morning coffee break en route to Presbytery in Innisfail on Friday (Friday just gone as you read this). Because I sit outside, gazing across the broad sweep of Hinchinbrook Passage and humming “Rolling like a mighty ocean, in its fullness over me”. Here's a great version of the hymn. God goes in for extravagance.  Remember the Sunday School chorus, “Running Over”? From Luke 6, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over …“  Of even m