Finding ways of being together, apart.
Reflections for half term
...On 31st October the Church remembers Martin Luther. A few years ago, I carved this pumpkin to celebrate that remembering.
And this All Hallowstide, saints of all kinds will be remembered too... those featured in church windows, and people who have lived with us, and loved us...
Saints who are symbols of hope
Saints who have known us as closely as it is possible to do so
Saints who remind us of the message of the angels, 'do not be afraid'
As we remember them, why not reflect, too, on these questions...
- who has been a saint to you, in your life?
- what might you be able to do at the moment to be, in some way, a saint to others?
[Photos show pumpkins, carved with - Martin Luther, Noah's ark, Jesus, A smiling angel face, and a Sacred Heart]
Today the Church remembers St Luke the Evangelist...
Known as a doctor and icon painter, Luke is both the patron saint of artists and physicians.
Two things that go together really quite well... the ability for art to relax, invigorate, inspire and bring peace is amazing.
I've shared several icons before, so here's a different piece of art. One my son painted as a present quite a few years ago now:
Maybe you'd like to sit with it for a while today. If so, what does it 'speak' to you?
Today the Church remembers St Ignatius...
St Ignatius of Antioch. Also known as Ignatius Theophorus - 'God bearer', because of his devotion to God; praying and striving that all that he did would be in God's name, and to the glory of God.
'God bearer' because, in some way, God was visible in him to those around him.
It makes me wonder, today... where have you glimpsed God in others, in the past?
...Where might you see God today? or tomorrow?
Today the Church remembers St Teresa of Avila...
Some words of St Teresa, that you might like to use for prayer and reflection today:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Let nothing disturb you,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Today the Church remembers Edward the Confessor...
One of the main characters in the Bayeux Tapestry.
...How about exploring some other wonderful objects made of fabric today?
Here's a good starting place - V&A museum - Opus Anglicanum
Today the Church remembers Paulinus...
Paulinus was the first Bishop of York, and was the first person to begin building a cathedral in York.
There's no trace of that first structure now, but the building that eventually succeeded it is amazing.
Why not have an explore? - Explore York Minster
With church buildings having been closed over the last few months - and most are not yet back to being open anywhere near as much as they were at the start of the year - it's been a real time, and opportunity, amongst all the sadness at seeing them locked, to reflect on the buildings, and other places, that are significant to me, and important in some way to my faith.
There are many, but here are a few...
One is All Saints' Church, Cambridge - a place where I have spent many hours in prayer as an ordinand, where my son was baptised, and where I was one of the 'churchwardens' while at Westcott House.
Another, St Chad's, Hopwas, is where I first realised that my calling was one to ordination - as it happens, at my own baptism. It's where I found God, through the people that I met there. It's also the church I got married in. All of those together are the reason that my white stole has St Chad's cross on it.
One more place, is The Peak District. Of all the incredible beauty of creation, the Peak District especially helps me to feel close to God - a liminal, 'thin', space where heaven and earth seem to get that little bit closer.
While I reflect on those, and other places that have shaped me and my understanding of God and of my faith, I wonder, too... ...what places would you add to your list?
Today the Church remembers William Tyndale...
Famous for his work on translating the Bible, Tyndale's legacy lives on not least through the work of 'Tyndale House' in Cambridge.
Here's one offering from them, which you might find interesting if you'd like to look up the meanings and frequency of different words in an book of the Bible - www.stepbible.org
For a free tool, it's incredibly detailed and useful!
Weekend puzzle time
Slightly late this week, but better late than never!
How about this, this week? Shikaku puzzles
(lots of other puzzles available there, too, if you'd prefer!)
Happy puzzling!
Music for the weekend
For various reasons, there'll be a brief gap over the weekend with no new posts.
Some music to accompany the lack of new posts:
Sacred Silence
Today the Church celebrates St Michael and all angels (Michaelmas)...
A reading, a prayer, an acclamation and a couple of hymns, as we celebrate Michaelmas today:
John 1.47-end
47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ 48Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ 49Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ 50Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ 51And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you,* you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
Blessing and honour and thanksgiving and praise
more than we can utter, more than we can conceive,
be to you, most holy and glorious Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
from all angels, and all people, all creatures
for ever and ever. Amen.
