Word in the Hand

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...

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...

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

Gospel Matthew 5:17-37 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. ‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer ...