It’s not just we humans who are made to praise. In God’s great Universe it’s never just about us. Truth is that all Creation is made for praise. From the heavens with their angels, the sun, moon and shining stars, to all the creatures of land, sea and sky, and people of all classes and all ages. Praising the Creator: this is the common task of all Creation, the vocation of every living being together. If our empires are set on a way which squeezes the earth until it expires, our faith is in one whose Spirit restores breath to dying lungs - and with whose help we may hear the forests sing again.

 A talk for The First Sunday of Christmas, 27 December 2020.

Find the text to this and all my talks at bit.ly/johndavies-talks.

Christmas is God Unmasked. A talk for Christmas 2020.

Find the text to this and all my talks at bit.ly/johndavies-talks.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: The First Sunday after Christmas, 27 December 2020.

Featuring 'Of the Father's Love Begotten' (Aurelius Clemens Prudentius; Translators: H. W. Baker, J. M. Neale) performed by John Michael Talbot from the album 'The Birth of Jesus: A Celebration of Christmas', 'It Came Upon the Midnight Clear' (Traditional) performed by Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band from the album 'A Tapestry of Carols', and 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' (Felix Mendelssohn) performed by Katherine Jenkins, Plácido Domingo, Sally Herbert & Nathan Pacheco from the album 'This is Christmas'

Including my talk, 'All Creation is made for praise', also available here as a stand-alone podcast.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: Christmas 2020.

Featuring 'O Holy Night' (Adolphe Charles Adam) performed by John Williams from the album 'Home Alone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [25th Anniversary Edition]', 'The First Noel' (Traditional) performed by Camilla Kerslake from the album 'Camilla Kerslake', and 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' (Traditional) performed by Aled Jones from 'The Christmas Album'.

Including my talk, 'Christmas: God Unmasked', also available here as a stand-alone podcast.

A Christmas Celebration 2020 - readings, prayers and music as presented in the churches of Clapham, Keasden, Austwick and Eldroth

Come and join the celebration (Collison Valerie) Christmas Children's Choir: Christmas Classics For Children

O come all ye faithful (traditional, original Latin: Adeste Fideles) Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Simon Preston & Sir David Willcocks: Essential Carols - The Very Best of King's College, Cambridge

Those voices who cry in the wilderness, by definition often don’t get heard. But in this hard year which our whole world has been enduring, one redeeming thing is that there were moments when we paid attention to the voices crying in the wilderness of our times. 

A talk for The Second Sunday of Advent, 6 December 2020.

Find the text to this and all my talks at bit.ly/johndavies-talks.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: Sunday 6 December 2020, The Second Sunday of Advent.

Featuring 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' (Traditional) performed by Aled Jones from the collection 'The Christmas Album' and 'Hail to the Lord’s Anointed!' (Traditional) performed by Choir of Clare College, Cambridge & Graham Ross from the collection 'Mater ora filium: Music for Epiphany (Bonus Track Version)'.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: Sunday 29 November 2020, Advent Sunday.

Featuring 'Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind' (A.D. Miller, Richard M.S. Irwin & Traditional) performed by A.D. Miller, Commotio Chamber Choir & Griselda Sherlaw-Johnson (feat. Bernard West) from the collection 'The Oxford Book of Easy Flexible Anthems' and 'Do Not Be Afraid' (Gerald Markland)' performed by Kathryn Crossweller from the collection 'How Deep the Father's Love for Us'.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: Sunday 22 November 2020, Christ the King.

Featuring 'Spirit of the Living God' (Daniel Iveson) performed by The Arundel & Brighton Diocesan & Anne Ward from the collection 'Turn to Me / Kindle a Flame'.

From Revd John Davies, vicar of Clapham with Keasden and Austwick with Eldroth in the Diocese of Leeds. Prayers and reflections from the Churches Weekly Newsletter in a time of the coronavirus: Sunday 15 November 2020, The Second Sunday before Advent.

Featuring 'Bless the Lord, My Soul' (Jacques Berthier & Traditional) from Taizé, 'Laudate Omnes Gentes' and 'Amazing Grace' (John Newton) performed by Susan Boyle from the collection 'I Dreamed a Dream'.

Including my talk for the day, '“You’re fired!” The Ruthless Businessman: a parable about leadership', also available here as a stand-alone podcast.