Acclamation
The Lord commands his angels
to keep you in all your ways.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels, mighty in power,
who fulfil his command and heed the voice of his word.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,
his servants that do his will.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his works,
in every place where he rules,
my soul, give thanks to the Lord.
or he commands his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.
♫ Angel voices ever singing
Ye holy angels bright
[Liturgical material from The Church of England]
Monday 28th September
A new experience for us, a couple of weeks ago!
With the APCMs all completed, and the first 'round' of PCC meetings begun, we're wondering 'how can we work together to move forwards at the moment?'
Whether you're in control at the front, or perhaps nervously being carried along by the momentum (or thoroughly enjoying being able to sit back a little and just enjoy the journey, like our daughter!), that photo makes me wonder...
...how are you working with others at the moment?
...are you working together to speed along to new places, or tending to work against each other and slowing each other up?
...do those answers change if the 'other' you're thinking about is God?
[Photo shows a tandem]
Sunday 27th September
Weekend puzzle time!
Word puzzles this weekend... can you change one word into another by changing one letter at a time, forming a new word each time as you go?
Word ladder puzzles
Saturday 26th September
As I'm officiating at a wedding and a funeral today, how about some musical suggestions that are often found at one, or both, of them?
Abide with me
Jesu, joy of man's desiring
Love divine
Nimrod - Elgar
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended
Today the Church remembers Lancelot Andrewes...
A 16th/17th century bishop and scholar. One of the translators of the King James Bible, and masterful at preaching.
One of his prayers, for today:
Be, Lord, within me to strengthen me,
without me to preserve,
over me to shelter,
beneath me to support,
before me to direct,
behind me to bring back,
round about me to fortify.
Amen.
Thursday 24th September
A couple of weeks ago my daughter came home from school with a cough. We arranged for a covid test, and went into self-isolation until we received the result.
And with along with us, this blog seemed to enter self-isolation too.
And I'm still not entirely sure why... which is perhaps why my plans to restart the blog over the last week or so haven't quite made it to an actual post until now.
(I'll keep reflecting on it, and hopefully work out the answer soon!)
This blog... life more generally... seemed to freeze, in many ways.
Which has made me reflect on the times in my life when my faith, and relationship with God, has done similar.
About a dozen years ago I went to a service in a different place to usual (as it happens, it was the first time I ever worshipped at Westcott House), and I surprised myself by finding myself saying, as I walked home, 'I remember why I'm a Christian.'
My relationship with God had frozen, slowly but definitely, in many ways. And that service thawed things suddenly, and completely.
It's an experience, and a feeling, that has stayed with me ever since. It showed me, powerfully, the importance of trying to keep faith 'warm'. And that is some of the prayer that I have put into the hats I've been making recently, to keep people warm more literally:
[Photos are of four crocheted woollen hats - two completed, two in the process of being made.]
...Which makes me wonder, today...
...How do you keep your faith 'warm'?
...Do you have different 'hats' to do this at different times of the year?
...What 'hat' might you like to make and/or 'put on' to warm your faith at the moment?
Friday 11th September
An exciting surprise first thing this morning!
It makes me wonder, today...
...what does that image make you wonder?
[Photo shows a hot air balloon]
Thursday 10th September
Freshly picked today, while I walked Tallis... unplanned, just too wonderful to pass up on.
They make me wonder...
...what unexpected delights have you found recently, in your journeying with God?
[Photo shows some freshly picked blackberries]
Today the Church remembers the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary...
A Collect, as the Church remembers the birth of Mary, today:
Almighty and everlasting God,
who stooped to raise fallen humanity
through the child-bearing of blessed Mary:
grant that we, who have seen your glory
revealed in our human nature
and your love made perfect in our weakness,
may daily be renewed in your image
and conformed to the pattern of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
♫ Mary's Magnificat
Monday 7th September
A prayer you might like to say today (the alternative collect for this week...)
