Today the Church celebrates the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth...

 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Luke 1.39-45

Elizabeth recognising Mary was pregnant with Jesus made me think today... apart from our clerical collars, my wife and I are usually distinctive because of our bags - mine is pink, as I mentioned on Saturday. My wife's has Giannicola di Paolo's painting of the Annunciation on it (the bag looks like this).
 They're very recognisable - and make us very recognisable, even in a crowd. As we celebrate the Annunciation today, a couple of questions come to mind...

How am I recognised?

What makes me 'me'?




Some words (the Magnificat) from the Bible, to perhaps inspire prayer today:

1    My soul doth magnify the Lord :

and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

2    For he hath regarded :

the lowliness of his handmaiden.

3    For behold, from henceforth :

all generations shall call me blessed.

4    For he that is mighty hath magnified me :

and holy is his Name.

5    And his mercy is on them that fear him :

throughout all generations.

6    He hath shewed strength with his arm :

he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

7    He hath put down the mighty from their seat :

and hath exalted the humble and meek.

8    He hath filled the hungry with good things :

and the rich he hath sent empty away.

9    He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel :

as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Luke 1.46-55

♫   And, that same text in a sung setting:     Magnificat (Brewer in D)

Photo of the day - 66

A photo for today.

It makes me wonder... what would be revealed if I shined a metaphorical light on myself?

Or, using a different analogy, what do I see when I look in the mirror? - not just my reflection, but how do I see myself?
... Do I see others 'in' me?
... Do I see myself similarly to how other people see me?

[Photo shows the shadows of four people and a dog.]

Boredom buster - 66

We've not had a weekend puzzle for a little while...

It's not quite the weekend still, but here's one anyway!

A quiz, today - about identifying emotions from facial expressions.

Pentecost - Thy Kingdom Come

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Acts 2.1-4

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12.4-7

♫ A few suggestions today, as it's Pentecost!

Come Holy Ghost (Veni Creator)

Tallis - If ye love me

Tschesnokoff - Let thy holy presence

Image - 11

The final two Thy Kingdom Come images!

Image two:     Jane Callender's     Indigo Spring

[Photo shows the back of our home-made paschal candle,

with a line drawing (an ancient tattoo design) of the Resurrection]

Prayer activity - 11

How about joining in with an online service today?

There are recorded services from our benefice - on the website here, or on Facebook - profile & page

Alternatively, there are lots of other services available in the 'links for prayer' in the sidebar!

Today the Church remembers Josephine Butler... - Thy Kingdom Come

In the 19th century Josephine Butler opened a refuge for prostitutes, in the face of much criticism and opposition.

She was a figurehead in the campaign to have the Contagious Diseases Acts (which criminalized the prostitutes instead of their clients) abolished, and she campaigned against the white slave trade.

She was also influential in campaigns for equality for women, and helped to found the all-female Newnham College at Cambridge University.




As she is remembered today, she reminds me of those who are ignored, denied a voice, and deliberately silenced in our society.

This has particularly struck me this week because of something I saw online - the story of why a black man wouldn't carry a 'woman's bag'.

I have a pink bag, partly because it's a way of teaching my children that there's no such thing as 'girls colours' and 'boys colours' (or jobs, subjects, toys, etc..).
(That and I like pink)

The man in the story wouldn't carry a 'feminine' bag not because it wasn't 'macho' enough, but because many who saw him with it would assume the only reason he, a black man, would have it was because he must have stolen it; it would almost inevitably end up with him being stopped by the police.

Realising that me being able to subvert gender stereotypes is something white privilege allows me to do, if I'm honest, shocked me.

Josephine Butler changed so much for the better. But we still have a long way to go.
Inequality, discrimination and oppression are still far too common all over the country, and the world.



Today's Bible verses:


“How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked?

³ Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
    maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Psalm 82. 2-4

♫ Amy Beach - Peace I leave with you

Image - 10

Two more images for prayer.

What do you notice with them today?

And today's second image:     Kumezu Ota's    The Ripple





[Photo shows a landscape of fields and trees, from a footpath at the top of a small hill.]

Prayer activity - 10

Today, how about intentionally experiencing some silence?

If you have one, a small birthday cake candle could be used - it gives a focal point and also acts as a timer (depending on the candle, draughts, etc, it should take ~20 minutes to burn completely).

When a thought/to-do list item/distraction pops into your mind, acknowledge it and let it disappear, so that you keep the silence.
(...it might help to imagine a scene to give some kind of 'form' to these thoughts, to help give them a reason to not dwell with you... perhaps where you're sitting next to a stream, and the thoughts are 'boats' that drift past. You can see them come into view, but the water will carry them past you and away.)

Day 9 - Thy Kingdom Come

The theme for today - prayer beads.


In an earlier post I talked about the Rosary, and Anglican prayer beads.

