Holy Week/ Good Friday

Good Friday:
It is a paradox;
they call this day 'good' when so much sadness and violence and despair
wells up and covers the land in the darkness of grief and hope lost.
It is a paradox:
we worship the upside down God who upends our words,
who bids us open our eyes to new ways of seeing, being, understanding.
Bad Friday is turned good,
for out of death, springs life.
We walk through the darkness of this day,
remembering...
sorrowing, even,
taking time to ponder the great love story
shown in the One who loved humanity with the whole of his very being.
And we continue walking -
as hope is reborn,
as the story merely pauses a moment:
for, this is not the end;
we walk through the darkness of this day
and move onwards, toward the light.

MUSIC/ Within our darkest night
 a chant from the Taize Community...
 St Augustine said that when we sing, we pray
 twice. Use this simple chant as a prayer -
 either to listen and pray with, or to sing it as a
 form of prayer as we think of the One whom
 the darkness can not overcome...

Within our darkest night, 
 you kindle a fire that  
 never dies away, never dies away...





PRAYER/
Holy God,
on this Good Friday,
we stop, make time,
and wonder once more at your love for us.
We do not understand why Jesus had to die,
why he had to endure
the pain and suffering of the cross.
On this day of days,
we pause awhile
to meditate and contemplate
the death of Jesus.
We come to  wonder
at the sacrifice of our beloved Lord.
We come  in silence,
awe and amazement
unsure of what to say or do,
knowing that we need to be here.
Draw near to us
and reveal to us ever more clearly
your love for us, now and forever.
Amen.

READING/ Luke, chapter 23
This is a long reading. As you read, perhaps pause in different places, take a moment of quiet to reflect on the verses, then move on... reading in prayerful contemplation.

1Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ 3Then Pilate asked him,
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
He answered,
‘You say so.’
4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,
‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’
5But they were insistent and said,
‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. 12That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14and said to them,
‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’
18 Then they all shouted out together,
‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’
19(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21but they kept shouting,
‘Crucify, crucify him!’
22A third time he said to them,
‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’
23But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28But Jesus turned to them and said,
‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” 31For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34Then Jesus said,
‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’
And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,
‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’
36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying,
‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’
38There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,
‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’
40But the other rebuked him, saying,
‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’
42Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
43He replied,
‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. 47When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ 48And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, 51had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

We give thanks to God for His word contained in scripture, Amen.

PRAYER/
Forgiving God,
we come before you,
on this most difficult of days,
prayerful, reflective,
and forever thankful,
for the love poured out,
on all humanity, in the life and death
of your son Jesus Christ.
How can we weather the sorrow
that comes as we reflect on the events
that we remember today?
How, O God, can we stand,
in this place
in your salvation...
when our ancestors,
nailed our Saviour to a cross?

How?
In your forgiveness, which surpasses all.

Loving God,
we offer ourselves to you;
in your mercy, we pray that your love,
shown on that day,
and every day since,
continues to shine a light in our lives.
How can we thank you,
when you have given everything for us?
For our lives, our loves, our joys.
How, O God, can we express our gratitude
for the constant embrace of your love,
for the knowledge of the life of Christ,
on this day, as we remember the darkest day?

How?
In your love, which surpasses all.

Gracious God,
we commune with you and are glad,
as spiritual descendants of those
who walked with,
wept over, buried,
and loved Jesus.
We come also, and are mortified
at the betrayal, torture, rejection and denial
of Christ, our Saviour.
We are a people of contradictions.
How can we call ourselves your people,
most loved by your constant care,
gathered up in your eternal love,
forgiven and blessed today and always,
saved through that darkest hour of our history?

How?
In your grace, which surpasses all.

Eternal God,
on this day of sorrow,
we cannot escape the promise of hope,
the surety that the darkness will pass,
and the light of the world will shine forever.
Amen.

 MUSIC/ Jesus, remember me -
 Use this simple chant as a prayer -
 either to listen and pray with, or to sing it
 as a form of prayer as we think of the request
 of the man hanging next to Jesus

 Jesus, remember me, 
 when you come into your kingdom,
 Jesus, remember me, 
 when you come into your kingdom....




REFLECTION/
What could have been said?
In the garden, surrounded by friends,
knowing what is coming,
defence rejected,
no-one lost.
Jesus accepted the cup that was given.

What could have been said?
Before the high priest,
no denials,
only truth.
The Messiah questioned and rejected.
Jesus stands, accused and beaten.

What could have been said?
Before Pilate,
no arguing, no violence,
his kingdom is not of this place,
those who belong to the truth,
belong to Christ.
Jesus is imprisoned.

What could have been done?
Sentenced to death,
here is the man
that no earthly power could contain,
flogged and crowned.
Jesus is sent to death.

What could have been done?
Crucified,
the king of the Jews,
hung from a cross,
taunted, robbed, broken,
it is finished,
our Saviour has been killed.

What could have been done?
He died for us,
gave everything for us,
he is buried, and will rise again,
in love, for us.
What can we do?