Almighty God,
you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
♫ A Clare Benediction
Sunday 6th September
The Gospel reading today has Jesus saying, 'where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.'
I always find that spending time reflecting on where God can be seen, in things that I have done and encounters I have with people, transforms my understanding of those events, and of life in general.
Along that theme, how about a 'one song to the tune of another'-type exploration today?...
♫ Postmodern Jukebox
Saturday 5th September
Weekend puzzle time!
How about a variant on a Sudoku puzzle today?
Letters instead of numbers, and a hidden word to find too: Wordoku
Friday 4th September
So often a photo doesn't quite do justice to the wonderful thing we're trying to take a photo of.
I wonder, today...
...what is it about your faith that you find incredible, and really difficult to put into words? (Or, indeed, pictures!)
[Photo shows the silhouette of a tree at sunset]
Today the Church remembers St Gregory the Great...
There is more information about St Gregory here if you'd like it, but I'll let the music speak for itself today:
One piece of Gregorian chant:
Deum verum
And a piece named after Saint Gregory:
Church Windows - Four Symphonic Impressions (4/4 - St Gregory the Great)
Tuesday 1st September
This caught my eye as I was walking the dog earlier.
Under a riot of colour, these wonderful leaves went almost unnoticed.
It made me wonder, today.. what else is in my life that is wonderful and beautiful, but too easily gets ignored, is undervalued, or goes unnoticed?
[Photo shows a geranium leaf.]
Today the Church remembers St Aidan...
St Aidan. An Irish monk who lived on Iona, in Scotland, and was given the island of Lindisfarne, off the Northumbrian coast, by King Oswald. He lived a frugal life, very much practising what he preached. He is perhaps most well know for revitalising the Christian faith throughout Northumberland.
♫ Some musical suggestions today, which link Iona and Lindisfarne:
Iona - Here I Stand
Iona - Lindisfarne
Joanne Hogg - Be Thou My Vision
Iona - Inside my Heart
Sunday 30th August
Weekend puzzle time!
...slightly tenuous this week! How about 'puzzling' out the difference between different composers, and learning more about some you may not know so well?
The Guardian - 'Know the Score' series
Today the Church remembers the Beheading of John the Baptist...
Perhaps a slightly...uncomfortable...topic for a festival!
Looking at the reading (Matthew 14.1-12) today, I was struck by Herod offering Herodias' daughter 'whatever she might ask'.
It strikes me that giving all of your principles and morals into someone else's hands makes for...uncomfortable...possibilities!
Perhaps a topic for reflection today?
(I was also slightly tickled by the fact today's collect has the line 'and receive with him the unfading crown of glory', when we're remembering him being beheaded...but that's another post altogether, I think!)
♫ On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
Today the Church remembers St Augustine...
Walking with God, through all the ups and downs of life, can bring with it a wonderful sense of peace. Our heart, our whole being, need not be so restless in search of meaning and purpose, because the source of all of that has been found. (Of course, that doesn't mean life will also be easy, and restful - but there can be a source of strength, peace and companionship in whatever life brings.)
'Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you'
Perhaps one of the most famous quotes from St Augustine.
It reminds me slightly of a time, a decade or so ago, when a priest observed to me that when someone is doing the job they are called to do, it's obvious - there's something about them that radiates joy, enthusiasm and peace, and it's difficult for them or anyone else to imagine them doing anything different instead.
I think this quote goes one step further though. Instead of our job, or anything else in particular that we do, it's about our whole life...the whole of who we are, and what we are.
♫ Shalom. It means both 'hello' and 'goodbye', but also more than that - 'wholeness', 'completeness', 'peace' and 'wellbeing', in every sense of those words - Shalom my friend
Today the Church remembers St Monica...
St Monica. An amazing example of a devout Christian life, but perhaps most well remembered for her constant prayer for one of her sons, and for what he did when he eventually converted to Christianity - because her son was St Augustine.
Monica features often in his Confessions, one of his most well known and influential books - and which was described by Henry Chadwick as a book that will 'always rank among the great masterpieces of western literature.'
There's more information about St Monica here.
