Oblivious

as the glory of God

illuminates the night
and shepherds
tremble
before angelic choirs

the rest of the world

remains oblivious

whilst a young mother

and an awestruck father
take in the miracle
and the mystery

the rest of the world

continues unaware
unaware
that everything
just changed

a gift of Love

lies sleeping in the straw

the greatness of God

takes baby small breaths
in the hay

the Prince of Peace

peacefully sleeps

God has come

God has come

to us

and almost no-one
notices

Ragamuffin Rumours

I tell you

it’s hard to know
what to believe
there’s a story flying round the town
that the Messiah’s been born
here in Bethlehem

would you credit it

right here
in this very town they say

and there are wild rumours

of angels
and dazzling stars
and choirs in the sky

it beggars belief

the Messiah

here
in Bethlehem

it’s only gossip I’m sure

let’s face it

the town’s bursting at the seams
with this stupid census
and no-one else
not one single person
seems to have heard or seen
this ‘heavenly announcement’

strikes me

maybe the wine’s been flowing
a little too freely
at all those family reunions

I have to say though

it’s certainly got folks talking

but here’s the rub

they say it started
with a group of shepherds
spreading the news

well I ask you

what a group of misfits and rogues they are
it has to be a hoax

the hope of Israel?

born in Bethlehem?
and a bunch of ragamuffin shepherds
the first to hear the news?

can’t possibly be true

 

 

The Melting

it seemed
as if the heavy weight of her weariness
melted into the straw
as her exhausted body
surrendered itself
to the makeshift bed
that Joseph had fashioned

it was done

the child was born

the promised one

was here

and a river

of unimaginable
relief and joy
washed over her and through her
like an all-consuming tidal wave

he was safely come

she knew not

what the future held

but God had come good

she knew she could trust
her Adonai

she had surrendered her body

to his purposes
and he
had delivered on his promise

and through the swirling mist of emotion

and a million unanswerable questions
through the discomfort
and after pains
of childbirth
in the total unknowing
of what came next
the whole weight of her tired body
settled into the straw
and utter joy
flooded her senses

God had come good

let it be to me

she thought
according to your Word

.

Holy Fire

it came
out of nowhere
a great thunderclap of sound
and a rushing roaring wind
powering through the room
like the stormiest gale on a wave-whipped sea
swirling
deafening
threatening
pure unadulterated power
ripping through the space

and a great explosion of fire

saturating the senses
blowing apart all concepts of God
tongues of flame
raining down on us
vibrant infusions
of red, orange, gold
heavenly spotlights
homing in
on their targets

and then

silence

a long, loud silence

as the fireball

dispersed itself
and we were left with
flickering dancing candle flames
resting
on each one of us
with the gentle hypnotic beauty
of fire that danced and blazed
yet did not burn
flames that covered
but didn’t consume

and after the moment

of shock-filled fear
a sense of quiet wonder
rippled through the room

and someone

Matthew I think it was
began to smile
a warm
relaxed
bringing a sparkle to the eyes kind of smile
as the huge relief
of recognition
came upon him

the fire of God

he whispered
it’s the fire
of God
the burning bush that does not burn

he’s done it again

he’s kept
his promise

remember what John said?

he will baptise you

with fire
with the Holy Spirit
and with fire

and suddenly we were laughing

dancing
embracing each other
not understanding
but knowing
knowing this was him
this was the gift he’d promised
and we were touching the flickering fires
daring to hold
their flame dancing beauty
entranced
in wonder-filled moments
of joy
and recognition
and indescribable
holiness
and humility

the Spirit

was with us

and power

rippled through us
with all the grace and wonder
and profound simplicity
that we had to come to expect
of the Master

and everything

changed

.

A Christmas Prayer

Baby-small

vulnerable
risk-taking God,
re-enter our hearts
as we ponder your coming amongst us.

Holy and beautiful

radiant God,
shine in our dark
as we think of your birth in the stable.

Peaceful and merciful

all-loving God,
pour your compassion out through us.

Let us love like you,

live like you ,
bear your Good News to our world.

Let Emmanuel

live on through us.

Baby-small

vulnerable
risk-taking God,

re-enter our hearts

as we ponder your coming amongst us.

Amen

.