PRAYER/
Holy one,
on this day when we remember
Jesus dying on the cross,
suffering pain and breathing his last,
we come humbly before you. 
We come to say thank you
that Jesus loved us so much
that he was willing to die for us.
We come to say thank you
that Jesus knows exactly what it feels like
for all people who suffer pain and loss,
fear and rejection,
trauma and persecution.
Lord God,
our world is still a place
where too many people die at the hands of violence,
where too many people suffer persecution,
where too many people die alone and often in pain...
a world now feeling jangly, disjointed,
as we find ourselves living in strange times...
Lord, many of us are fearful -
we think of the power of microbes
that can bring entire systems,
whole countries and continents
to a standstill.
Lord Jesus,
you are in our midst,
Light in our darkness
and so we pray that, as the world walks
through this present darkness
we find your comfort and strength.
Be with all who watch and wait this night:
for deliveries of food, medicine, ventilators
and for safe working equipment...
for news of loved ones...
for clear test results...
for patients to recover...
for the end of the shift and welcome sleep.
Lord,
give us patience and hope,
help us not to give up,
and help us to do your will -
whatever that might be,
that your glory may shine brightly
in a world full of pain and suffering.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Amen.

MUSIC MEDITATION/ What wondrous love is this
An old and beautiful hymn forms the setting for a montage of Good Friday images to reflect on...

EPILOGUE/
A dark day draws to a close,
a barren place
filled with shadows and death,
loneliness and uncertainty.
We leave with thoughts of what might have been.
What’s next for us?
Where do we go from here?

Holy Week/ Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday: 
This is the time when we recall the Last Supper.
We follow in the footsteps of others before us;
we walk back in time and walk into an upper room where Jesus gathers with his friends.
He will speak to them of the ways of the Kingdom.
He will show them what real leadership looks like.
He will share bread and wine and create a meal to remember.
This is the last gathering  before the darkness finally takes the light
and the love of God  is silenced....

READING/
John 13:1-17
1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’
7Jesus answered,
‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’
8Peter said to him,
‘You will never wash my feet.’
Jesus answered,
‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’
9Simon Peter said to him,
‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’
10Jesus said to him,
‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean.
And you are clean, though not all of you.’
11For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said,
‘Not all of you are clean.’
12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them,
‘Do you know what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right,
for that is what I am. 14So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have
done to you. 16Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.'

MUSIC MEDITATION/ 'The basin and the towel' by Michael Card...

PRAYER/
When we find the kingdom
in the most generous of acts,
silently arriving
in a cupful of water,
may we pause
and recognise where we are,
O Saviour of the basin and towel.

When the moment is shaped
in an act of giving
and the kingdom unveils
what it is really about,
may we pause
and recognise what is happening,
O Saviour of the basin and towel.

When the words have gone
and the doctrine spent
and the act of giving
is all we have,
may we pause
and recognise the truth,
O Saviour of the basin and towel.
May we bless the brokenness of heaven
which has fought against the words of religion
that has too often lifted itself up
and given itself power
and lauded itself over others
that we might pause in this place
where she reveals herself
in acts that are self-giving
and sacrificial,
serving the world
and all within,
and may we draw breath
in the truth of it all:
a kingdom unlike any other
humble,
forgiving,
serving,
redeeming.

When the darkness shifts
and the truth is revealed
and the moment arrives
and we do not understand,
may we pause
and recognise the moment,
O Saviour of the basin and towel.
Amen.

READING/ Matthew 26:17-19
17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’
18He said,
‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’
19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. ... ... ...
26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said,
‘Take, eat; this is my body.’
27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,
‘Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’
30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

REFLECTION/ 
THE MEAL

The evening was unusual, to say the least. There was nothing out of the ordinary in us eating in the company of Jesus. We had done it often, but outside, a picnic on the grassy slopes of a hillside maybe, folk joining us- one or two or, occasionally, thousands, though always with enough food to go round. Sometimes we had been invited into a home and been given a meal - at Simon's mother-in-law's house  when she was ill - with Martha, Mary and Lazarus on frequent occasions.
But this was different. Jesus had arranged it so that we would, all twelve of us, be there in a
room with Him. We were to celebrate Passover. It was what Jewish people everywhere did, a
recalling of how the Jews had escaped death by the smearing of blood from the sacrificial lamb,
onto the lintel of their door, so that the angel of death passed over them.
So we were all seated round the table, a motley assortment of men, if ever there were.
One so sure of himself, given to boasting that would go with Jesus to the ends of the earth.
Another who disliked Jesus' way of doing things and wasn't afraid to say so. One rescued from
a dubious job, working for the government, collecting taxes;  a fourth who was a fanatic,
not afraid to kill for his belief. And the rest of us, quieter, staying out of the limelight, uncertain
of our place in the scheme of things. We all called him teacher, for that is what he had been to us,
these last three years.
And Jesus rose from the table , tied a towel round his waist, took a bowl of water and a cloth and began to wash our feet. Our feet, dusty and soiled from the road, all calloused skin and broken nails and blisters. It was unlovely, embarrassing. Embarrassing because this was something we ought to have done for each other and for Him and we hadn't, too proud, maybe, to be the one to do this menial task. Jesus went on to say that this was an example of what we must do - that we must be willing to do the job of a servant, however lowly that job might be.
We were to love one another.
But this was not all.
Then he took bread and broke it and gave it to us.

