The Birth of Jesus according to St Matthew: A Nativity Play for all the congregation. This play was written by Haddon Willmer and performed at Moortown Baptist Church at Christmas 2010. The text is available here for any church or other group to use. It is offered without charge, subject to its usual acknowledgements. We would be grateful to hear of any use made of it.

Reading a serious newspaper on a Saturday shows me a world where some things matter very much. On Sunday in church, that world grows strangely dim. Can that be right?

I was going to throw it away but I took one last look at it – something came off the page and grabbed me. Now I wonder what it means. What do you think? But, I see, you don’t know what on earth I am talking about. So let me go on a bit further…..

We live and die in a hard world of enemies, boasting, and bombs, even if we aren’t at all like bin Laden. What do we want the Lord to help us to do?