Christmas

'Comfort, O comfort my people. . . In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.'The second part of the book of Isaiah rings with proclamations and prophecies that find their fulfilment in the Gospels and are still being fulfilled by followers of Jesus today. In Freedom is Coming! Nick Baines invites you to think about what it meant for people in Isaiah's day to be living in exile, and how the prophet encouraged them to keep their faith alive despite the apparent hopelessness of their situation. At the same time, this book helps you to see the connections between Isaiah's time and ours, and how his vision of God's truth and justice spreading throughout the world can comfort, challenge and inspire God's people now, just as it did back then. Read this book and find out how you too can become a 'light to the nations' as, once again, we approach the celebration of Christ's birth and the new world that God has promised to bring into being.

In the Bleak Midwinter explores the power of Advent and the joy of Christmas through the poetry of Christina Rossetti. Best known for her poems-turned-carols In the Bleak Midwinter and Love Came Down at Christmas, Rossetti s rich and wondrous faith provides an inspiring seasonal companion. For each day from Advent Sunday to the Epiphany, Rachel Mann selects a poem and reflects on it, drawing on Rossetti s many other writings including her devotional journals and commentary on biblical narratives. At a time when commercial pressures are at their most intense, this volume aims to lead readers to an encounter with God s time and space, to find our true identity beyond all that would limit and diminish our humanity.

Experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of those who witnessed it first hand, from Mary and Elizabeth to the Shepherds and Simeon. Celebrate afresh the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah in history, and learn what it means to wait for him with joyful expectation today. Each day's reading includes a short reflection, a prayer, a carol, and space to journal, helping you to treasure the Lord Jesus in your heart in the hectic run-up to Christmas.