Such love

Matthew 21:14-15

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry

There will always be those

who are suspicious

of the motives of others

or threatened

by their popularity

Those who cannot see good

for what it is

Pure

Uncomplicated

Love in action

And for those 

who practice justice

and love mercy

and walk humbly 

the naysayers

bring danger

and do their best

to suck the good out of

all that promises 

wholeness and healing.

But love had - and has the last word

Even as he was being crucified

the King of love cried

"Father, forgive them"

And such love

could not be extinguished

but triumphed

over the angry ones.

Such love.

Making room

Matthew 21:12

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

No room for the poor

who couldn't afford the temple taxes

or acquire the right kind of offerings

No room for the sick

who might defile the space for others

No room for the sinners

who might dilute the righteousness

No room for the lonely

who might carry the expectation of community

Jesus entered the temple

and cleared the space

making room for those

who wanted to pray.

And what of our sanctuaries today?

Is there a place for those who could use some care

Those who don't sit still for very long

Those who interrupt

Those who are confused

Those who need our patience 

as we sit with them in welcome

Those who do not contribute

except by affording us the opportunity

to welcome and embrace.

Is there a place

for the poor and the lonely

for the sick and the hurting

for the righteous and the sinner

Is there a place for prayer?

Matthew 21:13

He said to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;

but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Hosanna

Matthew 21:9

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Hosanna'

Lord save us

cried the children

mimicking their elders

Hosanna

Lord save us

cried the weary

pleading for an easier load

Hosanna

Lord save us

cried the women

longing for compassion

Hosanna

Lord save us 

cried the outcasts 

hoping for acceptance

Hosanna

Lord save us

cried the disciples

still confused about their journey

And who are the folk today crying

Hosanna

Lord save us

Seeking companionship

on their journey 

compassion and acceptance 

along the way

a lightening of the load

and purpose

for each new day

Hosanna

Lord save us

A cry that awaits

our response today.

Pray, pray and pray again

Colossians 1:9

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

To be covered in prayer

Is a gift without price

Like a comfort blanket

gently draped

or held on to.

Like a duvet

being pulled back

on a cold wintry morning.

Like a soft fleecy snuggle

that brings warmth.

Prayer that

Comforts

Confronts

Cajoles

Prayer that

Relaxes

Stimulates

Motivates.

Prayer is a gift

For giving

And receiving

A blessing 

too often overlooked

but never overdone.

Pray without ceasing

Avoiding corruption

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Caring involves

rolling up our sleeves

diving in

making a difference.

It's often hands on

rough and gritty.

Not too effective

when we hold ourselves back

and try to care remotely.

But it's easy to get sucked in

become complicit.

It's easy to find our worth

maybe even our identity

in serving others.

And going that bit further

to help folk up

to enable

risks our sense of being.

It is that seduction

that poses a danger

a trap into which

we might fall.

There is a balance to be struck

and finding it allows us 

to be more effective

at restoring the rights and freedom

df others.

A time for clearing

1 Peter 2:1

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

​Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.

That's a tall order

ridding oneself

of all malice

of guile

of insincerity

of envy

and slander

What will be left

but a gaping hole

in the places

where those things resided.

A gaping hole

into which can move

kindness

positive regard

Joy

compassion

earnestness

And still there would be room

for other positive qualities

Qualities that take energy

to cultivate

but which bring

their own growth

and capacity for expansion

A tall order.

Clearing the weeds

to allow beauty to grow.

Tender-hearted

1 Peter 3:8-9

Suffering for Doing Right

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.

A tender heart

may be bruised

abused

manipulated

hurt

even broken.

But the ability

to be a blessing

outweighs all the risks.

And the strength there is

in being tender hearted

especially against the odds

compensates every slight

heals every hurt

and binds up

every brokenness.

Be challenged

Throw caution to the wind

And let your tender heart

shine through.

Be blessed.

And be a blessing.

