Signs and wonders

John 4:46-54

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Signs and wonders

It's what we all seek

If we are to believe the incredible

we want something to justify our effort

There must be some clues

some incentives

to make our belief worthwhile

We are a people of logic

of cold hard fact

Suspicious of anything

that seems like avoidance

of harsh reality

The warm fuzzy feelings

don't do it for us

We want more

More of everything

We take some convincing

that faith is worth the effort

That it merits our squandering

our limited supply of energy

Signs and wonders

That will do just fine

Still waters

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

 he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil;

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—

they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

Still waters are a novelty for my soul
 I like the rage of the rapids
or the thunder of the mighty falls, 
the rainbows reflected in the spray, 
the thrill of the chase.
Still waters challenge me
to stop and breathe gently,
to be nurtured,
to experience grace,
to see clouds reflected
and beautified in the stillness.
And I fear that I am diminished 
as my soul is stilled
for I am accustomed
to turbulence.
I thrive on the agitation 
and founder in the stillness.
The Lord, who is my shepherd, 
leads me by still waters
not to diminish
but to strengthen my soul. 

Showers of blessing

Hosea 6:1-3

A Call to Repentance

 “Come, let us return to the Lord;

for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;

he has struck down, and he will bind us up.

 After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

 Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;

his appearing is as sure as the dawn;

he will come to us like the showers,

like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Spring rains

Gentle 

Refreshing

Nourishing

Encouraging growth

and resilience

Prompting risk

and daring

Cleansing

Washing

Renewing

Healing

The gift of God

to all who return

seeking knowledge

of God

whose presence

is assured

whose love

is a promise fulfilled

The promise of

the God of love

who waits to shower

all creation

with the blessing

of unconditional love.

Not far

Mark 12:32-34

Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Silenced

by startling truth

The truth

that practising love

is more important

than all else

For loving God

with heart, soul and strength

must overflow

into love of neighbour.

This stark fact

requires no interpretation

no explanation

It requires no tweaking

It simply is.

Not easy to live up to

Demanding.

But the most important thing

in all the world.

Loving God

Loving neighbour

Which part of that

do we fail to understand

leaving us far

from the kingdom?

The Voice of God

Psalms 95:1-7

A Call to Worship and Obedience

 O come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

 For the Lord is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

 In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

 The sea is his, for he made it,

and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

 O come, let us worship and bow down,

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

 For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!

To be called the people of God

guided, shepherded, led

by the one

who made all of creation - 

The mountains and valleys

the seas and the deserts 

Yet who counts us

worthy of care.

Whose voice is heard

in the wind in the trees

in the song of birds

in the cry of the wounded and hurting.

Whose voice urges us to listen

and care for others 

as our offering of worship

to the God of all creation.

Passing it on

Deuteronomy 4:9

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard

not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,

nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,

but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

It's a story that needs to be told

again and again

For time moves on

and memory fades

And sight is lost

of all the wonders

of the past.

It is the stories 

that keep hope

and faith alive

in the times of dryness

and stagnation

It is the stories

that sustain

and maintain

the flicker of light

visible in the darkness

or the spark

ready to be rekindled

Passing on the stories

A vital part

of keeping the faith.

Surprise!

Luke 1:26-31

Birth of Jesus Foretold

 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

Just like that-

A young woman's life

thrown into chaos

to accommodate

the advent

of God in the flesh.

Her willingness

to mother

the Son of God

fulfilled the hopes

and dreams

of nations.

To say yes

to something

so momentous 

and inconceivable

took courage

beyond her years.

A courage called upon

again and again

as she watched the child she bore

endure things

no mother of any child

should ever have to witness.

Mary - mother of God

Going to the top

2 Kings 5:1, 9-12

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper... 

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

How often have we missed out on blessing

because we've been more concerned

with being given our place?

How often have we been more interested 

in protocol and procedure

than in kindness and compassion?

How often have we denied others

the opportunity to serve

because they didn't look the part

or dress the part

or hold just the right qualifications?