Spirit of the Incarnation

Spirit of the Incarnation

Holy birther

of possibility

rushing wind

dancing flame
seed
within the womb

gentle whisperer

promise nurturer
midwife
of change

in this flawed

and wounded temple
of my being

be the energy of God

within

dismantle
my resistance
to your flow,
break through
with power and wisdom,
and shine
gloriously shine

Spirit of the Incarnation

be fully enfleshed
in this place
this time
 
in me
.

A Whisper in the Night

He came

out of nowhere,
like a whisper in the night,
delivered the message,
the truly astounding message,
and then
like a half forgotten dream in the morning
he was gone
as if he'd never been,
leaving me wondering
pondering
wrestling with questions unanswerable,
knowing that everything
every single thing
had just
changed.

I had said my yes

and now
there was no turning back.

I rested my hand

on my belly
and pondered
the mystery of it all.

.

The Longing

         The Woman with Bleeding  -  Mark 5.21-34

no-one knows what it’s like

inside this blood-stained loneliness

twelve years

of ‘unclean: don’t touch’

a decade and more of discomfort

my body drained

by the constant issue of blood
hard edges of rejection
chiselling away
at my self-respect

the whispers

ruthless
unforgiving 

keep away

don’t touch
she is unclean

heavy

with the pain
between my loins
tired of being ostracized
weary
of the fruitless search for help
my spirit hemorrhaging                                                   
with the blood

I long

for the bleeding to stop

 

 

Headlong to Christmas

the rush

has begun

and we know

it can only get worse
as we race
headlong
towards
what passes
for the celebrations of your birth

holy child

give us
islands of stillness
in the frenzy of preparation

give us snatches

of peace
amid the tensions
of others’ expectations

and in the excesses

of the shopping mall
remind us
of the simple poverty
of the stable

holy child

as we rush towards Christmas
give us your stillness
your peace
your simplicity

give us especially

the gift of yourself

 

Almost Unnoticed

an angel
interrupts
an ordinary day
the Holy Spirit
comes upon a simple girl
a pregnancy begins

almost unnoticed

everything changes

in a hidden corner

of a city that had no room
a birthing struggle
ends
a Saviour
lies in the straw
a new world order
dawns
 
almost unnoticed
everything changes

heaven’s announcement

is placed in the hands
of those
whom society rejects
the first shall be last
and the last
shall be first

almost unnoticed

the Living Word, Prince of Peace
Promised Saviour, Mighty God
slips into the world
with flesh and blood skin on

and everything

everything
changes

 

And a Child Will Be Born

And a child will be born
to Mary;
fragile,
vulnerable, weak
in his humanness;
wonderful, strong,
life-changing
in his divinity;
unlike any other
in his power
to shape creation.

A child will be born to Mary:

he will be
Emmanuel,
God
with us.

.

Perfect Place

coincidentally
it was just the right size
and it was the cleanest place
in the stable

the hay was fresh

warm
sweet smelling

it was perfect

for the little chap
though not what Joseph had thought
his carpenter’s hands
might fashion for the boy
but under the circumstances
it would have to do

he took the child

from the breast
and laid him in the feeding trough

and the new little life

who had turned the man’s world
upside down
rested
sleeping the sleep
of newborns everywhere

together

the new mum and dad
watched him
marvelled at him
felt their love
rise up for him
and wondered
what the future
held for him

God had come good

God had provided
just as the angel
said he would

somehow they too

ordinary though they were
somehow they too
were now part of
God’s unfolding purposes and plans
just like Abraham and Isaac
like David and all the prophets
their story
was now part of God’s story
would be told
and re-told
generation after generation
just like the scriptures they had learned
at their mother’s knee

once again

as with the manna in the desert years
God had provided

and as the new

and nervous parents
talked of
the wonder of these things
they sensed
for a brief moment
the faintest whisper of a smile
on the face of the baby

the one who was to call himself

in later years
the Bread of Life
rested
in a feeding trough

it was

the perfect place

.