'This is my body given for you.'
The same with the cup of wine past round the table:
'This is my blood poured out for you.'
I was confused, I have to admit.
'Do this in remembrance of me.'
I didn't understand what he was saying. All I knew was that something momentous was happening, that this Passover meal  superseded all such meals that had taken place in years past.
It was a few days later that I realised the significance of the words he had spoke in that upper room  and the look of suffering on his face as he left the table and went out into the night.
by Dee Yates

TAKE, EAT.../
At the edge of everything lies this—

when we cannot understand the world
and the questions it asks us to answer,

when we cannot hold onto the world
because it is running out,

when we cannot hear what is truth and what are lies
in a cacophony of conflicting doctrine,

when we are fed up with control and a religion of power
that decides who is saved and who is not,

when we cannot find the words that express our faith any longer
within a religion that has lost its meaning,

when we can no longer sit comfortably
and feel connected with a polarised world,

when we have nothing left to say
and the words make no sense anyway,

when the story feels like it is coming to an end
and the Saviour is living on borrowed time,

when the darkness has greater hold than the light
and the rumours of conspiracy continue to grow,

when the disciples are confused and do not understand
and the Saviour is quiet with a darkness in his eyes,

when we feel the crack of a broken heaven
appearing in everything we thought sure,

at the edge of everything lies this—

a table:
bread,
broken;

wine,
waiting;

take,
and eat.

PRAYER/
Holy God,
we have remembered that final meal
shared  between Jesus and his disciples;
we have remembered his life,
we have remembered his death,
and we look forward to celebrating his resurrection.
Before that happy day,
we remember his suffering,
his pain,
and his desolation on the cross;
we remember his loved ones
looking on from a distance, 
unable to offer any comfort,
and we remember the men who sat at his feet
dividing up his belongings as if he was already dead.

Holy God,
on this night
when we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us all,
help us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice,
willing to let our egos go
and instead, choosing to serve you
body, mind and soul.
May we be renewed and refreshed,
confident and bold,
ready to share your love
and your story
with all people.
Amen.

ONWARD...
Bread:
blessed, broken, given—
his body.
Wine:
thanksgiving, sharing, drinking—
his blood, poured out for many.
On this night, a meal is shared among friends at table.
On this night, darkness gathers.
In a garden,
where prayers are offered,
and disciples sleep,
the sound of coins jingle in a purse
as footsteps march in time growing nearer:
the hour is at hand...

Holy Week/ Wednesday: 30 pieces of silver

Wednesday: 30 pieces of silver...
The week turns...
a shift occurs.
There, in conversation among friends,
gathered around a table,
darkness creeps into
the chambers of a wavering heart...

The light fades, night creeps in
and minds wander about what might be.
The light fades, night gathers pace
and darkness tempts doom-laden choices.
The light fades, night settles upon us
and Jesus looks around his friends.
The light fades, it is night
and Jesus is with us a little longer...

READING/ John 13:21-32
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared,
‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ 
22The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.
23One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him;
24Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
25So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him,
‘Lord, who is it?’ 
26Jesus answered,
‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’
So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.
27After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him,
‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’ 
28Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29Some thought that, because
Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him,
‘Buy what we need for the festival’; 
or, that he should give something to the poor. 30So, after receiving the piece of bread,
he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said,
‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 
32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself 
and will glorify him at once.

REFLECTION/
Do quickly what you must do.
The words of Jesus to his betrayer:
do quickly what you must do.
Words for us today
for the Christ who came
to feed the hungry,
to clothe the naked,
to heal the hurting,
to free the prisoner,
and to remove the bonds of oppression
urges us to be about his business.

Not the business of betrayal
but the work of speaking up
and of living out
good news for all.

And the business
of continuing the revolution
that Jesus began.

Do quickly what you must do. 

PRAYER/
Lord Jesus,
as we walk this week with you,
we take time to think about betrayal.
In particular your betrayal by Judas.
What does it mean to betray?
How do we recognise it?
Are we complicit in it?

As you sat that night with your friends
you spoke of being betrayed and named it:
Lord in the quiet of this time and in the silence
help us to identify
those times when we have let you down
and help us to name them.
...   ...   ...   ...   ...
Lord in the quiet of this time and in the silence
help us to identify
those who have betrayed us
and help us to name them.
...   ...   ...   ...   ...
In this week when we wait with you
forgive us the times
when our words and actions have betrayed you.
As we wait
help us to forgive those who have betrayed us.
Help us to learn from our experiences
and to find light
in the darkness of our guilt and feelings of betrayal.
Let that light be revealed in the glory that is yours
as we witness again your Passion
and remember you loved Judas
as you love us.
Lord hear our prayer. Amen.

MUSIC MEDITATION/ My song is love unknown
A fresh take on the traditional hymn...

PRAYER/
In a world where many feel betrayed and forgotten,
we pray for your guidance.
Help us to shine your glory
into those places and situations created when
someone or something has been let down.
For women, men and children,
abused and broken by those who claim to love them,
we pray for freedom and healing.
For those places of conflict and war between neighbours
and where words are intended to create hostility,
we pray for peace and calm.
For your creation and all its inhabitants
in places where destruction and decay
have been caused by human action or inaction,
we pray for new life and reconstruction.
Help us be the people to find ways
of bringing your glory into focus in all these situations.
Lord, hear our prayers. Amen. 