Gods love and grace

comes to us 

when least expected

in ways we would never imagine

All that is asked of us

is our openness

to receiving the gifts of God

however they are packaged.

One of the crowd?

Would we be able to pick out Jesus in the crowd

Or would he simply be "one of the boys" ?

Would we be able to tell

that he's different

or would he blend in well?

How would we know

if we met him in the street?

How would we live?

How would we act?

How would we treat one another

if there was the chance

of meeting Christ 

down our street?

Who do you say I am?

Laughing Christ

You played with children

Fished with fishermen

Sailed with sailors

Picnicked with revellers

Feasted with wedding guests

You wandered through fields of corn

Climbed hills

Strode along beaches

Even walked on water

You had your serious moments

when you tried to teach folk

how you must suffer and die

and how they should live

But you were such good company

that people flocked to be with you

Climbing trees

Dismantling roofs

Lining the streets

All to be with you

And when they couldn't catch your eye

they simply touched your cloak

knowing your power was sufficient.

Open our eyes today

to see signs of you

in the folk we encounter

Laughing or weeping

homeless or hungry 

aloof or down to earth.

May your laughing eyes

encourage us

to seek out joy

and prevent us

From taking ourselves

too seriously.

Change of plan

Luke 19:1-6

Jesus and Zacchaeus

 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

What made Jesus look up

and see Zaccheus?

And then what persuaded him

to change his plan

and stay with the tax collector?

Jesus - on a mission

with an appointment

with a cross

took time

to meet this little person

and change his life

and the life of his community

forever.

For such radical change

is rarely restricted

to the one in whom it is wrought

but ripples out

to affect others

- for good or evil.

What if we were more intentional

about our passing encounters

recognising their potential

to change lives

to change communities

to change plans

both now

and for generations to come?

To all whom we encounter this day

may we bring love and compassion

and a change of direction

for the good of all.

Seeing from the outside

Luke 17:11-19

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus 'feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Sometimes it takes the outsider

to really see

to grasp the momentum 

of an occasion

to gauge the impact

with accuracy.

It takes someone

outside of the crowd

to pick up the cues.

When those on the inside

are too busy

being blinded by tradition

and expectation

the outsider

grasps the import

and closes in

to maximise the potential

and realise the blessing.

Fresh eyes

go a long way

to bringing new perspective

and alerting others

to the miracles

being played out

right in our midst.

Sometimes "the foreigner"

just gets it

bringing fresh vision

and renewed energy.

May we look

for those moments

when "foreigners"

show us the way.

Families

Luke 2:41-46

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Families come in all shapes and sizes

Some with arms shaped for embrace

Others with hands shaped for conflict

Some are warm and accepting

Others are cold and rejecting

Some provide nurture

Others rely on nature

Simple or complex

For better or worse

they are ours

Gifted not chosen

Blessing and sorrow

Broken and whole

Signalling if not always fulfilling

Gods purpose for humanity

to live together in peace.

Phylacteries and Fringes

Matthew 23:1-3;5-6;11-12

 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 

They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best

 seats in the synagogues,

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Phylacteries broad

and fringes long

The fashion of the day

for self respecting Pharisees

But fashion makes no difference

in caring for others

in showing compassion

in practising what is preached

Makes no difference

to humble service

We are called

not to look the part

but to play the part

In word and in deed

to show the love of Christ

who lived the love of God

Stooping to lift us up

Kneeling to wash our feet

Giving himself for us

Leading by example

Calling us to follow.

Running over

Luke 6:36-38

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Mercy

Forgiveness

Blessing

All ready to be poured out on us

if we will share that abundance with others.

Withholding judgement

Refusing to condemn

Being merciful

Forgiving others

A worthy price

to know our cup running over

with more than enough to share

Bearing grace

2 Timothy 1:8B-10
Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
God saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to God's own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.

God knows it's not easy
living a life of grace
Grace that doesn't just consist of
grinning and bearing it
or being tolerant of others
when we disagree with them
or even abhor their actions.
But grace, that really stimulates love
from the inside out
Grace that stirs compassion in us
Grace that moves us
to work for justice
-that's the kind of hardship
that we must bear
for the sake of the gospel
That's the kind of grace
that Christ lived
all the way to the cross.


