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          Imagining the Lectionary: Good Friday - stop the hurt and break the cycles of despair
        
      
            
        
        
          
  Imagining the Lectionary: Good Friday - stop the hurt and break the cycles of despair
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: Good Friday – stop the hurt and break the cycles of despair Reflection accompanying image “Stop The Hurt” Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detac
          
          
        
          Open with God Book - May - International Day of the Family (May 15)
        
      
            
        
        
          
  Open with God Book - May - International Day of the Family (May 15)
by Christine Odell
May – International day of the Family (15 May) Calendar of Prayers Reading Ephesians 3.14-19 God, our heavenly Father and Mother, we thank you for families: for the family of humankind rich in its diversity; for the family of the church, sisters and brothers in Jesus; for our own
          
          
        
          Reflection/poem: Challenge
        
      
            
        
        
          
  Reflection/poem: Challenge
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/poem: Challenge ‘You don’t need to do that! Why do you put yourself through it? It’s totally unnecessary!’ Wise advice? Maybe – in some circumstances. Self-inflicted suffering doesn’t seem to make sense in the everyday world. But there are times when we have to face th
          
          
        
          God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension
        
      
            
        
        
          
  God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension
by Andrew Pratt
Hymn: God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension Proper 19 Year A Matthew 18: 21-35 God’s grace extends beyond our comprehension, beyond the limits that we put on love. God calls us to forgiveness and redemption, sometimes the bar is just too high above. When we are wronged God
          
          
        
          How can we look, and not be moved
        
      
            
        
        
          
  How can we look, and not be moved
by Andrew Pratt
1 How can we look, and not be moved by lives that end and eyes that plead, where parents cry while families part amid their last despairing need. 2 Once we were distanced from the ones that suffered while we stood to stare. God give the gift of empathy that we might offer more th
          
          
        
          Monologue/Meditation: Crawling round at the bottom of the barrel 
        
      
            
        
        
          
  Monologue/Meditation: Crawling round at the bottom of the barrel
by Andrew Pratt
Monologue/Meditation: Crawling round at the bottom of the barrel Crawling round at the bottom of the barrel. Hungry. And the barrel was empty. And now I have splinters in my knees. Who was it who said that from the gutter the only is up? 'Above us only sky'? My sky is clouded. Ho
          
          
        
          The last word goes to God, and God
        
      
            
        
        
          
  The last word goes to God, and God
by Andrew Pratt
The last word goes to God, and God is judge of all the earth, and yet in Christ there’s hope for all who share a human birth. This is no magic but a sign, for Christ who hung and died, was led to death because he loved, this could not be denied. Verses 3-5 follow Tune: MENDIP; LU
          
          
        
          What value can you place on love
        
      
            
        
        
          
  What value can you place on love
by Andrew Pratt
What value can you place on love, how can you weigh attention that watches every step you take beyond this world's convention? Verses 2-3 follows Tune: DOMINUS REGIT ME Metre: 8.7.8.7 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 16/8/2013 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, www.stainer.co
          
          
        
          A prayer for healing
        
      
            
        
        
          
  A prayer for healing
by John Birch
A prayer on a theme of healing. Extract: When I pray for healing, Lord I sometimes feel so inadequate ill-equipped for the task. There are so many I could name who are in need of healing. There are those who hurt physically and others whose hurts go deeper whose scars cannot be
          
          
        
          JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Do you love me more than this?
        
      
            
        
        
          
  JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Do you love me more than this?
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Do you Love me More than These? Breakfast is finished, but the lingering smell of the charcoal fire is a potent reminder that something is still hanging around. Peter showed willing by jumping into the sea to greet Jesus and leaping to get more fish. But Jesus has to take the ini
          
          
        
          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
          
          
        
          Monologue: Not your job, mate!
        
      
            
        
        
          
  