CLOSING/
The gears have been set in motion,
the one who will betray has been let loose into the night,
and so do we step out into the darkness
considering what Jesus makes of us,
and committing to live into his hope, into his grace, into his love. 

Holy Week/ Tuesday: expressions of love

Tuesday: the anointing at Bethany

We move from public notice to a more private moment.
Jesus is the welcome guest of friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus at Bethany -
just 3km from Jerusalem. Here, among friends, he can rest... and it is here, while
at dinner, that Mary offers a gift of extravagant love, anointing Jesus' feet
with costly perfume. It is a foreshadowing of the anointing oils that will be used to
prepare his body for burial at the end of a tumultuous week...

READING/ John 12:1-11
1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, from the dead.
5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 
6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
7Jesus said,
‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 
8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only
because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the
chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him
that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

MUSIC MEDITATION/
Having read our bible passage for this Tuesday of Holy Week, our reflection today is
by way of a meditation using music...

'Said Judas to Mary' by Sidney Carter

sung by Neil Moylan.

REFLECTION/ If God Does Not 
If God does not weep,
then there is no love deep enough
to touch the pain.

If God does not get close,
then there is no love real enough
to meet our brokenness.

If God does not touch,
then there is no love earthy enough
to value our humanness.

If God does not need compassion,
then there is no love tender enough
to endure our pain.

If God does not walk on,
then there is no love restless enough
to witness the truth.

If God is not anointed,
then there is no love ready enough
to die.

If God does not know pain,
then there is no love broken enough
to comfort our world.

If God does not know death,
then there is no love potent enough
to bring resurrection....

PRAYER/

Lord Jesus, 

what look was on your face

as you felt the cool balm of perfume douse your feet, 

and the tender tickle of hair caressing your soles?  

Lord Jesus, 

what look was on your face 

as the friend you knew so well knelt at your feet 

and anointed your body? 

Lord Jesus, 

what look was on your face 

as you realised this perfume had been used once before 

on the body of dear Lazarus? 

Lord Jesus, 

what look was on your face 

as Judas raised his voice, Mary’s gift was questioned, 

and your reverie reviled? 

Lord Jesus, 

what look was on your face 

as Passover came ever nearer 

and love’s final expression neared its moment? 

Lord Jesus, 

what look would be on your face 

as Holy Week commences once more 

and still the world struggles to live your expression of love? 

Lord Jesus, 

what look is on our face 

as the cross looms at the end of this week 

and we walk once more in your holy passion? Amen.

Holy Week/ Monday: 'cleansing'

Holy Week, Monday: The cleansing of the Temple

PICTURING THE SCENE/

The clip comes from the movie 'Son of God' from 2014, 

and gives a flavour of the crowds and the noise, 

and the underlying menace...

READING/ Matthew 21:12-17
12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling
and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers
and the seats of those who sold doves. 13He said to them,
‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”;
   but you are making it a den of robbers.’
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them.
15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did,
and heard the children crying out in the temple,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David’,
they became angry 16and said to him,
‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ 
Jesus said to them,
‘Yes; have you never read,
“Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
   you have prepared praise for yourself”?’
17He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

PRAYER/
God of justice,
God of power,
God of transforming grace,
hear our prayer.
Cleanse our souls and our minds from the clutter that day by day accumulate,
distracting us from your will and desire.
Cleanse our hearts from the temptations that draw us away from your kingdom values,
and lure us into selfish ways of thinking and behaving.
Cleanse our lives from all that prevents us from witnessing your love at work,
and stops us from living out that work in all we do and say.
May the example of Jesus, risking all for the sake of justice, guide us,
that we too might take risks for the sake of others
and overturn all that diminishes life in its fullness.
Give us wisdom to see injustice around us,
give us clarity to know how best to reveal it,
give us motivation to see our actions through,
give us compassion to reach out to those most affected,
and give us steadfastness when confronted with recalcitrance and obstruction.
May we hold onto the stone that was rejected, our Lord Jesus,
and be his living stones. Amen.

PROFITS v PROPHET/
The Temple traders turned a good profit... until a prophet overturned the Temple traders.
Handily placed to provide animals for sacrifice -
at extortionate prices;
cleverly organised so that only the special Temple coin would do -
money changed for a tidy fee.
The faithful, fleeced by a riotous racket, watched over by the religious elite.
Corruption and injustice at the very heart of God's great city -
the beacon on the hill dimmed by a love of money.
Jesus, the Word of God made human, was not 'gentle Jesus, meek and mild' that day:
the rage of righteous anger burned bright as he upset the tables and the usual way of things.
Too many obstacles.
Time to clear away the clutter.
Time to cleanse the dross, to make all things new...
Many watched.
Those in power... made plans.
This needed nipped in the bud.

MUSIC MEDITATION/
Song - 'Jesus Christ is waiting'

PRAYER/
Tilt the scales,
O God of the mustard seed:
That the poor shall see justice.

Share the feast,
O God of Eden’s abundant garden:
That each crop may fetch a fair price.

Upset the tables,
O God of the upside-down Kingdom:
That the least can benefit from their trade.