Encounter

hail

o favoured one
the Lord is with you

little more than a whisper

the voice was clear
and steady

do not be afraid

easy for him to say that

this radiant dazzling figure
who’d mysteriously appeared
out of nowhere

she began to tremble

felt her own
sharp intake of breath
before this strange figure
who’d rudely interrupted
her daydreaming

he had the shape and form

of a man
yet was
so very different
nebulous
shining
his features softened
by a shimmering glow
and he carried a presence
that emanated
an extraordinary peace

every nerve in her body

felt on edge
adrenalin
coursed through her
like a mighty waterfall
she felt in the presence
of something
terrifyingly beautiful
spell bindingly powerful
hugely frightening

and he said

simply
do not be afraid

absolutely nothing

could have prepared her
for what came next

you are to bear a son

one who will reign
over Israel
forever

he will be the Son

of the Most High

you are to call him

Jesus

her mind raced into overdrive

a heady cocktail of confusion, questions
arguments
random tumbling thoughts                                           

and then

after a split second
that felt longer than a lifetime

relief

it was all a mistake

this terrifying encounter
had to be a mistake
he had the wrong girl
it couldn’t possibly
be her
she’d never slept with a man

but he ignored her protests

carried on

the power of the Most High

will overshadow you
and make you pregnant

your baby will be holy

the Son of God

the power of the Most High?

a holy baby?

a million emotions

battled for attention within Mary
she wanted to run like the wind
from this conversation
pretend it never happened
get back to being ordinary

and then an echo of ancient scripture

voiced itself in her head

the virgin

will conceive a child                                                                            

and suddenly

this crazy scenario
all seemed impossibly possible

could it be true

that she was the chosen one

and though she didn’t begin to understand it

knew she could never deserve it
had no concept of the consequences
she wanted to laugh, cry, dance
all at once
wanted to tell everyone
about the angel

and she knew

there was only one response
she could make

she heard herself speaking

I am the servant of Adonai

let it be to me
as you have said

.

 

Flashes of Beauty

flashes of beauty

touch my soul

in the stillness

glimpses of holiness

pour

unbidden

into

the silent void

permeate my emptiness

with your fullness

touch my senses

with the presence of God

awaken me

to your reality

we are

as one

in the stillness

I in your rhythms

and you

in mine

.

Awesome God

awesome

unfathomable God

majesty, mystery, complexity

truth, Word

simplicity

architect

of all creation

ever-present

intimate friend

awesome God

nurture my soul

in the stillness

touch me tangibly

in the silence

reveal a little more

of the mystery of yourself

reveal your will

for me

.

Profound Simplicity

as simple
as washing one another’s feet

Lord, forgive us
when we make discipleship
difficult

that was never
how you taught it

when I search your gospel teachings
I discover nothing more
and nothing less
than great simplicity

a basin and a towel
bread and wine
a simple touch
a word of forgiveness
a rhythm of prayer

take nothing for the journey

a grain of wheat
a mustard seed
the profound simplicity
of love

as simple
as washing another’s feet

forgive us
when we complicate discipleship
help us instead
to simply serve
out of your great love
and our
naked vulnerability

Spirit's Flow

the world
keeps turning

life
is probably
unfolding as it should

accept and embrace
what is

offer yourself
to life’s unfurling;
let it carry you in its flow
to where
you are meant to be

all
will be well

let go
of all that is not

accept and embrace what is:
this situation
this now
this state of being

love yourself
love others
love God

accept

embrace

let go

be at peace

open yourself
to the Spirit's flow

Inward Look

sometimes
loneliness consumes me
until I look inside myself
and find You there
source of life
living Christ
love everlasting
ground of my being
knower
of all things

Tension

I held his gaze
for a lifetime

eternity
compressed within a second

eyes locked
in unspoken pain
and understanding

recognition
of a calling
too high
to walk away from
whatever
the excruciating cost

I knew about calling

and the cost of his
couldn’t have been higher

with every nerve in my body
I felt the inevitability of it

every
twist and turn
of the journey
every road
from the stable to now
had been leading
towards this path
propelling me
into this sword piercing pain
the agony
of watching him
steadily walk
towards his certain death

apology
love
fear
broken dreams
a lifetime of emotion
filled the air between us

we dare not let ourselves
come close
for fear
the nearness would break us
our love for each other
draw him away
from the call

I busied myself
bit my lip
got on with the difficult business
of being ordinary

Thursday Morning

this was the day

the hour
had nearly come

early in the morning
he rose to pray

slipped away
from the twelve

and watching
the gentle, soft light
of dawn
infuse the edges of the clouds
with brightness

he whispered

however you want this day
to unfold

let it be

let your glory
shine