Using my words

Psalms 139:13-15 (The Message)

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

There comes a time

when we must reclaim our words

A time

when we must stop allowing others

to define what we mean

when we speak

and who we are

in anything other than

the beautiful

Creator God language

of the divine image

visible in all of God’s creation

A time

when our words

(like the queen in Alice in Wonderland)

mean whatever we say they mean.

So today, I’m reclaiming disciple

a word, not just for the theologically conservative 

but a way of living

into which Jesus calls all:

Male, female, cis, trans, gay, lesbian, straight, curious

to name but a few!

I am a disciple 

And, while I’m at it - 

I’m reclaiming power

a word feared and resisted by many

particularly sisters...

When not abused or corrupted

Power is a force for good,

a thing of beauty.

I have power

And, on a roll,

I’m reclaiming vagina

No longer will I define myself

(as some others define me)

as not having a penis
and therefore disqualified
from certain roles

but as a woman

who has a vagina

I have a vagina

And, right there, is a creation of God

Fearfully and wonderfully made:

A woman called to be a disciple, 

A woman, with a vagina, 

called to use her power

as a gift from God

a force for good

for all of creation 

And, in reclaiming these words

I recognise

the privilege that is mine

and pledge

to also stand up and fight

for all whose words

are lost

or diminished

or redefined

by others.

Until they too

are heard when they say

Body and soul, I am marvellously made!

God - the tenacious woman

Looking ahead to Sunday’s gospel:

Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

That lesser know spiritual gift:

Tenacity

Harnessed by God as a widow

who knows her rights

Who knows that the arc of justice

is stacked in her favour

that, as a widow,

her rights are protected

in an ethical culture

Tenacity

harnessed to challenge 

ethics ignored

and rights denied.

Tenacity

A spiritual gift 

required today

for all who long to see

justice done

and God’s way upheld

Tenacious God

may we never let up

until your way prevails

in the prayer 

and action

in the tenacity

of your people.

Rekindling

2 Timothy 1:6-7
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline 

Rekindling gifts
buried by put downs
or smothered by condescension
Reclaiming power
diminished by fear
and by the tiredness
of the ever pressing need
to be seen.
Cowardice is the easier option
Undemanding
Compliant
Submissive
Yet, God of love
and power
and self discipline 
you call us
to the way of courage
and compassion
A way that demands
that we move out of the shadows
escaping the confines
in which others might prefer we stay
You call us to embrace the spark
to fan into flame
to unleash
all that you made us to be 
Created in your divine image
with the breath of your Spirit
coursing through our marrow
Your summons 
is a call to witness 
to the power of one
whom death could not defeat
whose light
and love
will not be diminished 
You compel us to re-imagine
your creative spirit
at work in us
and in the world
You enable us to be
Co-creators with you
May the fire of your Spirit flow through 
all that you task us to do this day 
rekindling your gifts in us
for the good of all creation.

Too deep for words

Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

Fears, hopes, dreams

All jumbled up

in a tangled mess

I want to separate

and compartmentalise

make things neat

and presentable

instead of the bourach it is

I want to focus

on one thing at a time

and then move onto the next

But you, God

know me better than I know myself

You keep me grounded

reliant on your transformative love

You counter my

“I’ve got this”

with your “Really?”

You make me laugh out loud

at the absurdity

And, when I catch myself,

you remind me gently 

that your love

is unconditional.

And, on those days

when I don’t even know how to pray

Your Spirit intercedes

with sighs too deep for words

And that is enough

More than enough

Communion on the beach

Luke 5:15-16
But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

The beach after dark

may be even more wondrous

than in daylight

The roar of the breakers

speaks of power

The noise of the shingle

being dragged by the tide

speaks of tenacity

The smell of salt and seaweed

speaks of healing freshness

And the flash of lighthouses

along the coast

speaks of safety and home

And I like to think of you, O Christ

inhaling the scents

and savouring the sounds of the beach

as you sought to escape and recharge
Just as I know you
walking with me
in the dark
dodging the incoming tide
stepping over jellyfish
slipping on patches of seaweed
breathing in
the energy of love and healing
found in communion
with the divine
Creator
Redeemer
Sustainer
God.

Signs of the kingdom

A reflection on time spent with colleagues, sharing, resourcing and equipping one another, holding out hope for renewal as we respond to the invitation to be involved in the mission of God.

Luke 17:20-21
The Coming of the Kingdom
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

We gathered around a table

and told our stories

of change and challenge

of blessing and breakthrough

we shared our hopes and dreams

and our hurts and disappointments

We gave thanks for companions on the road

and mourned those who had dropped out along the way

And as we dredged below the surface

and reached depths that we seldom visit

we offered our brokenness

with trepidation

fearing how it would be received

But what we encountered

was support

and what we discovered 

was community

Community forged around

one who was broken for us

one who poured himself out for us

We experienced 

the kingdom among us

celebrated in fresh bread

and good wine

Communion

that will nurture and sustain

as we go back

to all the places we’re called to serve

taking our brokenness

and the possibility of redemption
Our brokenness held

in the brokenness of the One

who holds and shares

and assures us

that the kingdom is here.

You anoint my head with oil

Reflecting on another part of Ps 23 from Dallas Willard’s paraphrase - You anoint my head with oil is paraphrased as:

You give me hot showers

and warm fluffy towels

joyful experiences

and deep relationships

to make me feel clean, special and powerful

Your anointing, O Lord
does not compare 
with that time we knelt at the altar
and had oil dabbed on our foreheads
Or even the time
when we passed around the nard
carefully rubbing it
on one another’s palm
Your anointing
is full on
extravagant
luxurious 
It takes us to a depth
almost unimaginable
A soul connection
that transcends boundaries
in which there is no holding back
 - but quite simply 
unmitigated love
Our Spirit leaps within us
in response
Knowing ourselves
held in your esteem
how can we ever play small
or eschew our power
or turn away
from the joy
and the depth
that you freely give?
May we be open to receiving
the more that you give
when you anoint our head with oil.