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January
January
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: January (the month is named after the Roman god, Janus, whose two faces looked in opposite directions and who was the god of doors, or openings.) At the turning of the year that two-faced Roman god looks longingly back, yet urges us forward into the unknown. We stand at the…
Wiping out the past
Wiping out the past
by Marjorie Dobson
Wiping out the past Wiping out the past is not an option. History has happened. Regrets alone will not scour the pages clean. The facts are known. Embroidered by memory, or malice, but their significance is plain. Mistakes are made and crimes committed. Errors of judgement cause …
Poem: New things
Poem: New things
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: New things When there are far more days behind us than there can possibly be in front of us, there is a tendency to want to look back to the safety of the known and to leave the unknown future as a mystery. God’s pilgrim people have often faltered as they faced the challeng…
Poem: The Journey
Poem: The Journey
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: The Journey The past is a safe place. No matter what happened there – how many mistakes were made; how many tragic events occurred; how many fears were anticipated; how many new situations were faced; how many decisions were necessary; how many tears were shed, either of jo…
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…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Moses Begins His Last Sermon
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Moses Begins His Last Sermon
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Moses Begins His Last Sermon Deuteronomy 1:1-45 This coming Saturday, I am taking part in a service in which the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles expresses its regret and contrition for the way we have treated African Americans. The church to which I belong was founded to provide…
Job for Everyone - Perish the Day I Was Born
Job for Everyone - Perish the Day I Was Born
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Perish the Day I was Born Job 3: 1-26 I never knew my Uncle Billy, my mother’s younger brother. The year I was born, he was killed in combat in the Second World War in North Africa. I did know my Uncle Ray, the husband of my mother’s older sister, who was also a combat soldier in…
Recovering from Depression - Bringing the emotions of the past into the ‘now’
Recovering from Depression - Bringing the emotions of the past into the ‘now’
by SPCK - Katharine Smith
Bringing the emotions of the past into the ‘now’ James – music and sorrow We talked earlier about James, whom we first met earlier. Although with the support of a counsellor James tried to identify the reason for his intense grief on hearing music, he was unable to do so. He was …
Reflection/meditation: Agreement
Reflection/meditation: Agreement
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/meditation: Agreement It’s all about personal responsibility, isn’t it? It’s all about not being able to pass the blame back to a past generation, or excuse personal behaviour by claiming that it’s all in the genetic structure. At one time everyone relied totally on Go…
No turning back, God's path can lead us forward
No turning back, God's path can lead us forward
by Andrew Pratt
No turning back, God's path can lead us forward, this is the time of challenge, time for choice, to set our sights on all that lies before us, to wallow in the past or to rejoice. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: INTERCESSOR Metre:11.10.11.10 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 11/6/2013 S…
Out of hope we act with boldness
Out of hope we act with boldness
by Andrew Pratt
Out of hope we act with boldness, Christ sustaining us through grace now our faith unveils the Godhead, now we're praying face to face. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: LOVE DIVINE (Stainer) Metre: 8.7.8.7 Andrew Pratt (born 1948) Words © 24/1/2013 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England, w…
the historical character of Jesus - 5 “The sacrificial high priest”: Jesus in Hebrews