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.

♫  Here I am, Lord

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