Re-membering

Luke 22:19-20
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Kneeling at the altar

with the bells and smells of liturgy

wafting all around

sidling up close

reaching up to be served

Or standing in a line

that snakes around the sanctuary

like the morning queue at Greggs or Starbucks

Or sitting in rows in pews

designed to induce passivity in their occupants 

with even the subversive elements of communion

diced and spliced and portioned

However we receive

Whatever our preference

Accepting a wafer

and sipping from the proffered cup

Or tearing huge chunks of bread

and glugging deep draughts of wine

Or taking the cube of bread
and thimbleful of grape juice

Nothing can tame

the rush of radical passion

and humility of the feast

that calls our name

and drags us into relationship

with one who

kicks pretence into touch

dispels niceties

and gets down to business

the business of love
and transformation.

Pouring love into every crack and crevice in us

holding and loving our woundedness 
and empowering us

to love and hold others.

That bread, that wafer 

That wine, that grape juice

were given
out of brokenness

ARE GIVEN

for the transforming of the world in love

We hold it in our hands

Taste it on our lips

and are fuelled by its power

in all our living and being.

And still - we are offered more

And still -there is more to give

We have what it takes

Christ gives what we need.

We do this

to remember him

Re-member him

Poetry and Parable

Judges 9:8-15

The trees once went out

to anoint a king over themselves.

So they said to the olive tree,

‘Reign over us.’

The olive tree answered them,

‘Shall I stop producing my rich oil

by which gods and mortals are honored,

and go to sway over the trees?’

Then the trees said to the fig tree,

‘You come and reign over us.’

But the fig tree answered them,

‘Shall I stop producing my sweetness

and my delicious fruit,

and go to sway over the trees?’

Then the trees said to the vine,

‘You come and reign over us.’

But the vine said to them,

‘Shall I stop producing my wine

that cheers gods and mortals,

and go to sway over the trees?’

So all the trees said to the bramble,

‘You come and reign over us.’

And the bramble said to the trees,

‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,

then come and take refuge in my shade;

but if not, let fire come out of the bramble

and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

This passage keeps drawing me back to have another look. It demands time. It wants to percolate and penetrate. It is beautiful poetry and an arresting parable, not often found in the Law and Prophets.

A parable shouted from the mountain top by Jotham as a rebuke to his brother Abimilech. A warning to the people who have just crowned Abimilech king, in defiance of God and in spite of the fact that he has just killed all but one of his 70 brothers (all sons of Gideon!) to achieve his monarchic ambition. God’s intention was that the people should live collaboratively, pooling resources, sharing wisdom, without the need for a king. When his father, Gideon, refused to be crowned king, Abimilech saw an opportunity to step up and satisfy the longing of the people to be ruled over by a king. He simply had to dispatch his brothers to clear the way. Abimilech’s ambition met the people’s longing and the combination was lethal. A sinister context for a gutsy parable.
And in the parable, I love the way each of the trees, in turn, is able to name their particular gifts and affirm their vocation - and their willingness to carry on doing what they do well and not be distracted from their task:
The olive tree affirms her task as producing beautiful oil. (The same oil that anoints kings!)
The fig tree is content to carry on producing her sweet fruit.
And the vine knows the value of the wine she produces and the effect it has on those who partake.
All are powerful and resilient, valued by self and others.
But I’m intrigued by the notion of the bramble, thorny, low growing, being the most likely to provide refuge and shade, the best contender to reign. How often does it turn out to be the very thing we overlook or even reject that takes precedence in the divine economy? The effort of getting beyond the prickly bits that might deter is worthwhile. Beyond the thorns there is beauty and welcome.
I’m left questioning, are we already fulfilling our vocation where we are or do we need to brave the thorns to find refuge in unlikely places? Is it either or - or both/and?

Faithful

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.

Giving thanks

for those whose example

inspires and informs

the faith of those they touch

Friends

who, in everyday

bring hope

inspire faith

and share love

whose wisdom

enables perspective

instils calm

kindles Peace

and whose example

promotes ambition

to live out of embracing each 

as beloved of God.