Open our eyes,
O God of life in all its fullness:
That we may learn to walk the way of your son
tilting, sharing, upsetting this world
Not satisfied
until the products we bring to our table
Give a better deal, to all who hunger for one.
In His name, Amen.

Worship Sun 5 April - Palm Sunday

WELCOME/
Hello, welcome to our online worship today.
How are you doing? And how has your week been?
Whether you've been physically isolating - much nicer to say than 'social' isolating -
or out and about doing essential work, I hope you're well, you're doing what you need to do,
and you're keeping on keeping on.
I've caught up with a few of you over the week by phone and it's been really good to have a chat
and to hear how you're doing. If I've not yet quite caught up with you by phone, feel free to call
me [Nikki 01864 502139] - I'm always happy for a chat or just to be a listening ear.

Putting this together in my study, I'm looking across at a large plastic bag filled with palm
crosses that I'd ordered before we were all put into lockdown mode. Normally, on this Sunday of
the church year - Palm Sunday - you'd be receiving them during worship as a reminder both of the
day, and to take away and place somewhere at home as we then move through the events of
Holy Week and on to Easter Sunday.
This virtual time of worship will have to do for this year, and as for the palm crosses sitting a wee
bit sadly on the desk...well, they'll keep for next year when we are all physically gathered together
once more. After the blessing and notices at the end of this blog post , you'll find some 'at home'
activities for all ages. There's also an all-week, all-ages activity HERE or just check along the tabs at the top and look for 'all-age holy week activity box'

So, a recap/
We've been making our way through the season of Lent, and walking with Jesus towards Jerusalem.
And today, we arrive at Palm Sunday where we find Jesus, preparing to enter the gates of that great
city and those who have gathered for the Passover Festival have all heard the news... with no
COVID-19 restrictions in place, out they come in their throngs to see this man who has been
preaching, and teaching, and doing extraordinary things.
Could he be the Messiah?
There's a hope, an expectation in the air, and as he enters the city, they welcome him with cheers,
wave palm branches, through coats before him as he rides in.
Let's set the scene with a music clip:

GATHERING PRAYER/
As we gather, together 
- even though physically separate -
Let us bring our palms and branches, 
our shouts and praise.
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Hosanna to the King of kings!
Let us journey to Jerusalem
to worship the king who came to save us.

As, in faith, we enter the city today in worship,
And sing hosannas to our king,
Let us turn our backs on the powers that grasp and control,
And open our hearts to the son of God riding on a donkey.
Let us join his parade,
Surrounded by outcasts and prostitutes, 
the blind and the leper.
Let us follow the one who brought freedom and peace,
And walk in solidarity with the abandoned and oppressed.
Let us shout for joy at Christ’s coming and join his disciples:
Welcoming the broken, 
healing the sick, 
dining with outcasts.
Let us touch and see as God draws near,
Riding in triumph towards the Cross. Amen

HYMN/ All glory, laud, and honour to thee Redeemer King...
Our first hymn reminds us of just who we follow, and to whom we give praise...
the words of the hymn are in the clip - feel free to either worship by listening, or
by singing along...

PRAYER/
God of steadfast love, 
we praise your name.
Your love does not fade;
its strength endures,
stretching out across history,
beyond time and space.
Such love we cannot grasp;
we can only marvel at a love so big.
We praise for so great a love.

God of transformation,
we are reminded this day
that Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem
was more than a show,
more than a simple provocation,
more than the beginning of a cute celebration.
It was a signal that things are changing,
an unmistakably potent message
to the powers that be
that the world as we know it
is becoming the world as it should be.
It was a radical act of defiance
directed against those in his day
who wielded power
through violence, oppression, and tyranny.

It is no less radical, and no less tame,
for those who do the same today.

This simple ride reminds us—
and tells the whole world—
that you are indeed coming to make all things new.
You are coming to turn weapons of war
into instruments of peace.

You are coming to release those
who find themselves in all manners of bondage:
chains of injustice;
chains of addiction;
chains of conformity and apathy.

You are coming to provide for the poor:
food for the hungry
and shelter for the homeless.

You are coming to assure the dignity and equality
of all who are marginalized or oppressed.

You are coming to end violence and divisions,
to provide safe communities
and opportunities for education.

You are coming to offer healing and wholeness,
comfort, consolation, and hope.

You are coming to transform all that we know.
You are coming to save us.

But like humble Jesus riding into town on a lowly colt,
you aren’t coming in grandeur,
you aren’t coming with thunder and lightning,
you aren’t making an epic entrance.

You’re coming through the mystery of love incarnate,
through your church empowered by your Spirit,
through lives transformed and inspired,
through ordinary people like us,
blessed by you to do extraordinary things.

Come, gracious God
into a world that longs for change,
a world that needs your love,
a world full of your own children,
a world ripe with hope and potential.

Blessed are those who come in your name, O God.

