Prayer: Doorkeepers
Prayer: Doorkeepers
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Doorkeepers Great God, we come to praise and thank you in this place of worship that we love so dearly and to which we come to renew our special relationship with you. We care about this building and we are grateful for the support and friendship of the community here, of…
Prayer: God, who understands us
Prayer: God, who understands us
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: God, who understands us God, who understands us as we are, please forgive the foolishness of our behaviour and the wilfulness of our ways. We excuse ourselves by saying we are only human – and we are – but just as our children learn many of their behaviour patterns from u…
Poem: Reflection on Psalm 130
Poem: Reflection on Psalm 130
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Reflection on Psalm 130 When there’s nowhere else to go: when I’ve run out of options; when the darkness closes in; when despair grips my soul; when I fear that I’ve gone wrong and the consequences must be faced; when wisdom has flown out of the window and foolishness has r…
Poem: From Heaven …?
Poem: From Heaven …?
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: From Heaven …? Typical dispute. Focussed on the specific. Missing the main point altogether. The debate was not about the symbolism of living bread – spiritual food for ever – but on the claim that Jesus came down from heaven. Continues... ©Marjorie Dobson
Luke for Everyone - The Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coins
Luke for Everyone - The Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coins
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Luke 15.1-10 We had just moved house, to a dream location: quiet, secluded, at the end of a road near a lake. Everything seemed peaceful. Then, on the first Saturday night we were there, all chaos broke loose. Loud music, amplified…
Poem/Reflection: Righteous anger
Poem/Reflection: Righteous anger
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/Reflection: Righteous anger It’s easy to explode with indignant anger when it appears that someone else is in the wrong. How could they possibly do that? It’s totally evil. They ought to be locked up. It’s disgraceful! I wish I could get my hands on them. I’d soon show them …
Luke for Everyone - The Birth of Jesus
Luke for Everyone - The Birth of Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Birth of Jesus Luke 2.1-20 If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of at the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many peo…
John for Everyone part 2 - That They May Be One
John for Everyone part 2 - That They May Be One
by SPCK - N T Wright
That They May Be One John 17.20-26 This afternoon I looked on the Internet for a website about an electric appliance that’s gone wrong. I’ve lost the instruction booklet and was hoping to find relevant information through the Web. I found the website of the company that makes the…
Prayer: Respite
Prayer: Respite
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Respite Wherever Jesus went the crowds followed him. Even when he tried to escape for peace and rest, they were there waiting for him, needing him, looking for comfort and healing. So we pray today for all those who are caught in that same trap. We pray for those who are …
Poem/reflection: Still learning?
Poem/reflection: Still learning?
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/reflection: Still learning? During his lifetime and throughout his ministry, Jesus met and spoke to and helped and healed people of different nationalities, beliefs and practices. He greeted Samaritans, Greeks, Romans, rebels, Jews and all Gentiles and dealt with them withou…
Poem: David’s line
Poem: David’s line
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: David’s line When David tried to make a house for God – a permanent fixture – a settled resting place – God turned the tables on him, promised him a home and land, safe from his enemies for future generations. For God had always wandered with the people; followed and led th…
Drama/monologue: Celebration Dance
Drama/monologue: Celebration Dance
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama/monologue: Celebration Dance Have you heard the latest? It’s a proper scandal. It is! Do you know what was going on outside – on the street – in full view of everybody – and claiming to be a celebration of the church? Go on. Have a guess! No, it wasn’t a boozing party – alt…
Poem: Durham cathedral
Poem: Durham cathedral
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Durham cathedral Twin towers stand high and proud over trees and river. Captured in paint and picture, the image unmistakeable. Draw closer. Climb steep streets, turn a corner to the Green. feel the weight and power of this building daring all-comers to challenge its author…
Drama: People of Nazareth
Drama: People of Nazareth
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama: People of Nazareth This can be performed by seven people – six reading a sentence from each section and one concluding with the Bible quotation, or any number that is available. I knew him when they first came here, when there were all those rumours about her being an unma…
Prayer: Facing contempt
Prayer: Facing contempt
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Facing contempt Dear God, it is so difficult to deal with the contemptuous attitude that some people have towards our faith and our work for you. It’s as if they have a mind-set that blinds itself to any good that we do and only focuses on imagined practices that we do no…
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Glossary
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Glossary
by SPCK - N T Wright
GLOSSARY age to come, see present age apostle, disciple, the Twelve ‘Apostle’ means ‘one who is sent’. It could be used of an ambassador or official delegate. In the New Testament it is sometimes used specifically of Jesus’ inner circle of twelve, but Paul sees not only himself b…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Introduction
John for Everyone Part 1 - Introduction
by SPCK - N T Wright
INTRODUCTION On the very first occasion when someone stood up in public to tell people about Jesus, he made it very clear: this message is for everyone. It was a great day – sometimes called the birthday of the church. The great wind of God’s spirit had swept through Jesus’ follo…
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Standing Firm by God's Power