Resources - Written - Search Results
Poem: Why pray?
Poem: Why pray?
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Why pray? When life lets you down and people prove unreliable and everyday anxieties dominate and tensions are high – don’t worry yourself into depression. Pray. When money becomes a problem, the lack of it or the love of it, and work is arduous or unavailable, and the bill…
Poem: Singing
Poem: Singing
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Singing I love singing, but I’m not sure that others appreciate my efforts. On my own I am hesitant, my voice falters and is unreliable. Ask me to sing you a tune and it comes out in a whisper. But put me in a crowd, set me in a congregation, group me with others in worship…
Poem: Asking questions
Poem: Asking questions
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Asking questions When the crowd of followers asked John, ‘what should we do?’ they knew the answer before he gave it. ‘Caring means sharing, not keeping everything as personal property. Give some of it away.’ When the tax collectors asked John, ‘what should we do?’ they als…
The Lion's World - 4 - No story but your own The Lion's World
The Lion's World - 4 - No story but your own The Lion's World
by SPCK - Rowan Williams
No story but your own Aslan loves his world and yet he cannot spare it – in the sense that he cannot make the experience of meeting him easy for persons who habitually settle for much less than the truth in their account of themselves and their world. And one of the simplest and …
The Lion's World - 6 - Bigger inside than outside
The Lion's World - 6 - Bigger inside than outside
by SPCK - Rowan Williams
Bigger inside than outside It’s – it’s a magic wardrobe. There’s a wood inside it, and it’s snowing, and there’s a Faun and a Witch and it’s called Narnia; come and see. ( The Lion Ch. 3 , p. 120) Lucy’s summary of the mystery introduces us to the image that will recur at the end…
The Lion's World - 5 - The silent gaze of truth The Lion's World
The Lion's World - 5 - The silent gaze of truth The Lion's World
by SPCK - Rowan Williams
The silent gaze of truth Being told your story by Aslan doesn’t compel your assent. The pain of being confronted with what you have done in all its detail is acute, as we have seen, and it should not surprise us if some will not accept it. In such a case, there is ultimately no s…
The Lion's World - Notes
The Lion's World - Notes
by SPCK - Rowan Williams
Notes CL I, II and III refer to Lewis’s Collected Letters, volumes I (1905–31), II (1931–49) and III (1950–63), edited by Walter Hooper, London, HarperCollins, 2000, 2004 and 2006. Preface 1 For a moving evocation of the intense – embarrassingly and confusingly intense – effect o…
The Lion's World - Conclusion
The Lion's World - Conclusion
by SPCK - Rowan Williams
Conclusion Narnia brings into clear focus a wide variety of central Christian themes; but out of this variety there are at least three that seem to emerge particularly strongly from the discussion in these pages. If, as I suggested at the beginning, Lewis’s aim is to help us sens…
Reflection: Special Occasion
Reflection: Special Occasion
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection: Special occasion We were visiting Edinburgh and couldn’t understand why one particular street was so crowded with people. Everyone seemed to be moving towards the pavement edge where they were kept back by barriers and all were excited. We had no wish to get caught in…
Prayer: Thank you, loving God
Prayer: Thank you, loving God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Thank you, loving God Thank you, loving God, for all those who have walked with us on the way of faith and who have encouraged and strengthened us in the work we do together. Some of those people have made a real and lasting impact on our lives. Others have only been with…
Poem: Promises, promises, promises!
Poem: Promises, promises, promises!
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Promises, promises, promises! Promises, promises, promises! The world is littered with them. Promises from politicians, blandly spoken, without knowledge of the problems involved in fulfilling them. Promises from retailers, with assurances that the order is being dealt with…
Carols by Candlelight Order of Service
Carols by Candlelight Order of Service
by Michael Docker
Carols by Candlelight - Order of service (Can be adapted for use with different selection of carols) Leader Before the world began All: All was darkness Leader Before our lives began All: All was silence Leader Before the coming of the Lord All: Darkness covers the earth; silence…
Advent I
Advent I
by Michael Docker
Poem- Advent I This first advent candle will shine here in hope - In the moment of lighting we hold out our dreams. Some have come thankful, others are fearful, All are encouraged – the happy, the tearful - By the candlelight shining in hope, To watch in the light for the lightin…
Monologue: Hannah reflects
Monologue: Hannah reflects
by Marjorie Dobson
Monologue: Hannah reflects When all you long for is a child of your own, then you see them everywhere. Other women seem to have no problem conceiving and bringing a child into the world. All around are families – some happy, some argumentative, some with no control at all – but f…
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative
by Marjorie Dobson
Hannah’s prayer – an alternative How wonderful it is when God answers prayer with, ‘Yes!’ What joy and happiness it brings and it is understandable that we feel like singing. It is good to celebrate. But we must always remember those prayers that never seem to be answered, or whe…
Poem: Stone Circle
Poem: Stone Circle
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Stone Circle Ancient stones circle a hilltop, their origins for ever mysterious, their purpose undefined. An aura, not evident to all, drifts in the clear air creating its own history and energizing traces of the builders who laboured long to place these slabs of rock into …
Poem/Reflection: Community of faith
Poem/Reflection: Community of faith
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/ Reflection: Community of faith Silent contemplation, solitary reflection, praising God in isolation; all these have their places in our lifelong experience of faith. They are life-saving when there is no alternative and helpful when the need to escape from the troubles of l…
Matthew for Everyone Part 2 - Reconciliation and Prayer in the Community