And so we pray for your coming kingdom emerging all around us,
using the words Jesus taught us and praying...
Our Father,
who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever.
Amen

Let's read God's word for today:

READING/  Matthew 21:1-11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.”
And he will send them immediately.’
This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt,
and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on
the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ 
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking,
‘Who is this?’ 
The crowds were saying,
‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’

REFLECTION/ 
On entering Jerusalem... two points of view:
It was a triumphal entry.
The whole city was in turmoil.
There was a donkey.
And a colt.
There were crowds, cheering;
that would soon change.
Cloaks were spread on the road.
Blood would be spilt later.
There were branches from trees.
He was travelling toward a wooden cross.
The crowd cried out: ‘Son of David!’   
Later, they’d cry: ‘Barabbas!’
‘Who was this man?’ some asked.
‘Jesus, from Nazareth, in Galilee,’ said others.
Amid the cloaks and branches,
below the cheers and fear,
some still ask, then turn away;
some see him and think they know.
Hope and expectation soars
but who are we really seeking?
Our King comes humbly,
upsetting the usual protocols of power.
It is always a triumphal entry,
and always causes turmoil.


HYMN/ Hail to the Lord's Anointed

SERMON/

I've been experimenting with trying to do the sermon via audio/ podcast - hoping it works!! You can listen HERE
or just read the text below...

Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, o Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

The whole city was in turmoil, asking
‘who is this?’
Some said ‘Jesus’,
Others said ‘the carpenter’s son’ –
or, ‘the Nazarene’,
One joked and said:
‘Can anything good actually come from Nazareth?’
There were grins at that.
Crowds lined the cloak-strewn streets
A crushing, jostling mass of people,
Waving palm branches in the shimmering heat,
Shouting ‘hosanna, hosanna!’
As he rode in.

The whole city was in turmoil, asking
‘who is this?’
Some called him ‘prophet’
Others said ‘the new Elijah’
I didn’t know what to think:
Couldn’t quite pin him down.
Something seemed odd
Out of place.

In amidst the crowds, the palms
the heat and noise and excitement –
the weight of the crowd’s expectations –
in amidst it all,
he seemed strangely alone,
a solitary man...
calmly riding into town for the passover,
listening to the roar of hosannas.
‘Hosanna, hosanna!’

I watched him, this man whose friends called him ‘teacher, rabbi’
And who even now, followed him along the processional route,
laughing,
joining in the cheers,
the excitement,
caught up in the moment
some of them singing the age old holy songs –
pilgrim songs of journeying to the temple to worship the Lord...
Their songs and cries mingling with the crowd:
‘hosanna, hosanna, hosanna!’

It was a crazy, busy, crowded time –
People thronging to the city carrying doves,
Tripping over stray animals
Being charged extortionate prices by the street vendors hawking dodgy looking meat,
or selling old vinegary wine warmed by the heat of the sun.
First-time pilgrims from the back of beyond
gawped in awe at the city,
suddenly stopping without warning
to have a closer look at this building,
or that market stall,
slowly plodding along the streets enjoying the atmosphere,
or anxiously hurrying, looking for a place to stay.

The whole city was in turmoil, asking
‘who is this?’
Some said ‘deliverer’.
Several shouted ‘healer – heal us!’
Some said ‘madman’
Some said ‘messiah’...
I ...held my tongue,
Listening to the cries:
‘hosanna, hosanna!
Watching the man who bore the weight of the crowd’s expectations.
Watching, as he rode in on a donkey.
A messiah...
On a donkey?

In the time of my grandfather’s grandfather
Another deliverer rode into Jerusalem
Palm branches waved
Cloaks covered the road...
Cheers sounded
Deliverance, victory, hung in the air:
Judas Maccabeus –
Judas ‘the hammer’ –
Rescuer of his people
Restorer of the temple...
But, he died,
And after an all too brief independence,
another empire filled the power vacuum.
Although free to worship
We were once again under the yoke of the oppressor.

Was it to lead us in an uprising against the Romans
that Jesus came to Jerusalem?
But what kind of uprising...?
The conquering hero,
the mighty longed-for,
hoped-for liberator
not riding proudly in to town on a horse dressed for battle,
but riding in, humbly, on a donkey.
It was an odd symbolism
A strange mis-match
Unexpected
And quietly challenging our assumptions.
‘Hosanna, hosannah!’
‘Free us!' 
'Save us!’

Save us from what?
Ourselves,
burdened with a vast storehouse of needs....?
Needing healing of body, mind and soul;
Needing hope to replace despair;
Needing a renewal of spirit;
Needing to rise up and be freed from corrupt puppet kings
propped up by foreign occupying powers? ...
Needing to mould and make this man conform to what we wanted him to be?...

The whole city was in turmoil, asking
‘who is this?’
I wasn’t sure who he was
Or what to call him
How to label him...
But it seemed to me he already had enough labels to last beyond any one person’s lifetime –
Already had enough to carry along that road:
The hopes
The needs
The agendas.
And so, I remained silent, in the midst of it all
watching him pass by,
wondering,
waiting to see what might come of it all....
wondering if the salvation he offered was actually the salvation being expressed by the crowds –
the salvation they wanted.
‘Hosanna, hosanna!’
And he was gone... ... ...