♫ Monica - Believing in me
Wednesday 26th August
In the midst of our APCMs (Annual church meetings), a prayer that has featured at them that you might like to use for prayer and/or reflection today:
(The Church of England's Common Worship Collect for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity)
Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Tuesday 25th August
The door of a castle.
Only there for a little while, but a door nonetheless.
I wonder, today... what doors has your journey of faith shown you recently? Have you opened them, and walked through, with God? What did you discover?
[Photo shows a close-up of a sandcastle]
Today the Church remembers St Bartholomew the Apostle...
St Bartholomew is known, I have (very!) recently found out, for miracles to do with the weight of things.
Here are a couple - timelineindex.com - St Bartholomew
It's reminded me of the Hebrew verb meaning 'to be heavy' which, depending on the context, can also mean 'weighty' or 'burdensome', and, perhaps more surprisingly, 'honoured'.
The word has to do with the whole concept of being heavy - whether that's in terms of weight, or difficulty, or authority, reputation and glory.
I wonder, today (even without a photo prompt!) ...what is 'heavy' for you at the moment?
♫ Five Preludes on English Hymn Tunes: St Bartholomew
Sunday 23rd August
The Gospel reading set for today has Jesus asking 'who do you say that I am?'
Here is the tomato plant I've shown a photo of before... now with more tomatoes, and with them ripening!
A 'wondering' for today... As we grow into our own identity, and our relationships, with each other and with God, how do we help them to bear fruit?
How can asking 'who do you say that I am?' - about ourselves, God, and all those we love - help our relationships to grow sweeter?
[Photo shows tomatoes ripening on the vine.]
Saturday 22nd August
Weekend puzzle time!
How about some quizzes today?
Sporcle.com
(the link will take you to the Christianity quizzes, but there are thousands available about all kinds of things!)
Friday 21st August
Some verses, set for evening prayer tonight, that you might like to reflect on today - Mark 4.30-32
Again Jesus said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
♫ And, a tenuously linked musical suggestion... Lucky You - The Lightning Seeds
Today, the Church remembers St Bernard...
A visitor to a service a few weeks before Christmas last year.
[Photo shows a St Bernard dog]
Not quite the St Bernard the Church is remembering today, but that photo makes me wonder...
...where is God leading you at the moment? What are you discovering?
And some words from St Bernard himself:
You want me to tell you why God is to be loved and how much.
I answer; the reason for loving God is God Himself;
and the measure of love due to Him is immeasurable love.
Tuesday 18th August
How about psalm 139.13-14a, to reflect on and pray with today?
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
The beginning of something exciting (in this case, a hat!)
I wonder, today...
...what is being formed in your faith, and relationship with God, at the moment?
[Photo shows a ball of wool in a yarn bowl.]
Monday 17th August
A slightly belated 'weekend puzzle time'...
How about puzzling over some solitaire games today?
Either with a pack of cards, or there are loads online here onlinesologames.com (a huge selection of card games, and some others too!)
Sunday 16th August
While we were away, Rosa flowered!
A wonderful surprise.
It's made me wonder... where have you found unexpected beauty in your life recently?
Where has God surprised you?
...and on that theme, here's a book suggestion - how about reading, or re-reading Gerard Hughes' God of Surprises?
There's some information about it here.
[Photo shows a flower on Rosa, a prayer plant - Maranta leuconeura]
Today the Church remembers the Blessed Virgin Mary...
...and today, as the government has announced that choirs might soon be allowed to sing in churches again, here's a selection of Mary-themed music:
Magnificat in C minor - Dyson
Hail holy queen enthroned above - Sister Act
Ave regina caelorum - Palestrina
And, a modern print image inspired by the Magnificat, by Ben Wildflower.
This week the Church remembers...
I'm on annual leave for the next few days, so there won't be daily posts for a little while.
So I don't miss any of the festivals coming up, I've included something about each.
Another plan might be to look back over the last 100 days or so of the blog, since it started - are there any posts that you'd like to revisit?
Wednesday 5th - St Oswald
King Oswald accompanied Aidan as he spread the Gospel across Northumbria, and gave Lindisfarne to Aidan and his fellow monks; Aidan founded Lindisfarne Priory on that small island.