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No pressure

Matthew 5:43-48
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. ’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

You have heard...
But I say...
There you go again, Lord
turning things on their head
Dispensing with centuries of tradition
Forcing us to look again
at all those things
we take for granted.
Duty is not enough
We must go further
It's no longer: What can I get away with?
It's: How far can I go?
Your way of perfection
demands that we go further
than we've ever gone before
and then some more!
Standing out from the crowd
by our love and compassion,
our gentleness and humility
by our faithfulness in prayer
- even for those who wound us.
You've raised the bar again
and our hurdling skills
need polishing up
to have any hope
of getting us off the starters blocks
and into the fray.
Perfection.
That's some goal to set.


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Reaching higher

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.


We aspire, Lord
to live that higher life
To reach for the stars
To show your love
and gentleness
your humility
and compassion.
It's hard work
and often we fall short
But we are created
in the image of God
So we have it in us
to keep on trying
to imitate
your perfection.
And to know
above all else
that when we fail
you pick us up
dust us off
and lovingly encourage us
to keep on trying.
To believe
that though your ways
and your thoughts
are way above ours
yet you have planted
that bit of yourself in us
that inspires us
to mirror you
and to believe
that in love
you honour all our efforts.
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In a nutshell

Matthew 7:12
The Golden Rule
“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

All boiled down
the law and the prophets
summed up in a nutshell
seems so simple.
Yet to live by these few words is
as slippery as the shell on a hazelnut
or as gnarled as the shell on a walnut
or as layered and brittle as the pistachio shell
giving rise to that old adage
of cracking the nut with a sledgehammer.
For such strength and determination
have to be employed
to breakthrough the surface
and penetrate the defences
that keep us at a distance
and prevent us
from doing to others
as we would have them do to us.
With the shells removed
even the nuts that proved
the hardest to crack
can provide sweetness
and sustenance.
Laying ourselves open
and being invited into
the heart of another
calls for a love and respect
that is at once
tender and tough
and vulnerable and persistent.
The rule for life
summed up in a nutshell.

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That moment

Psalms 42:1-6
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.

The fallow deer and the rabbit posed
for all the world like Bambi and Thumper
and gazed as the Brownie House came to life
as girls yawned, stretched
and tumbled out of bed
pausing midst their chores
of getting ready for the day
and setting up breakfast
to marvel at the wonder
of God's beautiful creation
An insight into the peace and the calm
that God wills for all creation
And that shared moment of awe
will remain
to be recovered and cherished
in moments less calm
and in days less carefree
That moment when we saw God
in the bunny and the fallow deer.

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Living Word

Isaiah 55:10-11
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Success
What does it look like?
Like seed for the sower?
And bread for the eater?
Success for the word of God
brings fulness
and purpose
Full hearts
resolved to share
in the work of the Word
that God casts adrift
in the world
to quench the thirsting soul
and bring new life
Encouraging tender buds
of new growth
Enfolding gnarled roots
that have lost their way
Embracing fragile shoots that emerge
in response to the warmth of the Word
until all are watered and fed
by the Word of Life.
Success
is the Word of God
made flesh
in the world

Breath of God

Psalms 104:1-6
God the Creator and Provider
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.


I can pictureGod
riding on the wind
stirring up the earth
Gently whispering in one breath
Whipping up a hoolie in another
Tickling and teasing
Raging and storming
Bringing warmth
Or icy blast
Weaving in and out
of the clouds
as though in some giant Quidditch game
Drifting along on the breezes
with a playful lilt
always looking for the golden snitch
that gem to be cherished
Gently lifting up
and dusting off
and setting down again.
All the while
covering the earth protectively
Radiating light
Dispelling darkness
Gently caring and chiding
Encouraging and enticing
Drawing like a magnet
those who perceive
the stirring
of the breath of God
and enfolding them in love beyond imagining.
God - beyond our horizon
and closer than air.
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Did God say?

Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die. ’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Sowing those first seeds of doubt
the serpent worked her way in
twisting words
playing semantics
causing humans to question
the truth that God intended we know
- that we are created in the image of God
Already we are like God
That is not ambition
It is not getting above our station
It is how God created us
- in the image of God
And still life conspires
to convince human beings
that they are less
that they are worthless
that they have no status
and deserve no other existence
It takes practice
and determination
to tune out those voices
low and insistent
that murmur within us
and reclaim
our God-given identity
as beloved
created in the image of God.
But there is more:
When we have reclaimed that identity
for ourselves
our work then
is to reclaim it for others.
Brushing off the layers of ash
and getting to the core
We are beloved of God
Created in the image of God.

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Digging deep

Isaiah 58:9b-12
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.

In the cold light of day
when all is set before us
The choices we must make
seem obvious:
Lifting oppression
Halting the slander
Feeding the hungry
Easing others' burdens
And the rewards seem worth seeking.
The trouble is
although the way seems clear
it is not instinctive.
It involves us turning aside
from what has become our default mode:
the struggle to keep ourselves afloat
and to guard against austerity
by holding tightly to what we have
To let go
and trust in God's providence
seems like reckless folly.
To trust that we shall be satisfied
in our caring for others
requires a strength
that is not yet ours.
And so our sojourn
in the wilderness
involves our dredging
for that inner fortitude
that has yet to become
our way of life.
To rekindle
the divine spark
that God has placed
deep within us
until it becomes
the foundation on which
lives are rebuilt.
A quest for justice becomes
a quest for our inner God.

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Active Fasting

Isaiah 58:6-7
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

The journey into the wilderness
is not about finding ourselves
or even seeking
the meaning of life
It is about opening our eyes
to the world around us
To see the need of our neighbour
To pick up on the unspoken cues
the longing behind the smile
the spark that is no longer there,
extinguished when hope took flight.
It is about recognising our kinship
with the man and his dog
begging on the city steps
or the young woman
sitting in the shop doorway
or the elderly veteran
whose once proud bearing
is now stooped and dejected.
To journey into the wilderness
does not require us to travel far physically
but to take huge steps
in our understanding
of our sisters and our brothers
who make this pilgrimage with us
To bear their burdens
and lighten the load
with love and grace
lived out in mercy and compassion
with steps more faltering than sure
and a hunger born of justice.
Is not this the fast that God chooses?


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Choosing life

I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then.
Deuteronomy 30:19

Choosing life
seems like such an easy road
For which of us
would choose death?
And yet, just as the Israelites
grumbled their way through the wilderness
stepping aside again and again
to sample more alluring pathways
and worship easier gods
so we are easily distracted
and easily diverted
Lured by instant gratification
wearied by the longer game plan
impatient for results
yet fearing what change might bring.
Our patient God
familiar with betrayal
and rejection
continues to blaze a trail
but also gently nudges from behind
covering all the bases
sweeping up on the sidelines
leading and prompting
and cajoling us
into life giving choices.
Choose life!


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Ashes of intent

Matthew 6:1
Giving to the Needy
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Practicing righteousness
with ash on our foreheads
a symbol - not of piety
but of intent and reality:
The reality that we are dust
and to dust we shall return
And the intent
to make that dust
a veritable storm
that whips up justice
and sows seeds
of love and hope
To make each grain
a pulsing, vibrant force
that pursues the winds of oppression
and wrestles them into submission.
Exposing the half truths and lies
that policy makers use
to justify poverty
and hunger
and homelessness
that exist alongside
the rewards
for sharp practice
and fulfilling quotas
and manipulating statistics.
A grain of ash
may be all it takes
to turn us back
to the resistance of evil
and the refusal to accept mediocrity.
A grain of ash
may be all it takes
to turn the tide
in our neighbourhood
and see righteousness
become reality.
A grain of ash
may be all it takes
to signal our intent
and strengthen our resolve
to do justice
to practice mercy
and to walk humbly with God.
A grain of ash.


(Liz Crumlish Ash Wednesday 2014)

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