Tidings of Comfort and Joy: A Christmas Feast of Faith and Fun

by Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes is best known as the familiar face of the BBC's Songs of Praise, and here she brings together her personal selection of carols, poems, Bible readings and other inspirational passages from a wide range of sources.

As well as the usual old favourites - from Hark the Herald Angels Sing to the stories of the shepherds and the wise men visiting the baby Jesus - there are plenty of lighter moments, with excerpts from Gervase Phinn's memoirs and funny poems by modern writers. Alongside the items themselves Pam shares some of her own Christmas reminiscences and explores the resonance of the Christmas story for all our lives in her trademark inviting and heartwarming style.

There is something here for everyone, from those wanting to enjoy dipping in for a taste of Christmas to those needing a sourcebook to inspire selections for Christmas services. Enjoy!

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2018

About the author

Pam Rhodes for many years has presented the world’s numberone religious television program, Songs of Praise on BBC. She writes for the UK national newspaper, the Daily Mail, and is also a successful novelist—author of The Dunbridge Chronicles, With Hearts and Hymns and Voices, and four other novels, as well as a number of additional books.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tidings of Comfort and Joy – A Pleasant Collection

Pam Rhodes has been a long time presenter of the BBC’s Song of Praise and has worked on Christian Broadcasting radio programmes. Over the years she has certainly been a presence on our screens at Christmas time and has always brought fun in to the preceding.

Even if this is a short devotional, packed full of carols, poems and readings, not just by the Biblical authors bit also modern writers. Pam Rhodes does ask an important question to the read one which we could all do with answering and in the Introduction to the book she asks ‘What is Christmas to you?’

A question we could ask of many in this day of consumerism, and the meaning of the Christmas and the birth of Christ which today seems to be lost in the mists of time. This book brings it all back to life, not in a solemn way but in a fun light hearted way that can connect with anyone.

This would be a fantastic present either to yourself or to someone you know a book that can be used time and time again. There are some wonderful prompts to question your love about Christmas. This is a book that can be used time and time again without ever going stale.

[Libby Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely mix of stories, poems, hymns, and history.

[Alicia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of carols, poems, funny stories and memories (many I laughed out loud at), Christmas history and facts, and the author's perspective. It lives up to it's title of comfort and joy; filled with faith, and that warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling. Of course, the bits I didn't enjoy were the references to meat and animal products, but there were very few anyway, so it didn't mar the enjoyment of it overall; it certainly wasn't the focus, thankfully.
A new one for me to pick up each December.