How about exploring the Holy Island of Lindisfarne today? - Holy Island Gallery
Thursday 6th - The Transfiguration
Some musical suggestions to celebrate with today:
♫ Thomas Tallis - O nata lux Take That - Shine
Saturday 8th - St Dominic
Founder of the Order of Preachers:
Preaching Bands... worn by some clergy.
Certainly a symbol of a preacher. Perhaps a symbol of a certain degree of education. Quite possibly a symbol of the two stones tablets Moses received the law on.
I wonder, today...
...what symbols are important to you?
[Photo shows a close-up of some preaching bands]
Monday 10th - St Laurence
One story of St Laurence's death is that he was put to death by the Emperor because, when the Emperor demanded the riches of the Church, Laurence brought the poor in the city before the Emperor's men and said, 'here is the treasure of the Church'.
A reading you may like to reflect upon today, from Matthew 25 (we've had it before, but Bible passages are always worth revisiting):
The king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Tuesday 11th - St Clare of Assisi
A meditation of St Clare:
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity
Place your soul in the brilliance of glory
Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance
And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead itself through contemplation
So that you too may feel what His friends feel as they taste the hidden sweetness
which God has reserved from the beginning for those who love Him.
Thursday 13th - Jeremy Taylor
One of the great spiritual writers
Maybe dip into some of his writing today?
The rule and exercises of holy living
(It may take a little time to get used to his writing style, and s's looking like f's!)
Sunday 2nd August
One of the butterflies that we've watched grow, from tiny caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, over the last few weeks.
As every Sunday is a 'little Easter', and butterflies are a symbol of the Resurrection, I wonder today...
...what has been given new life, in your life, recently?
Today's (alternative) Collect:
Lord God,
your Son left the riches of heaven and became poor for our sake:
when we prosper save us from pride,
when we are needy save us from despair,
that we may trust in you alone;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
♫ Variations on an Easter Theme
Saturday 1st August
Weekend puzzle time!
How about an online game of scrabble, against the computer?
A verse you might like to reflect upon, today...
The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
Romans 8.26
♫ Extreme - More Than Words
Friday 31st July
Rosa the 'prayer plant' again... this time lifting her leaves because it's getting late.
She's a great reminder that prayer is something that should form part of every day
(her leaves moving around all day is a good reminder that our lives should be a prayer, too, I find)
I wonder, today...
...what are you praying about, at the moment?
For reflection today?
Philippians 4.4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
♫ Father hear the prayer we offer
Today the Church remembers William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson...
A short reflection for today:
William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson were campaigners for the abolition of slavery.
Their efforts helped lead to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
Yet... there are frequent news stories about modern slavery. The Black Lives Matter movement exists. There have been recent, as well as older, scandals like the treatment of The Windrush Generation. The statistics about skin colour and police 'stop and search' are troubling to say the least - as well as so many other race related statistics.
Slavery might now be illegal, but it still exists, and equality has definitely not yet been achieved.
This is one reason why the fourth of The Five Marks of Mission reads:
'To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation'
Part of our calling, as members of the Body of Christ, is to seek to transform society, challenging injustice wherever it is found.
♫ One Tribe - Black Eyed Peas
Today the Church remembers Mary, Martha and Lazarus...
Mary, Martha and Lazarus...
Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him:
♫ I heard the voice of Jesus say
Martha, who was eager to serve Jesus, and provide hospitality for him:
Matthew 25.35-40
Jesus said, 'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
A passage to reflect on today?
Serving others doesn't always need grand gestures or great sacrifices. The 'little things', that don't necessarily seem much to us, are often some of the biggest ways we can serve others.
Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead:
The pandemic at the moment is making us all think, worry, and grieve...
A quick reminder of this link...How about lighting a virtual candle for a loved one?
Light a virtual candle for somebody
With that in mind, a tweet from Archbishop Justin Welby this week, in case it might speak to you at the moment:
The hardest bit of prayer is starting. So just start however you can – God will meet you where you are.
Tuesday 28th July
They say a picture speaks a thousand words...