In the midst

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Lord, while we are still arguing the toss

about rights and wrongs

about privilege and entitlement 

about form and decorum

you march in

and make a difference

While we’d rather sit around discussing

who’s in and who’s out 

and what inclusion entails

you extend your arms

to welcome all

While we set up procedures and protocols

and routines and rotas 

in order to serve

you get on

with transforming the muddle

Giving each a name

Welcoming all as family

Seeing and addressing need

despite what rules decree

You rewrite the rules

in favour of those who are unseen

those who are not heard

those who have become

simply part of the landscape

You rewrite the rules

in favour of inclusion

and compassion

and infinite possibility

You rewrite the rules

to include us 

Children of Abraham

Seen and loved by you

Seen and freed

to stand up straight

and embrace

the abundant life

you set before us.

Thanks be to God.

It’s not optional

Matthew 22:34-40
The Greatest Commandment
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Lord, how often we put you to the test

Not because you haven’t been clear

but because we’re stalling

Your command is simple

- It’s application anything but.

So we play for time

We ask questions

We debate

We look for nuance

And you sit with us

in our struggle

in our avoidance

your drumming fingers

the only sign of your impatience

You sit with us 

as we look for loopholes

or exemptions 

or any other way out

of obedience.

You sit with us 

until we catch your eye

and, seeing there only love,

we fall silent

And in that silence

when we have exhausted argument

and run out of excuses

In that silence

remains one thing

A command

Not an option 

In that silence

we find

Love

Power dynamic

Judges 9:8-15
The trees once went out
to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree,
‘Reign over us.’
The olive tree answered them,
‘Shall I stop producing my rich oil
by which gods and mortals are honoured,
and go to sway over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the fig tree,
‘You come and reign over us.’
But the fig tree answered them,
‘Shall I stop producing my sweetness
and my delicious fruit,
and go to sway over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the vine,
‘You come and reign over us.’
But the vine said to them,
‘Shall I stop producing my wine
that cheers gods and mortals,
and go to sway over the trees?’
So all the trees said to the bramble,
‘You come and reign over us.’
And the bramble said to the trees,
‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,
then come and take refuge in my shade;
but if not, let fire come out of the bramble
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

Power may enable

lending strength

drawing out wisdom

enhancing all that is already present

weaving together 

gifts and desires

facilitating harmony

 Creator and creation

working together as one

Power may corrupt

taking us from that to which we are called

bringing out the worst

instead of the best

scorching all in its path

trampling

devouring

leaving no room

for anything other

than singular vision

and purpose

We choose the dynamic

by the way we hold power

holding on tightly

or openly sharing

and by the way we respond

to the power of others

being caught up in drama

or quietly subverting

Choosing to enable or corrupt

The dynamic of power

Patient, Persistent God

Judges 6:14-18
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.” Then he said to him, “If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay until you return.”

God, you don’t make it easy

Especially when we are slow on the uptake

In the depths of our doubt 

You shake up our complacency

When we despair of all that we see around us

You remind us of the power that we have 

to change the world

When we opt for an easier life

You won’t let us settle for less

than you call us to be

When we ask for a sign

You give us a whole shed load

so that, even with our eyes closed,

and our ear pods obscuring 

the sound of your voice

you find other ways

to make us sit up and take notice

You get beyond

what we can see

or hear

or even understand

And all those little cairns

that we have so carefully constructed

on our journey through life

the pieces we have brought

from this place

and from that

to build our little piles of solidity

You slowly erode

or sometimes sweep away

until we embrace the movement 

and rediscover the rhythm

of you, the God of Improv 

as you teach us new steps

and introduce us

to a whole new dance. 

And, best of all.

when we ask you to wait

for us to catch up

You remind us

that you have been sitting with us

all the time.

Patient, Persistent God

No place to hide

Joshua 2:1-4

Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night there. The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land.” But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.

Rahab

Another woman

whose courage

born of intuition

earned her a place

in the roll call.

 of saints

Another woman 

whose subversive action

changed the course

of the history

of God’s people

Another woman

who did not need to see 

the end of the story

but recognised the importance

of doing what was needed

in the moment.

Another woman

who would incur

speculation

and ostracisation

who would be judged

and condemned

Another woman

whose faith

informed her risk 

enabling her

to emerge from the shadows

embracing the vulnerability
of being noticed

in order to make a difference.

Rahab 
Another woman

who made history

by her story.

Beach conversations

Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Follow me...

Lord, I’m not sure

You know that I love you

But...

Follow me...

Lord, it’s too much

I’m not good enough

Not patient enough

Not loving enough

Follow me...

Lord, it’s too complicated

Folk will judge me

Misunderstand me

Question my motives

Dissect my intentions

Follow me...

Lord, it’s too risky

I’m fine where I am

No need to rock the boat

Follow me...

