Photo every day Lent 2016: Gather

My intention is to blog a photo every day during Lent. I may comment, I may not. There will no doubt be a poem or two. These are the words I will be using:

Today's word 'gather' brings me to these baby birds gathered in a nest all waiting for mummy bird to come back with some food. 

Psalm 91:1-4

Whoever dwells in the 

shelter of the most high,

Will rest in the shadow 

Of the almighty.

I will say of the Lord,

'He is my refuge 

And my fortress,

My God in whom

I trust.'

Surly he will save you 

From the fowlers snare

And the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

And under his wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be 

your shield and rampart...

A little humour...

🐵🙈🙉

Those of you accustom to Facebook may have seen the 'Be like Me (Be like Bill) ditties that have appeared curtesy of http://en.blobla.com the idea is you in put your name and gender and it comes up with a 'Be like Bill' or 'Be like [insert name]' poem. I hope you like my own version....

This is Jo

She is unique

There is no one the same

Or as madly insane

Jo likes to laugh 

And hopes you do to

Be like Jo...

No! Be like you :-)

Revdjo 24/1/2016

The roar of the waterfall

I

Psalm 42

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    ‘Where is your God?’
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me –
    a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
    ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?’
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    ‘Where is your God?’

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

(NIV 2011) 

There is something about the sound of water, whether it be the roar of a waterfall, a babbling brook or the waves crashing against the shore. I have been drawn to the sounds of God's creation of late, the sounds that can be so easily passed over. In the quietness of the morning the pitter patter of rain on the window pane seems to sing a different song than it does when you are running for the car on a wet afternoon. On mornings where it hasn't been raining, they have been few and far between of late in the UK, the dawn chorus breaks through the stillness as the darkness as night turns to day. A different song is sung again by the wind at night as it rustles through the trees and whistles through the valleys. Each song is beautiful in its own right. Each has its own mood as every song has, although perhaps the song we hear depends on our own mood? God speaks loud and clear in so many ways through creation and it's many songs. God continues to speak to us, and reassure us even when we fail to stop and listen. He speaks through the songs of creation even when we sleep.

A gap in the door

A gap in the door where the light 

shines through

A new world beckons

Do you want to walk through?

Uncertainty calls

To a life put on hold

The passage of time

Evolving once more.

A gap in the door

Can mean many things

Choose your path wisely

May the light shine 

within.

Copyright revdjo 14/11/15

The premise of a ghost story

There is much that could be said about Halloween and the merits of trick or treating. Do I open the door or not? Are those that celebrate Halloween opening the doors to more than the unsuspecting little old lady sat on her own on a cold night in October? I will leave you to do your own pondering.

Yesterday I watched a film about a ghost. I don't normally watch such things but it was a very tame afternoon film so I felt safe in the knowledge that there would be no spinning heads, exorcisms, or the need to hide behind the sofa. To be frank Dr Who is more scary. I only mention spinning heads as I frightened myself half to death by watching 'The Evil Dead' when I was about 10 years old. A school friend thought it was a good idea. A few sleepless nights later we both regretted our decision. Anyway, I digress...

Yesterday's film and indeed the premise of many a ghost story is the thought that the 'ghost' is someone who is stuck at that mid-way point between the here and now and the afterlife. The afterlife normally being some kind of 'heaven'. hell of course can also be mentioned in said films, but we won't go there today. In the film it turns out that our ghost, 'Clive', is stuck from moving on because on Halloween and his daughters 18th birthday he made her choose between him and her boyfriend. She chose the boyfriend and eloped to be married. They never spoke from that moment on. Clive the ghost had been scaring the residence of 'his' house ever since. To cut a long story short it ends happily ever-after and his daughter comes to the house and is given the letter that Clive wrote saying he was sorry for what he did. 

The trouble with the story is that actually we don't get a second chance after we have died (but there are plenty of second chances before our final breath). I wonder how many folk have died wishing 'if only', if only they had said, 'sorry', or done something different. Life can be full of regrets, regrets that alas die with us. We may have a chance on our death-bed to say sorry to God and to perhaps try to find reconciliation with our loved ones but there is no guarantee. Who knows how death will come to us. I feel like the Grim Reaper saying such things but that is the fact of the matter. 

Reconciliation with friends and family is not always possible and perhaps we have to live with that. We can ask for forgiveness or long for the other party to ask our forgiveness but we might not reach that point. Should that stop us from seeking reconciliation? No. If we at least reach out the hand of forgiveness then we have perhaps done our bit. I say perhaps as relationships and situations are complicated and I am not an expert.

We may have to resolve ourselves with the prospect of dying without the happy ever-after music playing in the background but I believe we can still die peacefully. To die peacefully, at least for me, is to die knowing Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and getting right with him. Life has many twists and turns but God continues to offer us his love and his grace and his forgiveness. 

We can focus on the dead and amuse ourselves with dressing up as zombies and witches but perhaps there are more important things in the here and now that need addressing, not least our relationship with God.

Celebrations!

This weekend is going to be a busy one at church as we celebrate our 375th anniversary with an open day on Saturday. On Sunday I have a very informal induction as minister (photos to follow). I have been at King's Stanley Baptist Church for almost a year now so I'm already part of the furniture in many ways. The following weekend we join with other Baptist churches in the country who also celebrate being 375.

There is still so much to do... I have no ears, although I do have paws! I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date! OK, it hasn't happened yet so I'm not late, just dragging my little bob-tail in getting everything finalized. A moment to 'paws' (excuse the pun) and listen to the hymn that was written by Graham Kendrick for all the churches who are 375. Click here to listen. How fantastic!