For reflection, prayer, and inspiration today:
What does it say to you?
[Picture shows a close-up of some crochet stitches, with a white row being added to red ones.]
♫ Martin - I saw the Lord
Today the Church remembers Brooke Foss Westcott...
Brooke Foss Westcott, whose name was used to rename the Cambridge Clergy Training School, which he was involved in founding - it is now known as Westcott House.
One of Westcott's priorities as Bishop of Durham was social justice, which fits wonderfully with the verse that was chosen for the icon in the chapel at Westcott House. As I've mentioned before, it says, 'you did not choose me, but I have chosen you'
It's from John 15.16. The verse continues, to say:
'You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last'
As a suggestion for reflection, and perhaps action, today... how about this way of looking at 'bearing fruit that will last'? - Given that it's not always possible to see the influence and impact we have on others, what fruit might so called 'random acts of kindness' bear?
And, from slightly more social justice leaning angle...when you receive acts of kindness, particularly in times of need, do you follow the idea of 'paying it forward'? - when times are better, showing similar kindness to someone else who is finding themselves in need.
Sometimes, fruit that you grew, because somebody else showed care for you, can provide sweetness to others. (To put it another way... sometimes, you can be the answer to somebody else's prayers.)
A prayer of Westcott's, as a suggestion for reflection and prayer today:
'Grant that loving Christ, we may become daily more like him.'
♫ A kindness themed suggestion for today: Bastille - An Act of Kindness
Sunday 26th July
Weekend puzzle time!
How about a crossword today?
The (alternative) collect for today:
Generous God,
you give us gifts and make them grow:
though our faith is small as mustard seed,
make it grow to your glory
and the flourishing of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
♫ Harwood - O how glorious is the kingdom
Today the Church remembers St James...
St James is often portrayed with scallop shells - or simply represented by a scallop shell symbol.
As the Church remembers him today, how about exploring these symbolic words? - Calligrams
It might be fun (and illuminating) to work out how you'd represent words to do with God, faith and church in this way...
how would you write God, church, faith, prayer, and Communion?
...what other words would you want to add to that list?
♫ A song by the band James - Come Home
Friday 25th July
Today I'll be visiting the hospital (not for reasons to do with my health).
It has made me reflect on healing, and what it means to be healed, and what it means to pray for healing.
I wonder if sometimes we make healing too narrow - there is far more to it than simply recovering from an illness or accident.
And pain itself is more than just the pain of an injury, or infection, or disease... loneliness, anxiety, guilt, despair, grief, longing, fear...and more.
Healing comes in many forms, too. Sometimes it is indeed the 'getting better' from an illness, but equally it can be a finding of strength, a renewal of relationships, a sense of peace, and many other things.
It is all of this that we can pray for, when we pray for healing.
A prayer for others, today, which also sums this up quite nicely:
Lord God, whose Son, Jesus Christ,
understood people's fear and pain
before they spoke of them,
we pray for those in hospital;
surround the frightened with your tenderness;
give strength to those in pain;
hold the weak in your arms of love,
and give hope and patience
to those who are recovering;
we ask this through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
(Prayer from here)
♫ A suggestion today of music to let wash over you... De noche iremos - Taize
Yesterday, the Church remembered St Mary Magdalene...
It's slightly ironic that the one saint that I made a mistake with the diary for is one of the most misunderstood and marginalised of them all...
...the saint who was the first person that the Risen Christ appeared to.
And so, today we focus on her - not just to 'keep' her Saint's day, but also as a symbolic reminder that while not everything can be 'fixed' (yesterday can't happen again today; a broken plate will always show signs of repair), God's grace always allows for second chances.
A suggested passage for reflection today: John 20.1-2,11-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Before a suggested prayer, here's a cartoon about Mary Magdalene.
and, the Collect for St Mary Magdalene:
Almighty God,
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of mind and body
and called her to be a witness to his resurrection:
forgive our sins and heal us by your grace,
that we may serve you in the power of his risen life;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
♫ And how about this for a musical suggestion today? Dolly Parton - Just because I'm a woman
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