Lord, we’ve been here before

And I know you won’t let it rest

Your will for me

is not resignation

or even contentment

Your will for me

is life in abundance

You know all that I don’t

And, what’s more,

 you go ahead,

preparing the way...

So with eyes squeezed shut,

Fists clenched in determination

and through gritted teeth

With kicking and screaming

and bucket loads of tears

I say Yes. 

Freed to abundance

Matthew 17:22-27
Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed.
Jesus and the Temple Tax
When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does
your teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, 
“Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”

Lord, you know how to soften a blow

lighten a moment

Speaking of your death one moment

and fishing for a coin the next

Yet you never fail

to get your message across

whether by stark confrontation

or sublime absurdity

You bring humour into the nitty gritty

promising freedom

not from the daily grind itself

but pointing to joy that is to be found

not way off in the future

but present in our every day

You release us

not from conforming to

all that may be required of us

but from seeing that as the end game

Your perspective 

enables us to see

what matters

and in what we should invest 

and reminds us

of the abundant life

you offer 

May your divine grace and humour

lead us to know

life in all its fullness.

In the image of God

A prayer written for Sanctuary First in 2015

God who created the world 

and declared that creation was good,

bringing your skill and artistry to bear 

you created human beings,

in your image,

giving them a unique place in the universe

and in the order of creation.

Who, then, determines the parameters

of acceptance or rejection?

Who deems that some are suitable

while others are beyond the pale?

Who decides what degree of difference

is one that can be tolerated?

And what perceived impairment

requires cleansing or elimination?

God who made each of us in your own image,

celebrating amazing diversity and complexity,

You look on us with love beyond our imagining

You marvel at the wonder of all creation

You celebrate our uniqueness.

May we never look at others

and judge them less than ourselves.

May we celebrate all that you have created

and all that you continue to enable in us 

and accord that gift to others in every place and time.

May we never be distracted by gender or race 

or creed or colour or sexuality

or by anything that prevents us

from seeing your divine image 

at the heart of all your creation

and honouring all that you have created 

as a thing of great beauty

to be treasured 

in all its glorious wonder and diversity.

by Liz Crumlish

Before the storm

Matthew 14:22-23
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone...

Alone with God

On a mountain top

In a garden

On the lake

At the shore

In the midst of a busy crowd...

Everyday is filled with opportunity

to spend time

alone with God

Calm and ordered space set aside

or snatched moments in frantic days

It’s the aftermath that is tricky

It’s knowing how often,

when Jesus left the disciples to pray

he returned to find them

sleeping or squabbling

panicking or failing

despondent or in despair

And, sometimes,

experiencing intimacy with God

serves to make us even more aware

of our propensity to fail

And fear kicks in

disabling the confidence we felt

second guessing the direction we discerned

convinced we’ll be a disappointment.

It is then that Christ reaches out

to take our hand

and look into our eyes

assuring us, once again:

You are enough

You are beloved of God.

May it be so.

Everyday Transfiguration

Mark 9:2-8
The Transfiguration
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

How we long to hold on to 

those fleeting glimpses

of the glory of God

How we crave the clarity

of hearing God’s voice

speak into our everyday

bringing together

and making sense

of those nudges that beguile

from left of field

Yet more often

clarity is manifest

as we come down from the mountain top

worked out in the nitty gritty

of life on the ground.

Refined in the fire of the everyday

Tested in the ordinary

And so we give thanks

for moments of transfiguration

and plead for awareness

and wisdom

and the gift

of interpreting

those things hidden in plain sight

that reveal to us

the presence of God

and that keep us alert

to the invitation 

to listen

and to journey with God

in our everyday.

Through the cloud

2018 Lent Installation at Southwark Cathedral by Susie McMurray: Doubt

Exodus 40:34-38
The Cloud and the Glory
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.

Where, today, do you meet God?

Where is your tabernacle

That sacred place

That holy ground

that may, in fact,

be very ordinary

Except 

Except - that God meets us there.

And how do you discern

when, once you have stepped aside,

to enter that holy place,

how and to what

God is calling?

For oft times it seems

that the nearer to God we move

the harder it is to make out

God’s purpose and calling

on our lives.

As though the cloud and the glory

obscure

the pathway we long to discern

And so we are forced,

like the Israelites

to wait it out

impatient though we are

to be moving along 

on our journey of faith.

Forced to cool our heels

and to wait with God

not passively 

maybe not even patiently 

but to wait 

until God leads us on again 

onto another stage

of the journey of faith.