Marjorie Dobson
Poem: God’s way
Poem: God’s way
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: God’s way When we are hurt, when we are attacked, when we are betrayed, when friends desert us, when love is scorned, when truth is contorted, when compassion, concern and care are rejected and the history of relationships is despised and belittled, then bitterness is under…
Drama/Dialogue: Prayer problems
Drama/Dialogue: Prayer problems
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama/Dialogue: Prayer problems 1 We will now pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, the modern version – ‘Our Father in heaven’ 2 Hang on a minute! You can’t go on calling God, ‘our father’, it’s not politically correct. 1 What do you mean? Political correctness hasn’t got anythi…
Prayer: Considerate God
Prayer: Considerate God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Considerate God Considerate God, we know that you understand our faults and our weaknesses and that you are always ready to forgive when we are genuinely sorry that we have made another mistake. We are so grateful for the compassion that you show us and we do try to learn…
Poem: Revival
Poem: Revival
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Revival In those times when things always appear to be going wrong and God seems far away, or it might be possible that God is angry with behaviour or broken promises – in those times, the longing for a revival of spirits and a renewal of purpose seems but a distant vision.…
Reflection: Naming a child
Reflection: Naming a child
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection: Naming a child The naming of a child is a very serious business, though some take it very lightly. Pity the child named after all the players in his father’s favourite football team; or the girl who finds her first name making some ludicrous combination with the surna…
Poem: Too busy?
Poem: Too busy?
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Too busy? Busy-ness denotes duty and duty demands dedication and dedication inspires devotion: but busy-ness can also hide emptiness, mask loneliness, produce resentment, lead to self-imposed martyrdom and miss those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to listen and learn. Con…
Poem: Respect
Poem: Respect
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Respect Trusting in wealth offers great potential – especially for losing it all and having the foundations of life shaken and shattered. Destroying others for the sake of self-promotion, or to wipe out the opposition offers promise – especially that of perpetual hostility …
Prayer: Watchful God
Prayer: Watchful God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Watchful God The prophet Amos warned that it is the everyday deceits – the token observance of the Sabbath, the sharp business practices, the cheating and exploitation of the poor, the selling of poor quality goods – that will be noticed and judged by God and the punishme…
Nothing Too Religious - Drama/Dialogue: Oh, no! Not that again!
Nothing Too Religious - Drama/Dialogue: Oh, no! Not that again!
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama/Dialogue: Oh, no! Not that again! 1. Oh no! Not the Good Samaritan again! I don’t believe it! 2. You mean you don’t believe the story of the Good Samaritan? It’s one of the most favourite ones in the whole Bible. 1. Of course I believe in the story – it’s just that we never…
Prayer: Reassuring God
Prayer: Reassuring God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Reassuring God Reassuring God, we come to thank you for all those caring and compassionate people who offer support and encouragement to others in so many different ways. Their love and their service is offered willingly and with a true spirit of dedication. Yet we so oft…
Poem: Justice
Poem: Justice
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Justice God calls for justice for the weak and defenceless, for the ignorant and the misunderstood, for the poor and the hungry, for the oppressed and the orphaned, for all who cannot understand why the greedy and the selfish, the wicked and the unjust seem to win every tim…
Poem/Reflection: Amos
Poem/Reflection: Amos
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/Reflection: Amos Was he a professional prophet? No, he wasn’t. Was he the son of a prophet? No. he wasn’t. Did he earn money from preaching? No, he didn’t. Amos had been a shepherd. Amos had worked as a farmer Amos had been called from the fields and sent out into other fiel…
Poem/reflection: Call to preach
Poem/reflection: Call to preach
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/Reflection: Call to preach The call to preach is a demanding one for it is not just a calling to the art of putting words together; not just a gaining of confidence at speaking in public; not just the ability to choose suitable material for the leading of worship; not just a…
Dialogue: Weariness
Dialogue: Weariness
by Marjorie Dobson
Dialogue: Weariness The weary older one Oh dear, I am so tired. And so fed up. And life seems so pointless. And I don’t know why I bother. Do you know, I’ve been working with that church for fifty years or more and what do I have to show for it? Not a lot. I’m not saying I can’t …
Prayer: God of history and parable
Prayer: God of history and parable
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: God of history and parable God of history and parable, the stories from the Bible so often give us guidance about our own behaviour and show us how we can trust in you throughout our lives. Today we reflect on the story of Naaman and Elisha and the child who pointed the w…
Reflection/Meditation: Determination