They're a great way of praying, allowing the rhythm of repetitive prayers to draw you in. As they're a physical 'thing' that you can carry, see and feel, they're a great reminder to pray throughout the day, too. And at times when prayer doesn't come easily, using a set form of prayer with beads gives you words without you having a try and find any. Prayer beads are also a great way to pray together with others.

Why not give it a go today?




Today's Bible verse, for reflection:


...Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2.19

♫  For prayer today...    The Beatles - Let it be

Image - 9

Today's images!

Image two:    Yoo Youngkuk's    Four Season




[Photo shows a close up of some cow parsley flowers]

Prayer activity - 9

In another blog post I suggested you might like to make your own set of prayer beads.

Also today, why not try some meditative repetition of prayer - with or without beads? Let the words wash over you as you say the prayer, out loud or silently.

You might like to choose one of these short prayers, or another, or a Bible verse too.



The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Day 8 - Thy Kingdom Come

Today's Bible verse:

Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1.17

God is in all things.

Scripture is inspired by God, and so is different to other books - but if God is in everything then finding God in other books (whether the author intended there to be a faith message or not), and letting different characters have a 'conversation' between their stories and Scripture, can reveal new insights about God.

Just as a start, here are a few quotes, that I think lend themselves to this particularly well...


Albus Dumbledore, from the Harry Potter series:

'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.'

'It is a curious thing...but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.'

'Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.'



Characters from Lord of the Rings:

'Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.'     Galadriel

'I wish it need not have happened in my time', said Frodo. 'So do I', said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us.'



The Chronicles of Narnia:

'Girls aren't very good at keeping maps in their brains', said Edmund. 'That's because we've got something in them,' replied Lucy.

'To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness in yourself.'     Aslan







♫ Today's suggestion:  The Council of Elrond  (Lord of the Rings)

Image - 8

Here are today's two:

What strikes you as you pray with them today?

Today's image two:  Eric Ravilious'  The Greenhouse - Cyclamens and Tomatoes




[Photo shows the ends of three books, so you can just see white stripes of pages]

Prayer activity - 8

Using today's theme...

Why not take a book you've read recently, or a favourite story that you've loved for years, and try to look at it from a new angle?


What does the plot tell you about faith, as you think about the story now?

How do the characters tell you something about God?

What would you pray about for each of the characters, if they were real?


...and, with hindsight, how has that story helped shape your life and faith since you first read it?

Day 7 - Thy Kingdom Come

One way of prayerful living is to take some time out each day to look back on the day gone past, and pray about the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult - acknowledging that God was alongside at every moment - then looking towards what will come tomorrow.

This daily Examen is a spiritual practice that St Ignatius made popular.

A simple step by step Examen can be found here, if you'd like to give it a go.





Today's Bible reading:


 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,

Jeremiah 29.13

♫  Te lucis ante terminum - The traditional hymn sung at night prayer/compline - 'before the ending of the day'

(Variations translations are available, here's one:

BEFORE the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That with thy wonted favour thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread under foot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.  )

Image - 7

Today's images...

How do they help you in prayer today?

Image two today: William Degouve de Nuncques  -  Nocturn in the Parc Royal




[Photo shows flowers silhouetted against the sky, and sun, at dusk]

Prayer activity - 7

Using today's theme, to build on yesterday's prayer activity if you want to, how about making a log of your feelings, and your sense of closeness to God, each day?

You could assign each feeling a colour, and over the coming days and weeks you'll be able to see at a glance how things have changed over time.

Using colour also means you end up creating something beautiful, even if some of the colours are 'negative'.
If you want to be even more creative, you could choose a shape to colour in for each record, or maybe split a big shape up to record several days - with a stained glass window effect, or using individual petals on a flower, for example.

As well as prayerfully reflecting on each day as they happen, you can also use the log to pray about all you have been through, with God, since you started making it.

Why not give it a try?

Today the Church remembers St Augustine of Canterbury... - Thy Kingdom Come

St Augustine was a monk, and the very first Archbishop of Canterbury. He was sent on a mission to England by Pope Gregory the Great, which was successful in converting King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity, thus allowing missionaries freedom to preach across the kingdom.

As Augustine was a Benedictine monk, today's prayer theme is Lectio Divina. It is a method of unlocking new meaning in Scripture by reading and reflecting prayerfully on it, listening for new understanding and insights. Traditionally, there are four steps, taken roughly in turn:

Read - the text

Meditate - on its meaning

Pray - about the text and its meaning

Contemplate - what has been learnt, allowing that, the text, and a deeper relationship with God, to 'sit' with you.


If you'd like to give it a go, here's a guide to Lectio Divina from AnglicanCommunion.org





A Bible verse you might like to try Lectio Divina with today:


 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11.28-30

♫ Almost all of the words come from Ecclesiastes 3.1-8 in today's music suggestion: The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!

