Word in the Hand

Gospel Luke 2:16-21  T he shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.   When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. Sometimes you could imagine that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus partially because she was this young, innocent, obedient young woman with no authority or status to call her own. Virtually no more than a living 'Ark of the 'Covenant'; a tabernacle (as some of her other titles name her). It is an easy place to put Mary - to name her no mor...

Luke 2:22,39-40 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.   When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.   God's favour seems to mean something different to God than it does to us. Jesus does not have the fostering of Moses; the charisma of Joseph or even the prophetic hope of John. It is much simpler than that. God's favour seems to grant him parents that love him; the curiosity of youth and the encouragement to grow outside the prejudices and assumptions that a small town can label you with.  Even though, as a man, he is still only 'Mary's son' to the locals; being Mary's (and Joseph's) son seems to have taught him all he needed to know - but it couldn't...

Luke 2:22,39-40 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.   When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.   God's favour seems to mean something different to God than it does to us. Jesus does not have the fostering of Moses; the charisma of Joseph or even the prophetic hope of John. It is much simpler than that. God's favour seems to grant him parents that love him; the curiosity of youth and the encouragement to grow outside the prejudices and assumptions that a small town can label you with.  Even though, as a man, he is still only 'Mary's son' to the locals; being Mary's (and Joseph's) son seems to have taught him all he needed to know - but it couldn't have been eas...

A lovely telling of the Christmas Story. A beautiful crib. There is comfort in the repeating of this tradition year after year and it’s not always easy to see the awesome wonder of it. Our God, a child in the arms of a young woman. The Christian faith is rooted in the fact that ordinary people do extraordinary things. That Mary accepted her part in her relationship with God and said ‘Yes’. That Joseph accepted his part in his relationship with God and said ‘Yes’. That shepherds, innkeepers, kings and philosophers found some way in their hearts to say ‘Yes’ . And that these and all the other ‘Yes’s’ from the most unlikely people, throughout Jesus’ life gave God the opportunity to be born among us, to live a life with us, to laugh and cry with us, to make his own choice to die for us and to be with us now. Listen to a baby cry. Left in a cot or pram sobbing for attention, for reassurance. How long can you bear it before you make the choice? To move out of earshot hoping some...

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,  the Expected of the nations and their 
 Saviour.   Come and save us, O Lord our God. If I hear ‘How long have you got?’ one more time – someone may get hurt. Less than a week, actually…which has been the longest week of my life. Never mind the nine months that went before; the 'Yes'; the waiting and wondering; the protection  of Joseph; the comfort of Elizabeth; the knowing that there is no going back. Never mind the ever-spreading ‘everything’, insomnia and nesting urges; listening to the older womens horror stories (why do they do that?); making space; finding room; fearing that you you will be born in the dust at the side of the road. O, yes, the realisation that  soon, you will be born. Because, really, I’d be quite happy for you to stay right where you are: to carry on being ‘the Bump’. I’ve got used to being this shape; living in a pregnancy time zone; cradling your weight in my arms; resting my hands on your...

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. As a rule; I am not particularly afraid of the dark; in fact it has been a solace and a haven for me in much of my life. Strange noises and the suspicious shapes in the shadows tell me that there are many  things outside my imagining and they are often not to be feared. Those of you who share the experience of these periods of insomnia and broken sleep may or may not agree with me but it is in those times that I have generally got to know myself, and my God, better.  it is in the darkness that we reveal our little selves, without embarassment or shame - we weep until our eyes throb with the saltiness of grief - grind our teeth with anguish or anger  - groan at our helplessness- for who is there to see? In the darkness we are able to hurl our fears and regrets at what may feel like a closed door or a strong embrace. It is the confe...

Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel; you open and no one closes; you close and no one opens. Come, and deliver from the chains of prison those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. lost gloves2011 God sits on a chair of darkness in my soul. He is God alone, supreme in his majesty  I sit at his feet, a child in the dark beside him; my joy is aware of his glance and my sorrow is tempted to nest on the thought that his face is turned away from me. Jessica Powers Someone made the comment recently that Christmas should be where it was before the calendar changed - about two weeks ago or so. I have to say, I disagree. There is something viciously Lenten about waiting through these dark days and especially tomorrow, the darkest of days when the sun barely finds the desire to raise its head from the horizon. There is something in the thought that in a few days Joy will enter the world and it won't be enough; because it wasn't last year and I have the d...

Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswo...

wordinthehand2011

Gospel John 1:6-8,19-28  A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light. This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied: a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.’ Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but th...

wordinthehand2011

Wasteland sunset I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight:   with him at my side I can never be shaken. Thus it is that my heart rejoices,   heart and soul together;   while my body rests in calm hope.

Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart.  You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising.

Show me your mercy at daybreak,   because of my trust in you. Tell me the way I should follow,   for my soul is drawn towards you.

St Melangell  Psalm 85  Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,   for I am poor and destitute. Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;   O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Gospel Mark 1:1-8  Another Place - Anthony Gormley The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way. A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. and so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’ Nearly two years ago now our Scripture group began stu...

Another Place - Anthony Gormley Compline Reading                                                                                                Jeremiah 14:9  Lord, you are in our midst, we are called by your name. Do not desert us, O Lord our God! Strange that our natural inclination seems to be believing ourselves abandoned.... Your heartbeat a prayer for a God shaped space within to be filled by grace. Still now, breathe, listen You have your place - in God's hand Be at one with Love wordinthehand2011

Complines Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:23  May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless, spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes Advent does not begin on the nearest Sunday to 30th November.  Sometimes, like a pregnancy, it makes itself known in imperceptable, internal movements. Movements that are sensed but not seen.  There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. (Martha Graham) The Advent journey is unique - it is a girl dreaming in the dark after the Angel has left; it is a man staring into the fire wondering if dreams can be believed; it is an older woman knowing that they can. It is whatever it needs to call you into the anticipation of waiting.   wordinthehand2011