Psalm 2; Matthew 2:1-18  The Christmas story ends with the story of the Magi, King Herod, and the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem. The coming of the light casts shadows in the world. Does this story about the darker side of Christmas teach us how to read the world in our own time?

Luke 2:39-52  “Organized Religion” has fallen on hard times throughout the Western world. People are quick to say things like “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” And even in many Christian circles, the word “religion” has become something of a negative term, and more than once I have heard things like “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” But is this true? What is “religion”? What was Jesus’ attitude to “religious observance”?