A cup of cold water

A cup of cold water

a symbol of righteousness

yet so much more

the gift of sharing

the gift of caring

the gift of wanting to make a difference 

Costing so little to those who have it to give

but gifting so much to those who receive

And blessing the giver

with the reminder

that, in having a cup of cold water to give

we are blessed indeed.

Taking up a cross

Matthew 10:34-39

Not Peace, but a Sword

 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

 For I have come to set a man against his father,

and a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter- in- law against her mother- in- law;

 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Taking up a cross

Losing a life

What language is this

that sounds so foreign

from Jesus' lips?

Choosing God over family

seems to go against the grain

of this lover of justice

and prophet of peace.

Hard choices

Harsh words

uttered with love

but shot through

with a disturbing, restless Spirit

who shakes the foundations

and rakes over the ashes

of the order we thought we knew.

Spirit of God

unfettered

stirring up a restlessness

we cannot quite assuage

but which we know

will only be stilled

when the order we know

lies in the ruins

of a chaos caused

by love lived out

in the practice of justice.

 

D Day

D day

Has come to mean so many things:

The day the pay cheque arrives

The day a momentous ( or not so momentous) 

decision must be made

The final cut off

The term has featured in films,

been immortalised in song

and become the subject of poetry 

But for many in our world today

D day can only speak of one thing

Hurtling back through time

70 years ago today

A scene of

Watery, bloody carnage

The sacrifice of tens of thousands of lives

in a so called Just War

Beaches strewn with casualties

Cleaned up today

Tidied away into neat war graves

and memorials

The beginning of the end 

that took a long time to play out

and cost so much more

in its execution.

And so, 70 years on

we pause to remember

unimaginable scenes

unforgettable courage

and the incredible price of freedom.

And, should our remembering

cause us to resolve

to seek paths to peace

that are creative

and life giving

vested in honouring diversity

and in celebrating cultures

Then will our remembrance

be the memorial

that those veterans deserve

and that our world demands.

Referendum Lectionary Laughs

The All-age worship curriculum for which I write has decided, after much deliberation to switch to the Narrative Lectionary from September. Among other things, the Narrative Lectionary allows congregations to focus on bigger chunks of Bible Stories as the Liturgical year progresses. It is a 4 year cycle, rather than the 3 year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary because it also journeys with all 4 gospels, one each year rather than just the Synoptic gospels as used by the RCL.

As we looked at texts for the first few weeks of the Narrative Lectionary, the strange noise we heard was the roar of divine laughter. As Scotland heads into the Referendum on independence, the stories in the weeks leading up to the Referendum and in the aftermath are texts that describe the oppression of nations, their bid for freedom, lands wrested from those in occupation, and the complaints of people journeying in the wilderness longing for the former life they had known. It will indeed be a challenge to preach these texts in a nation in turmoil, whatever way the people vote. Ancient texts. Contemporary opportunities. And the people of God today called to be faithful in love and in service, in making peace and creating community whether as part of the UK or in an independent Scotland. Vital to all of that will be our faith in the divine sense of humour!

God of uncertainty

So that they would search for God and perhaps grope for God and find God—though indeed God is not far from each one of us. Acts17:27

As I sat through the many debates in the General Assembly this week,what probably saddened me more than anything else was not that we are STILL debating same sex relationships as though that were the only thing that mattered to the rest of the world, sad though that is. What saddened me most was the confident voices of those who think they have God all sussed. Those who think that the God of the Universe can be explained or encountered in a neat and tidy package. I used to yearn for that kind of certainty. And I envied those who possessed it. But then I realised that that kind of God would not satisfy. That kind of god would not be the kind of companion I long for in everyday life. Because there are always questions that cannot be answered and mysteries that cannot be explained. And I need a God who presents us with a quest of discovery. I suspect that you do too. A God for whom we grope and in the searching, discover God not far from us. That God is messy and often dirty from guddling in the muck and glaur of our lives. That God hunkers down beside us and awaits our discovery. 

A Broad Church

As an aspiring pacifist, it always catches me unawares how emotional I feel when the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland receives the Report of the Committee on Chaplaincy to Her Majesty's Forces. To hear of the work undertaken by ministers of the gospel alongside those who serve our country in areas of armed conflict and their families, always moves me to tears. It is a gift and a privilege to be Christ to others as all who serve the church are called to be. To do that in the situations in which chaplains to the armed forces often find themselves is simply incredible.

Living generously

Matthew 5:42 

No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

"Respectful dialogue" was the order of the day as the General Assembly invited Douglas Alexander MP,    Revd Dr Doug Gay and the  Very Revd Alison Elliot to address delegates and engage in debate this afternoon. The Assembly listened carefully and it was encouraging to see church representatives holding space for those of differing viewpoints to share their fears and hopes for the Independence Referendum this autumn.

In summing up, John Sturrock QC reminded us of the words of The U2 Invisible lyrics - that "there is no them, only us" (loosely paraphrased).

After the referendum on September 18th, there will still be only us. With that in mind it is important that before AND after the vote, we live generously, listen to our neighbour and work to relieve the burden of the poor and to care for the vulnerable in our communities. In that sense, nothing changes. While it is hoped that churches in their communities will always be places of hope, healing and reconciliation in times of conflict, there are usually more effective ways forward that avoid conflict and our priority, whatever the outcome of the referendum, will be to ensure that we continue to show love, respect and care for all in our community and, with whatever means are ours, to bring about the changes that will lead to justice and equity for all.