In Jerusalem, so long ago, at the time of the Passover,
the whole city had been in turmoil, asking ‘who is this?’
But underneath the buzz,
behind the festive atmosphere
was a society splitting and fracturing,
ill at ease;
simultaneously colluding with its enemy
whilst surreptitiously stabbing them in the back.
Political factions,
Religious factions,
And people just trying to get on with their lives...
And it was into this particularly volatile mix that Jesus rode ...
A place where people jostled for position, prestige and power, whatever the cost.
He had already managed to offend the religious sensibilities of the Pharisees,
with his unfortunate habit of healing people on the Sabbath,
his seeming lack of concern for purity laws;
talking to the untouchables – the outcasts:
lepers, tax collectors
giving honour to the disregarded:
women, children, Samaritans.

As his popularity grew, and crowds listened to him,
he was also becoming a concern for the political power brokers of the day.
Was he yet another rabble-rousing rebel intent on bringing down the system?
As the self-interest of both the pious and the politicians began to merge together,
and the wheels of political machinations began to turn,
was it really such a surprise when the cheers turned to jeers,
when joyful shouts of ‘hosanna!’
became angry cries of ‘crucify him!’
The whole city was in turmoil, asking ‘who is this?’
And wondered what to do about this man in their midst. ... ... ...

Our whole world is in turmoil:
we live in a time of climate crisis
marked by untimely bushfires,
melting glaciers,
unprecedented floods washing people, towns and villages away.
A world in which people still cry out to be saved:
to be liberated from the oppression of tyrants;
for justice in the face of injustice, and for fairness in the face of corruption...
People crying out for security in the midst of instability -
to be spared financial ruin in the face of financial downturns,
government cutbacks, job losses...
People crying out to be spared from this strange new virus
that has changed the way we live, imprisoning us in our homes,
separating us from one another physically, socially...
bringing with it fear, anger, despair, confusion,
the raw grief of not being able to be with loved ones in their time of need,
nor to gather together to say a final 'farewell.'
Our whole world is in turmoil and perhaps in the midst of it all, we too wonder who Jesus is...
And how a man, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey 2 000 years ago could possibly have any relevance to where we are now;
how this man could possibly have anything useful to tell us about the politics of power,
or how to navigate our way through COVID-19,
or of where true security in an insecure world might just be found?

And yet...
The very act of riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a war-horse,
was a rebuke against a ‘might is right’ mentality –
a reminder that power in and of itself is not bad, but that rather, the way in which we
choose to use our power can have disastrous consequences:
on the planet, on other people, on ourselves.

Riding into town on a donkey was a subversive act that turned the definition of power onto its head: the all-powerful creator of the universe demonstrating that true power is to be found in service:
Service to God, and to others –
a power that has at its heart utter vulnerability –
That powerful vulnerability seen in the incarnation:
Of God made human:
emptying himself:
Becoming a tiny scrap of human flesh born in a stable,
dependent upon the hospitality of the human heart to take him in...
Of God, made human:
challenging establishment ideologies
and the politics of 'me first'
by emptying himself upon a cross
and overturning the horror and power of death in the process.

Our whole world is in turmoil:
and into this broken, messy hurting, and desperately ill world
Jesus rides still...
for, all who follow him are his body.
The sixteenth century mystic, Teresa of Avila,
put it best by noting:
Christ has no body now on earth but ours,
no hands but ours,
no feet but ours,
ours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ's compassion to the world
ours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
ours are the hands with which he is to bless all now.

As Christ’s hands, feet, and body,
We are called to challenge systemic structures of sin and injustice –
be it political, financial, or ecclesial;
As Christ’s hands, feet, and body,
We are called to be his compassionate community of care...
being at the margins with those dehumanised by the system
standing with the voiceless, the disregarded.
The overlooked.
Already, in the midst of the current COVID crisis,
there's a yearning, a wish to just get back to normal.
But even as that thought crosses our minds,
perhaps we're beginning to realise that what we thought of as 'normal'
was something that wasn't really working.
We are called to a new normal -
where those deemed 'low-skilled' are seen as valued and worthy
members of our communities...
where undercutting health facilities and resources
would be seen for the false economy that it is...
where the most vulnerable -
the elderly, the disabled, would not be sacrificed on the altar of prudent economic efficiency.
We are called to a new normal that works for all, not just the 1% -
the new normal that has at its heart the values of the kin-dom of heaven,
at the core of which is love.
That is the lesson of the man who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey nearly 2 000 years ago.

It’s easy to follow Jesus when we simply make him into the person we want to follow.
To mould him to fit around us,
around our needs,
around our expectations.
It‘s a different prospect,
a much harder task,
to follow the one who rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey
moving steadily towards his death –
a much more frightening task to empty ourselves of our own definitions of power
and allow ourselves to be powerfully and utterly vulnerable…
yet we don’t do it alone –
we follow the one on the donkey,
we walk the same path as those who have followed him down through the winding years –
a holy company of pilgrims bound together in and through and by his love,
committed to sharing that love with others.

The whole city was in turmoil, asking ‘who is this?’
Our whole world is in turmoil…
And in the midst of it all…
Who do we say Jesus is…
And what impact will that make on our lives,
the lives of others,
And the life of the world? Amen

PRAYER/

Lord Jesus,
we pray for all who give of themselves sacrificially,
for those whose lives are dedicated to serving others:
all who are currently putting themselves at risk
as they fight to save lives -
and so we remember doctors, nurses, care workers...
we remember to, those at work on our behalf so that we may stay home -
lorry and delivery van drivers, supermarket and other shop staff,
volunteers delivering prescriptions and shopping to the most vulnerable,
all those helping at food banks.
Let us travel together and lighten the load.