Image - 6

Today's images.

What strikes you today?
Where do they lead your prayers?
After reflecting on them, and praying with them, do you have any new insights, or feel different?

Today's second image:  Cornelia Konrad  -  Passage



[Photo shows a key in a keyhole.]

Prayer activity - 6

Inspired by today's theme...  why not write a sentence today (just a single one, if possible) that summarises the day, or the most significant aspect of it?

As well as being a great exercise in reflecting on which words would be best to sum up a whole day, it could also become a habit that is repeated daily (and, tomorrow's activity will add another thing you could include in that daily log too) - good in itself, and also a wonderful source of reflections that you could look back on in the future.

Today the Church remembers the Venerable Bede... - Thy Kingdom Come

St Bede was a 7th/8th century monk, scholar, author and teacher. He's most well known for his book about the history of the church, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which is still in print today.

His love for books and for writing inspired today's theme - poetry.

Poetry can an incredibly powerful way to express and explore topics and feelings, and invite others to do likewise. Here's a small selection of prayers you might like to reflect on today:

Carol Ann Duffy - Prayer

Robert Frost - A Prayer in Spring

George Herbert - The Collar   and, Love (III)

Christina Rossetti - Remember

C.S. Lewis - Love's as Warm as Tears




Today's Bible text suggestion, from the poetry found in the Song of Solomon/Song of Songs :


Set me as a seal upon your heart,
    as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
    passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
    a raging flame.


Many waters cannot quench love,
    neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
    all the wealth of one’s house,
    it would be utterly scorned.

Song of Songs 8.6-7

♫  And a musical offering for today:  I heard the voice of Jesus say     (lyrics here)

Image - 5

Today's two images.

What do they say to you in prayer today?

Image two - Escher's Drawing hands




[Photo shows sunlight through clouds, and a field, with a close-up dandelion clock in the foreground.]

Prayer activity - 5

While we're thinking about, and praying with, poetry - why not put your prayers into verse by writing your own poem today?

(If that seems tricky - many of our hymns started out as poems, which were then set to music. Choosing a favourite hymn tune then writing a new verse can give some structure and direction as a starting point.)

Day 4 - Thy Kingdom Come

Today's theme... posture.

The 'traditional' (or, at least, most well known...) way to pray is to kneel, with hands together and eyes closed.
In church services, at different parts of the service people are often invited to stand or to sit (or kneel).    

(Brief segue...       Ideally, these invitations come with a reminder that it is an invitation,

or a suggestion of what most people do in that church, rather than being an instruction - those

who are unable to, or unwilling to, adopt certain positions do not in any way worship 'less well' than those who are following the 'local style'.)

Today's question is... why do we use different positions and actions in worship and prayer?

Part of the answer is to do with the symbolism of those positions...    lying down, kneeling, sitting. standing. They all carry different meanings, with different historic uses.

Because of this, and because they physically change the position of your body, each feels different to do.

Add in different actions, like bowing, making the sign of the cross, and so on, and there's a huge amount of meaning, symbolism and feeling going on. Some churches have a 'style', where (intentionally or not) most people do the same as those around them. This can be comforting - we are all worshipping the same God, after all. Or, it can cause distraction - 'what if I do it wrong?' or 'this doesn't feel quite right for me...I prefer to worship in this style', or 'but I am not able to stand - why do I keep being asked/told to?'




Here's a few articles about different ways of using your body in worship
(by no means the 'final' or 'correct' say, just a way in to thinking about it!)


A couple of viewpoints about posture in worship:

'To stand or kneel? That is the question!'

'What is the right position for prayer?'


One about making the sign of the cross:

The sign of the cross: What it is and why it matters


And, one about posture that includes things like bowing and genuflection:

Ceremonial in worship



(Other views about postures and actions are available!)




A Bible reading for reflection and prayer today:


I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121.1-2

♫  and a music suggestion... Vaughan Williams'  O clap your hands

Image - 4

Today's two images...

What do they spark for you in prayer today?

Harriet Mead's Blade Raven, from four different angles.




[Photo shows the front of a pair of shoes, looking down from above; the view of someone's own feet]

Prayer activity - 4

How about trying different postures in prayer today?

Maybe try a few of these, if you'd like to and are able to, or anything else you can think of...

Sit, stand, kneel, hands together, arms outstretched - up or sideways, hands cupped as if to hold or receive something, hands open as if to give, lie down, bare feet to feel creation under you, in front of a candle or icon or other object, different prayers in different places around the house, or the same prayer in different postures, make the sign of the cross on yourself (by touching your forehead, chest, and both shoulders in turn), eyes closed, eyes open....   ...say prayers in your head, out loud in a whisper or a loud voice, or by singing...

...how do different prayers feel in different postures and said in different ways? Are there certain postures that 'help' better than others for you? ….do you prefer different postures for different 'types' of prayer - thanksgiving, praise, confession, etc...?

