Wednesday 29 February 2012

Knowing who Jesus is....

Today I read again the desert temptations in Matthew's Gospel.
As is often the case when something is familiar, we can overlook something bold, something startling, or we can suddenly see it - have a moment's inspiration.

The devil addresses Jesus three times, each of the first two begin with a sneer "If you are God's Son" but the third is far more ingratiating - wheedling - "All this I'll give you, if you bow down and worship me"
And from that time on, whenever devils and demons address Jesus, they know who he is. Never again is the phrase "If you are" used.
The devil learned who Jesus was.
Believed in him.
But that didn't make him Christian!!
Knowing who Jesus is - is the first step; engaging with the knowledge, allowing it to permeate, inform, inspire and lead us - that is the next step.


Know Jesus
Follow Jesus
Love Jesus

Tuesday 28 February 2012

meaning in meaningless

my desk is a guddle
I took a photo of it
but it's too bad to share!
somewhere in all of that guddle is my life:
my work
and my leisure
my family
and my friends
my worship
and my praise
all wrapped up in a big guddle:
a pile of papers and books and notes and bills and ideas and photos and pens and pencils and stationery
and what does it all mean?

today I was reading Ecclesiastes: "Meaningless!! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" when you read Ecclesiastes it's really, really important to stick with it, not to stop at the introduction and the assertion that all is meaningless...
get to the end and the Teacher declares his conclusion: remember God, keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of humanity.

My desk may be a guddle - but my life is full and marvellous and in all that meaninglessness there is meaning

Monday 27 February 2012

why bother?

Today is the beginning of Fair Trade Fortnight
and today when I go and speak to senior students at the High School I will ask
"Why Bother?"
There are lots of answers to that:
Because it's right
Because we can
Because one lone voice may not be heard - but when one becomes two; and then three, and four - pretty soon you have a cacophany
and together we can make a difference
it may not seem so to us
but to many others all around our small voice is a rousing cheer

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work;
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken"
Eccl: 4:9,12

Sunday 26 February 2012

a feast


A pile of empty coconut shells
Speaks of fat birds
Speaks of a feast
Speaks of sustenance during the winter chills

Where does your nourishment come from?
Where do you go to feed your Spirit?
Man does not live by bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
Deut 8:3

Saturday 25 February 2012

spring miracles...


These wee lambs were born by elective caesarian
how amazing!
In another age both mum & babes would have perished
Spring brings all sorts of miracles: divine & human
but every human 'miracle' happens only because God planted that spark of creativity in each of us:
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you
Psalm 9:10

Friday 24 February 2012

words

It's the pad from the jotter on my desk
filled with words:
to do lists
people to see
calls received
working out percentages
a bit of a doodle....

so many words
each leading to action
to reaction
each sending me out to do

O Lord!!
So many words
help me today, to simply be
let your words lead me
to stillness

Thursday 23 February 2012

ashes


Dirty
Crumbly
Compacted
Gritty
On the table was a dish of ashes - symbolic of human fragility
A reminder of God's creativity, as he took dust and ash and made of these basic elements something beautiful, something wondrous, something that wuold contain God's cretaive spark: Us!
We are individual, independent, intelligent: united by that spark of humanity which gives the ability to express thought and emotion and to live and love life
remember only that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return

Wednesday 22 February 2012

seasons changing

Today is Ash Wednesday
it is also 3 months since I wrote anything - which was a bit of a surprise.
I knew it'd been a while - but three months?!
So today - the day of resolutions, discipline, and preparation - today I am going to begin a simple Lenten observance...
write a few words every day for the next 40 days until Easter (well 46 actually....)

your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path
Ps119:105