We pray for those serving in war-torn countries
around the world:
medics, those who work in missions, the media,
NGOs and charities…
who bring food, shelter and healing to those in need,
sometimes putting their lives on the line.
Let us travel together and lighten the load.

We pray for those in our communities who feel vulnerable, afraid, unloved:
we remember those hurting from broken relationships, abuse, bullying, domestic violence…
children and adults whose lives are bereft of love and hope;
those living in the shadow of COVID-19 - fearful for loved ones or for themselves;
Lord, there are so many people and places and situations on our minds,
and so, in a moment of quiet prayer we offer up to you
all who are on our hearts and in our minds in particular at this time,
and we pray for our own needs...
...  ... ...  ...  ...  ...   ... ... ...
Let us travel together and lighten the load.

We pray that we might be Easter people,
laying down our lives to serve others,
bringing hope to hopeless situations –
the hope of the cross and resurrection.
And, as we pray,
may we travel together and lighten the load.
Amen.

HYMN/ Ride on, ride on, in majesty

REFLECTION/ Palm Sunday Parade

silence
it is a strange thing at the end of a parade
silence

the echo of mayhem
the quietening murmurs of the small rebel crowd
now stealing into the shadows of alleyways
with whispered questions
of ‘what just happened?’
gather in a hush of silence
with the hope the stones no longer remain quiet
now that the hosannas have been stolen

something happened here
but no one can name it
and belief doesn’t dare name at what might have begun
a messiah arrived
but the kingdom did not
palm branches
and cloaks
were strewn in mock adulation
but heaven remains silent

faith tells us we must we wait longer
a different voice is coming
and another moment
to name love

and crush this ache
and break this ironic silence
with the sound of death
and the shutting of a tomb
                                ~ written by Roddy Hamilton

BLESSING/

And now we lay down the palm branches.
And with them we lay down our belief
that there is another way for you to be God.

As the last echo of the final alleluia fades,
so does our hope that this journey can end
in any other way.

The week stretches ahead
glory-less
and pain-full

Whether we walk with all faith or none
we look towards the cross,
knowing it is both the most human
and most divine
of all journeys

Travel the road with courage,
with love,
and with the uneasy peace that is the gift of faith
into this holiest of weeks...

And may the blessing of God
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore...
Amen.

NOTICES/
Food Bank referrals: just as a point of info - if you weren't aware, I'm able to do referrals for
folk who may be needing the services of the food bank. If you, or someone you know may
need help in this way, please get in touch with me [ph. no. at top of post], and I can process the paperwork for you and get you into the system for Clydesdale Food Bank.

Leaving comments on the blog: apparently, if you're using Chrome as your server, there's some difficulty with leaving comments, as I know some of you have tried. Sorry about that - I'm not sure how to work around that particular server.

Holy Week reflections: Normally on Palm Sunday, if we were gathered together in the church building, we would walk through the palms and on to the passion - the account of the events
on Good Friday. Given our change of circumstances, instead, I'm aiming to post up a reflection
in some form each day over the course of Holy Week for you to travel with as you wish.
I'm hoping that each will be up just after lunch each day... so, stay tuned to the blog, and
let's walk the way of the Cross together...

AT HOME FOR ALL AGES/
Where's Jesus? This LINK will [hopefully!] take you to a page that you can download and work on together as a family.
Have a look at the ‘Where’s Jesus?’ picture...
Can you find Jesus in the turmoil?
What else do you all notice in the picture?
Jesus was on a journey into Jerusalem through the turmoil of a city during festival season.
How do we walk together through busy lives and times of turmoil?

NB – the picture contains a number of rats/mice among the people.
Counting these could form an additional activity as could colouring the picture in.

Reflection/ Praying - Mary Oliver

One of my favourite writers, the poet Mary Oliver, had a real gift for finding moments of grace
in the everyday - especially in her beloved outdoors. In her poem 'Praying', she reminds us that
prayer doesn't have to be an overly complex set of rules or mechanisms, nor does it need the 'right'
words. There are many doorways into prayer. So, if at this particular time you're finding prayer
difficult, and struggling for words, Oliver invites us to pause, to look around us, to find even
a small thing, such as an iris...which may be a doorway into prayer and to thanks...

Praying/
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

— Mary Oliver, Thirst

Reflection: 'This is the time to be slow'

John O'Donohue was an Irish poet-philosopher-priest, who may be best known for his book

'Anam Cara'. He was a leading light in the revival of Celtic Christian spirituality. If you haven't come
across his work, do yourself a favour, he's worth getting to know. O'Donohue died in 2008 aged 52.

He wrote the following poem, which feels apt for such a time as this:

St John's Cross, Isle of Iona

          This is the time to be slow,

          Lie low to the wall

          Until the bitter weather passes.

          Try, as best you can, not to let

          The wire brush of doubt

          Scrape from your heart

          All sense of yourself

          And your hesitant light.

          If you remain generous,

          Time will come good;

          And you will find your feet

          Again on fresh pastures of promise,

          Where the air will be kind

          And blushed with beginning.

from his book: 'To bless the space between us: a book of blessings'