Day 3 - Thy Kingdom Come

Icons today.
Far more than just pictures, icons are seen as 'windows into heaven'.

They are full of symbolism - colours and postures and positions all carry significance.

Why not try praying with one today?

There's a brief guide to praying with icons here
(it refers to the (Roman) Catholic church - but praying with icons is common in the Anglican church too)


Here's one of the most well-known icons
(There are links to a few others underneath)

Rublev's icon of the Trinity, inspired by Genesis 18.1-8

Other icons:

Icon of Jesus at Westcott House

A 14th Century icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A modern icon of the Holy Family (by Kelly Latimore)

...wby not use one of these for prayer, or perhaps search for an icon of a favourite saint, or the saint your parish church is dedicated to?



A Bible reading for today:

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. 

Hebrews 13.1-2

♫ and, today's music for prayer - Cheryl Frances-Hoad's  Bogoroditse-Devo

Image - 3

Today's two images.

What strikes you when you look at them?
Does anything in particular catch your attention or draw your eye in?
What comes to mind while you're looking at them?

The second image today: Three pieces from Barbara Hepworth's The family of man


[Photo shows a close-up of a cut piece of wood.]

Prayer activity - 3

Why not let your creative side out today and pray through making some art?

Perhaps give yourself some inspiration through today's suggested Bible verse, art, or music...

...then draw, paint, collage, build, sculpt...(...knit, bake, carve - whatever you'd like.)

How do your reflections, mood, concerns, and prayers decide and shape what you're making?

(Don't worry about 'not being good at art' - the process will almost certainly matter more than the product... one time when I was doing this, one of the last few steps was to submerge the whole sheet of paper I was using in water!)

Day 2 - Thy Kingdom Come

Today's prayer suggestion - Labyrinths

Unlike a maze, you can never get lost in a labyrinth.

You follow the path into the centre, then retrace your steps and end up back at the entrance - back at the same place...but different - because you, yourself, are different because of the experience.

Why not give it a try today?
Here are some resources from Gloucester diocese:

How to draw a labyrinth

One way to use a labyrinth




A Bible reading you might like to carry with you today:


Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Psalm 119.105

♫ A music suggestion for prayer today:  Judith Weir - Love bade me welcome

Image - 2

Here are today's two images.

Why not sit with them, and see what strikes you?
Let the images, and God, speak to you.

Today's second image:  One of Marc Quinn's Labyrinth pieces




[Photo shows a post with a public footpath arrow sign on it, next to a footpath.]

Prayer activity - 2

While we're thinking about labyrinths... how about reflecting prayerfully on your journey of life and faith so far?

Where have you been in that journey? What stands out as 'important moments' in your relationship with God?

Why not make a list, or timeline, of those important events?
Does looking at them all give any new insights? - a thread that connects them perhaps? or do any images come to mind for different parts of the journey, or the journey as a whole?

...why not sit with all you have travelled with - with others, and with God - and see where it takes you?

Thy Kingdom Come - Ascension Day

It's Ascension Day!

As well as celebrating Jesus' Ascension today, it's also the start of Thy Kingdom Come...

from the Thy Kingdom Come website:

'Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. What started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.'

So, for the next 11 days this blog will change format slightly; each of the three posts each day will focus on prayer.


To begin with...

Getting into a pattern of prayer, or prayer habit, can be an amazing and transformative experience.

There will be loads of suggestions for prayer over the next week or so, but here are a few you might like to try that are designed to be daily:


Morning prayer, evening prayer and night prayer services each day, from the Church of England website:

Daily prayer



And some resources specially made for Thy Kingdom Come this year:

Prayer Journal

Journey with Mary

Novena



As every post will focus on prayer, there won't be a 'prayer suggestion' in its usual place just before the music. Instead, there will be a short Bible reading that you might like to read, pray with, and reflect on as you go about the rest of the day.

Here's today's:

As the apostles were watching, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'

Acts 1.9b-11

♫ Another way to pray is through music, so every day in Thy Kingdom Come there will be a music suggestion to reflect on and pray with.

As it's a feast day, here's a selection!

God is gone up - Finzi

Viri Galilaei - Gowers

Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning

Image - 1

For each of the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come, instead of a 'photo of the day' I'll suggest two images that you might like to use for reflection and prayer.
(One uploaded here, and another link to a different website to ensure there aren't any copyright breaches!)

As you sit with each image, listening to God, see what your eye is drawn to and what jumps out at you.
Is it a particular shape, or colour, or expression, or something else?
What keeps your attention?
Does a word, or a narrative, form in your mind as your sit prayerfully with the image?
Does anything surprise you?
What will stay with you as you go about the rest of today?

Here are the images for today:

And, the second image:     An image of the Ascension




[Photo shows clouds in a blue sky.]