The meeting

 

Luke 1:39-45

Mary Visits Elizabeth

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Two women

Fierce

Fabulous 

Wonderful

Strong

Carrying within them

Renewal for all the world

Between them

Birthing redemption for all people

Two women

Bearing power in all humility

Each recognising in the other

that in their wombs they nurtured

the hopes of generations

and the promise of God.

Have we got this? Ascension 2022

 

Luke 24:50-52

The Ascension of Jesus

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy;

Do you still think it was a good idea?

To pass the baton on to us?

Not sure, Lord, that that was one of your better plans

Sure - You did all you could

Preaching, teaching, showing us the way

You couldn’t have made it any clearer 

Or put it any simpler - Love one another

And, You promised

To be always with us

And sent us your Spirit

So how can we get it so wrong?

How can we surround ourselves

with guns and war

with poverty and injustice

with hatred and indifference?

What possessed you to imagine

that we’d be up to the task?

How long, O Lord?

May our creeds and confessions

And all our holy mumble jumble

be torn asunder

Forcing us out of our sanctuaries

and onto the streets

where humanity is broken 

May we make it simple

and keep it simple

By loving one another.

Unless I see…

 John 20:24-25

Jesus and Thomas

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Where were you Thomas?

Were you the one elected to pick up supplies?

Or did you slip out, unobserved, 

to try and catch the word on the street

to gauge whether it was safe to come out?

Or did you just need to get out of there for a while

Away from the noise

And the recriminations

The what-ifs and the should-haves

Away from the aural processors

To be alone with your grief and loss and regret

Alone with your dashed hopes

and self recrimination

You were right to doubt the story that greeted you on your return

You were right to assert your need 

to see your risen Lord

to touch his wounded flesh

After all that had happened 

you needed to see for yourself

There was no space in your grief for hope

You couldn’t afford to be that hurt again

No more living on second hand stories

No more metaphor and mystery

This was a time, if ever there was

for raw, messy, vulnerable reality

Nothing less would do.

I’m glad you doubted, Thomas

Glad, too, that you got your moment

to touch that wounded flesh

and to meet your risen Lord 

To see and believe 

To be able to proclaim

MY Lord and MY God.

May I be as honest in my doubting

As clear about my need

And know transformation in the wounds of Christ today.

(Liz Crumlish 2022)

St Brigid and beer

Well of Eternal Youth, Dun I, Iona

As I dip my hand in the well of eternal youth

and splash the cooling water on my face

my prayer is not for youthfulness

but for wisdom

for peace

and for laughter

For the spirit of Brigid

who, legend has it,

blessed this well

That same Brigid

who turned water into beer

who prayed for an end to suffering 

Who cared for children

who welcomed women

I pray for her humour that disarmed

so much of the patriarchy around her

I pray for some of her indefatigable spirit

that brings newness every day

and is filled with compassion

and tenderness 

for all of creation

And, this I know - there is always room for more beer

Preparing for Retreat

Luke 24:13-15

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them

I’m on Iona, taking a few days to prepare for a retreat I’m leading at Bishops House next week. On Saturday, 23 women clergy, from UK, Ireland, USA and Canada will gather to share our stories and discern anew our calling to serve in all the many ways that we live out our vocations.

As my Facebook timeline fills

with stories of journeys

of stopping places

of encounters - planned and unplanned

My prayer time fills

with thoughts of those enroute

Those filled with anticipation

Those filled with wonder

Those unsure what to expect

Those who have left room

in all their careful packing

for the unexpected

Those who journey in hope

Those whose step is weary

Those who tread lightly

Those who welcome it all, whatever it may be

Seeing the risen Christ

matching his step with ours

Planting one foot in front of the other

Or skipping alongside joyfully

Carefully waiting when we lag behind

Placing his wounded hand on our shoulder

the touch of vulnerability that releases our authenticity

In all the unknowns and possibilities

In all the curiosity, this I know

The Emmaus Christ remains with us

Coorying in beside us as we share our stories

Helping us make sense of all that has happened

Making himself known as we break bread together

And sending us on our way to continue to proclaim

The Lord is Risen

He is Risen indeed

Alleluia

Liz Crumlish April 2022 

The wounds of life

 John 20:26-28

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Come and see

Come and see the Risen Lord

The word made flesh

Wounded flesh

Risen from the grave

with wounds still visible

Come and see

Come and see the one

who is not afraid of his scars

One who exposes his vulnerability

that we might embrace ours

One who doesn’t need us to clean up our act

preferring to get down and dirty with us

Come and see 

Come and see the one

who appears in our midst

Offering love

Offering acceptance

Offering trust

Offering hope 

Come and see 

My Lord and my God

No time for idle tales

 Luke 24:1-3, 8-11

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.

Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

This Easter, God knows, we need a miracle

We need more than a sign that death can be defeated

We need assurance that light will not be extinguished forever by darkness

This is no time for idle tales

How much do we believe in resurrection?

How far are we prepared to oppose the empire

that cannot stand to see its oppressive power defeated by love?

This is no time for idle tales

Throughout the world we see the evidence 

that empire is built on division and sustained in fear

using lies and deceit to shore up its shaky foundation

composed of layers of coercion and corruption

This is no time for idle tales.

How much are we prepared to resist?

To believe in one who was sacrificed by empire 

who plumbed the depths of hell

so that we might know:

This is no idle tale

It is a call for those who believe

in another power

in another kindom 

in the cumulative power of love

to keep on resisting the evil we see

with all that we have

for the love of one who gave all.

This is no idle tale.

(Liz Crumlish Easter 2022)