The Visit

Luke 1:39-45

Mary Visits Elizabeth

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Two women

One older

One younger

Sharing the moment

and the miracle of life.

Bearing within them

joy and delight

dread and foreboding 

the heights and depths

of mothering.

And sensing, in their joy and wonder

the portent of grief and despair 

as the child each is carefully nurturing

escapes the confines of the protective womb

and grows to adulthood

released into a world

that is cruel and uncaring

harsh and unfeeling

to be used and abused

by those whose cause needs evil

for its fulfilment.

Two mothers

who stand with all mothers

who witness the wounding of their children

and who bear those wounds

deep in their souls.

Wounds that will never be healed

never be eased

because they strike at the heart

of the essence of love

they cut to the core

of what gives life

they leave a gaping hole

that will never be filled.

Two women

Sharing the joy of the moment

Anticipating the grief that is to come.

Ascension Day

Acts 1:6-11

The Ascension of Jesus
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

40 days since Easter

40 days since we applauded Jesus’ sacrifice

then hauled him out of the tomb

and got on with our lives

40 days that Jesus has walked beside us

offering us myriad glimpses 

of his Risen presence

It was the Risen Christ who sat on the bridge

holding out his cup for a coin

and then took our hand

and looked into our eyes 

and said thank you

as we glanced his way

and gave him some change.

It was the Risen Christ

who sat between us

as a colleague unloaded 

and processed

the costliness of her work

and rediscovered her inner wisdom 

and strength

to carry on serving.

It was the Risen Christ 

who dried our tears

and stoked our anger

and determination

as we tramped the beach

imploring, beseeching God

to show us how

to serve authentically

in an institution

that is besieged 

by power struggles

and injustice.

It was the Risen Christ...

It IS the Risen Christ

The Risen, Ascended Christ

who continues to penetrate

our consciousness

in our every day

looking into our eyes

through the eyes of all whom we encounter

reminding us of his teaching

imploring us to love

and willing us

to go and be disciples.

(Liz Crumlish Ascension 2019)

The elephant in the room?

As the Church of Scotland meets in General Assembly this week, it is clear that reform is on the cards. And we take pride in our call, as a Presbyterian Church in the reformed tradition to be constantly reforming.

As we seek to be engaged in the mission of God today, however, there seems to be a reluctance for the Church of Scotland as an institution to own mistakes of the past and attitudes in fact that continue to affect its present and future. Just today, the Church of Scotland was commended by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, for its ”highly valued” role in the life of the nation. However the Kirk, like many of our institutions, continues to model insidious gender injustice.

In particular I am concerned by the church’s paternalistic attitude and its contribution to a patriarchal culture.

As one who’s role within the Church of Scotland is about changing the culture to better enable engagement with the mission of God in our communities, it is excruciating to be employed within an institution that not only glosses over the past but continues to exert a patriarchal ethos that is so ingrained that many fail to notice it any longer.
I don’t believe there is time to wait until we have put our own house in order before we engage with God’s mission but I long for us to at least attempt to start paying more than lip service to inclusion and to enabling of the role of women fully within the Kirk.

Known

Psalms 139:11-14
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

Known

Known and loved

This, O God,

Creator

Redeemer

This is your promise

That we are known 

and loved

Even in our darkness

you hold out

the promise of light

In a world in which

that which you created

goes unvalued 

uncherished 

where human life itself

rests on the whim

of an Instagram poll,

your will, O God

is for so much more.

Your love knows no limits

Show us how to value life - 

our own

and others’

May we know

and may we share

your love

beyond our wildest imagination

Known

Known and loved

A reflective prayer written after hearing of the death of a Malaysian teenager by suicide after asking her Instagram followers to vote on whether she should live or die.

Seen

Seen

Like Zaccheus in the sycamore tree

Like the woman at the well

Like the woman caught in adultery

Like the blind man on the road to Jericho

Like the woman who touched the hem of his garment

Like Levi son of Alphaeus sitting by his booth
Like James and John mending their nets

Like Mary sitting by his feet

And Martha busy being host

Like the women at the cross

Like Mary at the tomb

Like the disciples on the Emmaus Road
Some named
Some unnamed
All seen

Seen

Not for their potential

But for their unique created being

Made in the image of God

Seen
by the one who sees beyond
by the one who sees and loves
May you know the wonder
of being seen today.

Post Conference

The melancholy 

of the empty conference space

When folk have left

and the buzz of voices

raised in debate 

and encouragement

in bewilderment 

and aha moments

is silent for now.

The screen is blank

and the room settles back

into its inanimate state.

When the adrenaline rush has subsided

and the rapidly firing brain cells

striving to ensure

that everything is covered

and that no one

is left behind

slowly begin to rest

and recover..

And there is time to breathe

and gain some equilibrium

for just a moment

before it’s time

to turn around

and do it all again.

This is mostly

Living the dream!

Come and have breakfast

John 21:12
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”

“Come and have breakfast.”

Really, Lord?

You invite me for breakfast?

In the early morning

When I’m not altogether.

When I have serious bed head going on

- not to mention morning breath...

“Come and have breakfast.”

When I’m still coming to

Thinking of all that the day holds

Fearing that I’m not up to the task...

“Come and have breakfast.”

In that fragile hour

between sleeping and waking

You bring intimacy

into my vulnerability

You sit with me

Minister to me

Materially and spiritually

- one and the same for you...

“Come and have breakfast.”

And in that shared moment

You breathe peace

You breathe forgiveness

You breathe identity

Life itself

Calling me

your disciple

Calling me

to feed your sheep.

“Come and have breakfast.”

Rejoice in the Lord

Philippians 3:1

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

The temptation proved too much

Early morning

A deserted play park

- a family of bunnies the only audience

and a zip slide

inviting play.

I grabbed the swing

hauled it up onto the platform

climbed on

whizzed down the hill

and experienced joy.

Joy that comes 

from breaking free 

and from the assurance

of  belovedness

Joy that bubbles up

and cannot be contained.

Joy that overspills

into the day ahead.

Joy that continues

to break forth

at odd moments of the day

in the midst of sacred work.

Joy that leads to thanksgiving

for opportunity

for impulsiveness

and for the freeing

life-giving

Spirit of God.