Resilient

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Like the oyster pearl

produced by irritation

yet emerging as a thing of great beauty

so there is opportunity

to use all the discomfort

of being put down

of being falsely accused

of having integrity questioned

of being disrespected

or overlooked

to build up resilience

and the ability

to know the nearness of God

even in those

who would do us harm

and, in discovering God there

to give thanks

for a new way of seeing

an insight

not afforded

by easy times

but a saving grace

of trial.

To see Jesus

John 12:20-22

Some Greeks Wish to See Jesus

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

To see Jesus

Among the crowds

At the festival

In the disciples

In places of worship

On our streets

In our places of work 

In the coffee shop

In the garden centre

On the High Street

Downtown

Huddling on a bench

Sleeping in a doorway

Holding out a cup for  loose change

Selling newspapers

Driving the bus

At the school crossing...

To see Jesus

in all whom we meet today.

The least of these

Matthew 25:40

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

A cup of cold water

A kindly word

A look of understanding

A brief smile

All conveying a depth of love

Love that doesn't stand on ceremony

Love that doesn't intrude

Love that conveys a shared empathy

but does not overwhelm

Love that acts as a shelter

or a safety net

Love that restores dignity and autonomy

yet waits in the wings

poised and ready to act

in the wobbly moments

Love that gives and receives

valuing shared action

that enables gifts to emerge

and resilience to grow

Love that recognises

that we are the least of these

The family of God united in love.

The kingdom belongs...

Mark 10:14

But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

The Kingdom belongs to children

To those whose maturity

does not stifle their spontaneity

To those whose experience

has not rendered them cynical

To those whose exuberance

has not been damped down

To those whose optimism

sees beyond the present reality

To those who squander love

as though there was an endless supply

To those whose smile is contagious

making every day much brighter

To those who see the rainbow

at the end of every rain shower

The Kingdom of God belongs to children

Just one thing

Mark 10:21

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

Just one thing

Not very far

But not quite there

Yet Jesus loved him

That is the good news

All those times we don't quite cut it

Still we are loved

All those moments we don't quite measure up

Still we are loved

Because Jesus meets us on the road

He doesn't wait until we reach him

He doesn't hang back to see if we can make it

He comes out to meet us

And he greets us with love

Wouldn't that make you want to find that one thing

And spread the love

Just one thing

But still there is love.

Without shame

Genesis 2:25

And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

When shame crept in

innocence checked out

For shame is insidious

Winding its way around

what is innocent

Choking the life out of

what is pure

Stunting growth

and potential.

Shame steals and changes relationships 

And it is hard to imagine that time

before shame existed.

When humans knew pride

and security.

When the need to compete

was less prevalent

and all were valued

in their diversity.

All with a place

and a purpose.

With esteem not hard won

but gifted

valued

accepted.

Perhaps it would be enough

for redemption

to recapture

that time

before shame.

Recovering the gift of God

for creation.

Naked.

But not ashamed.

Breath of God

Genesis 2:4-7

Another Account of the Creation

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

No remoteness

No aloofness

But a living, breathing, life-giving God

Hands on with creation

Forming the dust

Breathing life

Setting free

Gifting autonomy

No puppeteer

Rather, a companion

A co-creator

who shared the privilege of naming

the birds of the air

and the fish in the sea

and the wild creatures

that flew and swam 

and roamed and prowled.

Sharing the power

to shape and define

and determine character.

A God who, even after all this

saw the vacuum

that could only be filled

by human relationship.

A God who realised the potential

of human love

and created the possibility 

of community.

Just another account

of creation.

Not now

Matthew 26:3-5

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

Not now

It's not safe

Wait awhile

until it's quiet

When the crowd has dispersed

Then we can arrest him

Even the chief priests

and the elders

underestimated the fickleness

of the crowd.

Who hailed Jesus one day

and shouted Crucify him! 

the next.

There was a riot

A riot baying for the blood

of an innocent man.

Today's crowds

are just as fickle

Easily swayed

by skilled rhetoric

or false promises.

The Son of God

would fare no better

at our hands.

We probably wouldn't even wait

for the cover of night.

He'd be tried and condemned

in the cold light of day.

And we'd barely spare him

a passing thought

before moving on

to the next cause

the next petition

that catches our imagination

and demands

our swift action

while love lies

trampled in the dust.

