Have a go at our next caption competition (above). Send entries by email only to captioncompetition@churchtimes.co.uk by 9 a.m., Monday 26 January.
We invite readers’ ideas for photos: please provide a credit and confirm that those pictured are happy for the photo to be used.
Here is the winning entry for the previous competition:
PAUL HANDLEYPAUL HANDLEY
Lady Madonna, children at your feet / Wonder how you manage to make ends meet / See: this morning’s coffee didn’t come / Did you think it was heaven sent? (Julian Ashton)
A SELECTION of this week’s entries:
“Coffee is for the Methodists. There is wine for the Anglicans on the other side of Our Lady” (Patrick Irwin); “Holy grounds . . . now serving divine roast” (Nigel Garratt); “Make mine a decaf double-shot cappuccino with extra froth and a sprinkling of jelly babies on top” (Martin Kettle); “Now, baby Jesus, if you get this right, and turn the water into coffee, then how about working wonders with some wine?” (Lynda Sebbage); “Actually, I much prefer a Costa myself” (Penny Roberts); “Blessed are the coffee-makers; for they will refresh the children of God” (Chaz Griffiths); “Silent night. Holy child. Zero caffeine” (Leah Pickering); “The local Baristas were getting young” (Gary Toplis).
“There was just one final hope of turning the after-service coffee into something drinkable” (Valerie Budd); “All men should make coffee for their mothers: it says it in the Bible, “Hebrews” (David Cloud); “Not so much coffee and cake but, more, coffee and Christianity” (Philip David); “Divine coffee, but where’s the chocolate?” (Paulette Yallop); “The Christ-child’s first miracle showed his devotion to his sleep-deprived mother” (Fiona Harrison-Smith); ; “Even the Virgin Mary needed coffee in the first few weeks of having a newborn” (Abby May); “The three essentials of any parish: The Mother, The Son, and The Medium Roast” (Andrew Hindley); “They presented unto Him gifts: gold-roast coffee, frankincense, and myrrh” (Pearl Davison).
“But will the message of Christmas also filter down?” (Michael Doe); “Fairtrade and blessed by the little Lord Jesus — a very special blend!” (Colin Cockshaw); “At the Church Times, every cup comes with a blessing” (John Saxbee); “Turning water into coffee is just a baby step. When I’m older, I’m going to turn it into wine” (Peter M Potter); “The Madonna of the coffee pots” (Mervyn Cox); “Mine’s a babyccino” (Jane Sigrist); “While visiting the Franciscans, the precocious toddler signalled with his right hand for two cappuccinos: one for his mum and one for himself” (Chris Oxley); “Blessed is the one who does not sit in the company of mochas (Psalm 1.1)” (Chris Spittle); “It was now called the latte chapel” (Brian Stevenson); “The starter kit for new worshipping communities was greatly appreciated” (Jo Mash); “Refreshments were definitely in order before the flight to Egypt” (Michael Foster); “It had been one of those nights, and Mary was grateful the local church toddler group provided real coffee” (Rowena King); “Aroma Catholic? No, Café Church” (Philip Goggin).
As ever, the winner receives a prize of Fairtrade chocolate, courtesy of Divine Chocolate.
