abbotsford.org.uk

pentecost: energy

the breath that fills balloons
and the noise as they burst

the tree crammed into a seed
and the ship it will one day become

the voice that sings a song of freedom
and repeats until the whole world joins the chorus

the child who has one question to ask: ‘why?’
and asks it again and again and again

the book full of words
waiting to fill an imagination with dreams and alternative worlds

the church restless for new shoes
to take her off exploring

potential
growth
keeping at it
wondering
imagination
adventure

the energy
of god

pentecost: potential

dove:
with teeth
wind:
with direction
fire:
with intent;
this energy of god
moves beyond
prosaic symbols
into potent dreams
that shift
everything

Pentecost: deliverance

pentecost: hushed yet
waiting now
rumbling nonetheless
the spirit: impatient for freedom
her season: ripening
longing for too long
to stretch her wings
and clear her throat
irritable for 2000 years
and edgy for release
gnawing her parochial ties
zealous in deliverance
by and for
her holy church

Ascension Call

 

In the echo of resurrection
a time arrives
when it dawns on the soul
it can keep travelling
without Jesus by our side

Such is the power of resurrection
that charges the soul
with life full enough
to set it free from holding holy hands
on the journey

This is resurrection power
life lived in faith
that takes our longing
away from what has gone
towards the horizon of what is yet to be

Jesus is ascended
and now in spirit
he moves within us
resurrected within each of us
to lead us anew

A statement of faith in the unknown

Based on the idea of The Unknown God, this statement celebrate a faith in what is yet unknown. A statement of expectation and... well, faith!

I believe in love
a love that embodies God
a love yet unknown in it’s power to transform
that which is dark into that which is light
all that hurts
into what heals
a cross
into a means of resurrection
I believe in love
a love yet unknown in it’s power to transform

I believe in grace
a grace that celebrates God
a grace yet unknown in its power to hang on
to embrace that which needs to be redeemed
waiting all eternity
for the time of redemption
when all people are gathered into the love of God
I believe in grace
a grace yet unknown in it’s power to hang on

I believe in life
a life that glorifies God
a life yet unknown in its fullness
a fullness of life that shapes our humanity
beyond our prejudices today
that brings us nearer
to being the community God calls us to be
I believe in life
a life yet unknown in its fullness

I believe in God
a god as yet unknown
who has been calling us from the ancient time of creation
into relationship with each other and with God
unknown as yet
because with God nothing is ever finished
I believe in God
who is yet not fully known

Unknown unknowns

The unknown unknowns of faith:

What happens when justice speaks from the throne of heaven into the streets of the world?

What happens when peace is made into a way of living from playgrounds to parliament?

What happens when bread is broken on upturned orange crates in Palestine?

What happens when presidents believe the are called to be servants of the poor?

What happens when the land is honoured with jubilee by economists and city traders?

What happens when children speak and adults hear?

What happens when The Word becomes the word of protest against all that binds humanity?

The unknown?
God?

Living stones

A wee less than formal call to worship for our Boys' Brigade prizegiving service on Sunday.

Bob the builder can’t
The ancient Egyptians didn’t
The Olympic Delivery Authority won’t

Jesus can

Who else can build a house
not made of bricks
but made of people

Who else can build a building
not with mortar
but with love

Who else can build a structure
not with girders
but with living stones

Bob the builder can’t
Jesus can

 

Fullness

life
in all abundance
life,
to the full
life
given by the shepherd

shepherd
the recognised voice
shepherd
the one to follow
shepherd
who sleeps by the gate

gatekeeper
the way
gatekeeper
the truth
gatekeeper
the life of the sheep

life
in all abundance…

may we recognise the shepherd’s call
the gatekeeper
into the fullness of life

How did we not see?

For two readers and a loaf of bread!. As one reader finishes and repeats the last few words of each stanza, the other reader picks them up, as the first goes quiet the second grows louder. The one not speaking breaks bread. The bread is broken continually through the service. After the blessing in the service, people are invited to come up and take a piece of bread.

How did we not see?
Why did it take so long to recognise him,
the man who sat with the leper
and spoke to him,
and touched his wounds,
and spoke about healing,
a healing that was more than making him better
but restored him to family and community,
reborn, reborn, reborn…

…reborn, reborn like Jairus’ daughter,
lying dead in her room,
her father out searching for a miracle,
and finding Jesus,
who, in heaven’s own time,
sat quietly with her,
and called her back into life, into life, into life…

…into a life, into a life that was now lived generously
for Zacchaeus repaid all those he had taken from.
From tree climber to social climber,
outcast to newly cast,
forgiven and accepted
by grace as Jesus ate with him, with him, with him…

…with him, with him, it was always an adventure
that took us to the borders of country, culture and faith,
where we met people on the edge
we weren’t meant to speak to,
but he did,
the woman at the well,
who offered to draw water for him,
as he offered living water instead, instead, instead…

…instead, instead of going to the temple for prayer,
he threw the tables,
freed the doves,
rolled the coins,
and broke the moneychangers.
This was the kind of prayer we all wanted!
Except, we used words,
he used actions, actions, actions…

…actions, actions speak louder than words,
and as he took the bread,
and blessed it and broke it,
sparks flew,
light escaped,
heaven erupted in a thousand shards
as in a holy explosion
we saw him, saw him, saw him…

…saw him, saw him among us
and we wondered about a bread
that could contain such a miracle,
and knew it wasn’t the bread,
(that was just crumbs),
it was in the telling of the story,
for in sharing it
we began to trust these stories once more,
trust the truth they contained,
and in our believing,
we saw him once more, once more, once more…

…once more, once more, he said: share the bread,
it holds the story of Jesus,
and whenever you do this,
do this in remembrance
of him.

 

seeing is believing

how often are we told
seeing is believing:

unless I see the wounds…
unless I see Osama’s body…
unless I see the cross on the ballot paper
unless I see…
…I shall not believe.

yet with this journey
to a place called Emmaus
hearts are moved
in the sharing of the resurrection story
faith encouraged
by the impossible rumour
and in trusting
what we dare to be true
our eyes are opened
to Jesus among us

seeing is not believing
believing is seeing

today
may we have Easter eyes
to see Christ
within us
among us
and between us