Consider

Matthew 6:28

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin...

Consider...

Pausing long enough to think

Standing back

Taking in the sights

and sounds.

Feasting on the colours.

Breathing in the fragrance.

Soaking up the stillness

then catching the rustle of a breeze 

as it weaves its way in and out

picking up and setting down

teasing, stirring.

Consider...

The joy of stopping long enough

to notice all this

and the wonder that it happens

seen or unseen

appreciated or not.

Consider...

Taking a look

John 3:14-15

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Held up

For healing 

Held up

For life 

Held up

that all may see

the way

to life forever

The way

that brings healing

The way

that brings life

The way

that lasts forever

Held up

For you and me.

Consider your call

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

When our feathers are ruffled

When we want to stand on our dignity

When we want to rise up

and assert our authority

We are exhorted:

Consider your call

When we feel put down

When we've been overlooked

When we've been misjudged

and found wanting

We are exhorted:

Consider your call

When our contributions are dismissed

When we encounter narrow minds

When we long to simply take our gifts

somewhere they will be appreciated

We are exhorted:

Consider your call

God calls us for times and seasons

not of our  choosing

God calls us to serve in places

out of our comfort zones

God calls us to work with others

who are not like us

And when it all seems like too much 

We are exhorted:

Consider your call

Comic Relief

1 Corinthians 1:20

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Time spent with friends

Not in debate

Not in discussion

But in stuff and nonsense

Perhaps sharing vulnerabilities

Certainly sharing foolishness

Laughing with one another as we go

Cathartic

Healing

Life-giving

Sustenance for those days

when smiles are few and far between

when the business of life

requires sobriety

Today is a day

for indulging the humour

for creating a store

on which to draw

in days to come

when the load needs lightened

by the restoring balm

of a deep and raucous belly laugh.

Anticipating good

Luke 6:37-38

Judging Others

“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.”

Just imagine the difference

if we always anticipated good.

If we didn't assume the worst

but expected the best.

If we always gave

the benefit of the doubt.

And, more.

If that anticipation was returned.

If our example

inspired others

to do likewise.

A world without harsh judgement

would be incredible 

as people flourish 

in a climate of hope.

Experiencing love

and forgiveness

and anticipation

of good.

A world worth diving into

with abandon.

Instinctive knowledge

Matthew 11:25

Jesus Thanks His Father

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

Knowledge that comes

not from learning

not from study

but from instinct

that begins in the womb.

Wisdom that, through the years

becomes tarnished

dulled

diminished

Overwhelmed 

by the weight of years

by disillusionment

by cynicism.

Ground down

by hurt

and rejection.

Revelations

worth holding onto

for as long as we can.

The gift of insight

from the God of heaven and earth.

Moving Godwards

Ephesians 4:31-32

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Giving others the benefit of the doubt

Using slights or false accusations

or mischief making

as opportunities 

to choose the better path.

Refusing to repay evil with evil

Choosing, instead

the path that leads us

closer to God

Forgiving because we know forgiveness

Moving on

Not without hurt

or scars

but in the knowledge

that God binds our wounds

and hugs into us

kindness

tender heartedness

and forgiveness.

Seeing the malice of others

as an opportunity by which

God allows growth.

Putting away those things

that take us far

from God.

Love of church or church of love

John 2:13-17

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

How do our sanctuaries appear to those who visit? 

Are they warm and welcoming 

or closed and inhospitable?

Do the greeters on the doors pause in catching up with each other 

long enough to welcome the stranger 

or do they close ranks and exclude the newcomer?

Who or what are our money hangers and dove sellers?

And what hoops to we require folk to jump through before they can enter?

Is our zeal today for God or is it for the house of God?

What would Jesus do

if he came to our place of worship today?

Accepted and changed

Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

​Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Come one, come all

The feast is ready

Come as you are

Leave changed by grace

God's invitation is extended without conditions

All are welcome

And as each is embraced

and accepted for who they are

Grace accomplishes its work

breaking down barriers

building up love

infiltrating hearts and minds

until change is inevitable 

Fuelled by love

Powered by grace.

