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