Ritual

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

There is comfort in the familiar,

in those actions that we repeat

time and again without too much effort on our part.

Rituals that are sacred,

that have a meaning all of their own;

rituals we can perform in our sleep,

yet which still have the power -

every once in a while -

to confront us

with the awe and mystery

of a Divine Being.

The One who reaches out of and beyond ritual

to impact our daily grind

with wonder and joy

or challenge and turmoil

or maybe all of these at once - 

to reunite us with the God

at the heart of all our ritual,

unconfined

by the restraints that we apply.

Power play

As we walk the corridors of power

have we paused to hold the door open for others

or have we gaily marched on

too seduced by our own lofty success

to consider the plight of those 

who have journeyed with us?

As we take our well earned place at the table

are we careful to make room for others

recognising that their presence

enhances, not threatens

complements not competes

or are we too tired of fighting

to want to make it easier

for those who come after?

God give us grace

to do what we can

to ease the journey

for all who follow

in our wake.

Stumbling along

Hosea 14:8-9

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

your faithfulness comes from me.

Those who are wise understand these things;

those who are discerning know them.

For the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them.

Wisdom

Discernment

Tools of the wise

Enough

to cut through

all the noise

and bluster

to reach

the depths

of the things that matter

clearing away the debris

and making room

for love to penetrate

and light to escape.

Forging a pathway

which others may follow

finding God on the journey.

Looking forward

Jeremiah 7:23-24
But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but, in the stubbornness of their evil will, they walked in their own counsels, and looked backward rather than forward.

Looking back is tempting

There are lessons to be learned from the past

There is wisdom in the way

of those who have gone before

Yet our God calls us

to listen to the voice of God

today

A voice that speaks anew 

into each generation

and every culture

A voice that calls us out

to new people and places

to new ways of being

Ways that allow us

to hear God

amidst the clamour

of social media

in the very melee

of our connectedness

Ways that allow us

to seek out

those who are disconnected

for whom access is denied

to the myriad routes

of belonging

In the noise today

God calls us

to listen for those who are silent

to search out those voices

that are not heard

to follow God

into new ways of being

new ways of connectedness

with God and our neighbour

Looking forward

in order to glimpse

God dwelling with us

Today.

Passing on faith

Deuteronomy 4:9
But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—

Passing on faith

Or

Passing - on faith

Which will it be?

Will we remember the stories told to us?

Will we tell them to the next generation?

Will we share the love

of all who taught 

and nurtured us?

Or will we let that nourishing die on our watch?

Will we hold back

crushed by the fear

of getting it wrong

or treading on toes

or even of triggering painful memories?

Or will we share our stories anyway

and invite others to engage

with them

and with us

and with a God

who deals in stories

that are shot through 

with love for all

no holds barred.

Passing on faith

Or 

Passing - on faith?

Conviction

Daniel 3:28
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

What, in our lives 

signals our faith in God?

What gives the hint

that we follow

the way of Christ?

What might make others wonder

why we do the things we do?

And in their wondering,

what is there that they might want to emulate?

Does our discipleship,

our followership

look like good news

or seem life-giving.

Those ashes we donned 

at the beginning of Lent - 

Do they symbolise

faith, hope and love

as well as repentance?

Do they speak of freedom and conviction

or simply ritual and conformity?

Are we willing to stand out

in our everyday

as well as on high and holy days?

Would we stand convicted

as servants of the living God?

Where, today,

is God calling us,

giving opportunity

to stand out from the crowd

and be labelled 

as God's people

who bring light and life

to the people and places we inhabit?

Annunciation

Luke 1:38
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Consenting 

Consenting to bear

the child of God

Consenting to bear

the stigma of judgement

 Consenting to bear

the worry and the fear

Consenting to bear

the wondering and confusion

Consenting to bear

the pain and the loss

Consenting to bear

the agony of grief

Consenting to birth

the hope of the world

“Let it be” said Mary

the mother of God.