What I learned from 11 year olds - and their teachers

Having spent the last 5 days with 63 pupils who are in their final year in Primary School (11year olds), here are some of the things I've learned:

- they are resourceful individuals

- they can survive being "off the grid" for 5 days.

- life is complicated for 11 year olds.

- snow is simply irresistible. It calls out to be picked up. It is not possible to walk from A to B in snow without picking some up and moulding it into a missile!

- walking is very difficult. Why walk when you can run?

- their logic defies adult reasoning. That is a failing of the adult, not the child!

- they can be kind, considerate, encouraging, selfless - and fun, fun, fun.

- they are challenging,in good ways and in all sorts of other ways.

- their staff have nerves of steel, hearts of gold, the wisdom of the ages and infinite patience, all tempered with an amazing sense of humour.

Piercing

Hebrews 4:12

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Gentle

Firm

Gathering

Explosive

Dividing

Repairing

Agitating

Soothing

Prompting

Cajoling

Easing

Manipulating

Scattering

Binding

Gods word

Let loose

All of this

And more.

Past learning

Job 8:8-10

“For inquire now of bygone generations,

and consider what their ancestors have found;

for we are but of yesterday, and we know nothing,

for our days on earth are but a shadow.

Will they not teach you and tell you

and utter words out of their understanding?

Learning from those gone before

One generation telling another

Sharing wisdom gleaned

from trial and error

through success and challenge

and by hard work and study

The wisdom of the ages

and of the aged

is not to be scorned

but sifted and weighed

to find treasure for today

The store of wisdom grows daily

as each adds experience and insight.

Not all new

Not all ancient

But, together, all contributing

to a wealth that we could not achieve

on our own.

"Inquire now of bygone generations"

ARK

2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Encouragement to Be Generous

​We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—

Acts of random kindness

A discipline open to all

of whatever means

or position

or status.

Not just for the wealthy

to do unto others

But also

the gift of receiving

from others

what they can do

within their means

simply for the joy of giving.

Called together

to share the privilege

of ministry

one to another

bearing witness to

the love

and generosity

of God.

Nothing wasted

John 6:12-13

When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.

Jesus - the original green agitator

Recycling the scraps

Redistributing wealth 

Making sure that nothing was wasted

Be it a loaf of barley bread

Or a tax collector 

or widow

or orphan.

Each one honoured

Each given purpose and status

None lost 

to the fickleness 

of a consumer society

that blows hot and cold

that one day values

and the next discards.

Instead each and all

are swept up

in a tide of momentum

that gathers

and cradles

each fragile scrap

until love flows in

bringing healing 

and leaving wholeness 

in its wake.

"So that nothing may be lost."

Beyond imagination

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Beyond imagination

That must be some achievement

Beyond imagination

Our imaginations are pretty fertile

Creative, far reaching...

So beyond that

must be quite something.

We ask for the impossible

For the miraculous

And yet there seems to be

a whole new level

of which we haven't even dreamed.

And it is there

that the God

of all ages

and all places

longs to take us.

And the only thing 

that stops us going there

is our own holding back.

Beyond imagination

is what God places

within our grasp.

A word

Proverbs 15:23

To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,

and a word in season, how good it is!

A word in season...

A word of encouragement

A word of jest

A word of approval

A word of delight

Hand written

Typed

Electronic

Spoken from the heart

To counter all the other words

that are offered every day

and every hour

Words that tear down

and put down

Words that seep in

and destroy

We have our work cut out to offer

words that make a positive impact

on a world full of words.

Generous God

Matthew 20:15-16

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Those who have been here forever 

and those who have joined more recently

have equal status in the eyes of God.

Those who spend all their time here

and those who pop in and out as the notion takes them

are equally loved and blessed by God.

For God's love and regard are not rewards to be earned,

but gifts freely given.

No holds barred.

No conditions attached.

That knowledge is at once freeing and frustrating,

reassuring and incredible,

grounding and earth shattering.

There only one thing for it – 

Enjoy, share and let God take care of the rest.

(Written for Spill the Beans)