Without a doubt, one of the long-lasting memories that will stay with us after this pandemic is over, is the eruption of kindness and helpfulness in our communities.
Even strangers became friends.
However, one of the observations I have made is the reluctance to ask for help.
It is concerning that there may be those who need help but are not being helped because their need is unknown.
Asking for help, is a difficult step to take.
I have wondered whether the paralytic lowered through the roof by his four well-meaning friends, had asked for their help. And if he had, that would have been a brave thing to do. (Luke 5:17–26)
Asking for help does take courage.
And so, this means that we need to be even more aware of those whose needs are not necessarily obvious and when helping, we must do it in a way that is sensitive, enabling and protective of people’s dignity.
It is a big step to receive help.
Two prayer thoughts.
Lord, thank you for those people who during these difficult days have kindly and selflessly stepped up to help in so many different and creative ways.
Lord, encourage and strengthen those who sit anonymously in need of help, to in some way let their need be known so that they can be helped.
Amen.
Blessings and stay safe
Brian
For more Charlie Mackesy quotes visit: www.charliemackesy.com
“I wonder what Piglet is doing,” thought Pooh. “I wish I were there to be doing it, too.” Winnie-the-Pooh
It was not that long ago when the only way to communicate was by mail or analogue phone. When people left for another continent they were “far” away.
We measured “connecting” in weeks, months and even years. The current experience of “lockdown” would have been exponentially more difficult and separation even more painful and disturbing.
Today, we have instant connection pretty much anywhere and everywhere. The movement of a mouse (computer) or the touch of a screen and we are connecting. We visit in one another’s homes across the globe. We share virtual birthdays and meals simple by being connected.
So, I have two prayer thoughts for today.
The first, is a word of deep gratitude for the technology that makes so much possible.
The second is for those who are across the digital divide because they do not have access to any of the above. Those who do not have access to the “instant” world and who live isolated lives, and that person could be your neighbour.
Many years ago, Paul wrote to the church in Rome and said, “ I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Rm1:11,12
Blessings and stay safe
Brian
The steeple in the distance.
In our four-ball that day there were two “out of towners”, myself and a then retired Methodist minister, Fred Brennan.
In response to the visitor’s comment, “where the heck must I aim?”, Fred replied, in a soft Irish accent, “aim for the church steeple. When in doubt it is good to stick to the church”.
What are you “sticking to” during these strange and weird days? What gives you hope and direction?
Blessings and stay safe.
Brian
Easter 2020. Life will never be the same again.
How on earth for example do we go along with some of the fake news which has been doing the rounds for too long in faith based communities? Over-zealous know-alls or dictating churchiness I find unconvincing and unhelpful and I have had to look at both models with an open mind. It seems to me that there are people out there who pedal the false assumption that Jesus somehow solves all our problems for asking for it to be so. In reality I have come to discover and believe that He inspires us to connect for ourselves as a way of facing up to what life throws at us.
There are wonderful cures for the ills of this world but many of them come through the dedication and awareness of human progress. Jesus Christ never intended that we should somehow expect Him to sort out life’s nightmares. He merely gave us an example a code and a dynamic to build a better world. The Jesus I have come to know suggests what to face up to, how to prioritise, and how to live more effectively in the interest of future generations with love and compassion being essential. Consequently we find ourselves making use of His drone’s eye view.
WE ARE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We are here to make a difference
We are here to make a stand
Far above the voice of cynics
Where a progress can be found.
We are here to own a Father
We are here to know a Son
We’re united in a Spirit
Where a common sense is found
We are searching through the questions
We are looking under stones
For we have a grace in friendship
Where a God of grace abounds.
We are walking on the hillside
We are casting down the burn
We’re colouring the canvas
Where the love of God surrounds
We are baking bread for millions
We are scattering the yeast
That the unloved may be nurtured
Where a new song can be found.
We are searching through the stories
We are sifting through the sand
Yes we know that God uncovers
But He needs our helping hand
And Lord through all the questions
We know that apples grow
The seed is in the cold frame
But the love we give is slow.
We are tired and sometimes troubled
We’re selfish often grand
But we know that we are looking where
Where the answers are not bland
Dear Lord there is a Father
He’s a Son on our own land
Can we open out the Spirit
Here in our material land?
We are here to make a difference
We are here to raise a hand
O God you are Creator
Of the sea and sky and land.
Words by Rev Andrew Greaves
Music: TBA
Yesterday, I was sitting watching the fire.
We were having a braai (barbecue).
I noticed two logs that were smouldering, not burning properly, and so I simply placed them together and they immediately started burning.
I thought about our lockdown, and for some even isolation, and I wondered how well we are doing being separated like this?
Right now, it has to be like this.
The day will come when we can be together and I look forward to that day.
But in the meantime, take care, look after your well-being and stay safe.
And until we meet…
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
To do this we want to try to convert our thoughts into conversation. The main question, therefore, is not so much what we think, but to whom we present our thoughts.
Daffodils (1807)
William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
Normally the answer given is “Jesus wept”. John 11:35.
However, there is a second verse, equally short, and it is “Rejoice always”. 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
Two opposite poles in life, “Jesus wept” and “Rejoice always”.
During our lockdown, there have been moments of weeping when we have dealt with anxiety, fear and grief.
There have also been moments of rejoicing. Moments when we have noticed acts of kindness, heard of accounts of bravery or had new contact with friends and family.
Our prayer has to be for strength in times of weeping and gratitude for moments of joy.
May you experience a moment of delight, even today.
May your heart know the gift of rejoicing and may experience His peace.
Stay safe
Brian
Our Thought for the day comes from Rev Norman Trewren. Norman is the Minister of St Cyrus Parish which is in a hub relationship with West Mearns Parish.
If you feel like a “lift” of your spirit, go to our home page and enjoy a song written and sung by Rev Rowan Rogers from Newton Park Methodist Church in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Blessings and stay safe.
Brian
Good Morning Friends
Have you ever gazed out of the window of an aircraft; looked down where the earth was supposed to be and seen nothing but a thick layer of cloud? Assuredly it’s down there, but you just can’t see it! As we look out of our windows today, in our fourth week of lockdown, we can be forgiven for seeing just the clouds. We know there’s a life beyond the window, beyond the clouds, but we just can’t see it. But up in the front of the aircraft there’s the pilot. He knows the path down through the clouds, down to our destination. And in all of our lives we too have a pilot, our risen Saviour Jesus Christ. In this time where the clouds are covering our sight of the future he still says, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:).
In his book “Days of Heaven Upon Earth” the 19th Century Canadian preacher and theologian Albert Benjamin Simpson wrote:
“Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the age” (Matt 27:20). It is “all the days,” not “always.” He comes to you each day with a new blessing. Every morning, day by day, He walks with us, with a love that never tires and a blessing that never grows old. And He is with us “all the days”; it is a ceaseless abiding. There is no day so dark, so commonplace, so uninteresting, but you find Him there. Often, no doubt, He is unrecognized, as He was on the way to Emmaus, until you realize … “
Remember this hymn?
The first verse and chorus are very apt in these days:
(Mission Praise 712)
Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
Today’s Prayer
Father, may we find the joy of the Lord even in the midst of our trials. We pray that You would teach us what it means to see beyond our troubles, knowing that You are with us. Even so, Lord God, we see the challenges those around us are facing. We ask You to intervene, to be with those who are in need, to prompt us to participate with You as You care for your people, and, most of all, to restore creation and to make all things new. We pray that we would not be anxious, but that You would give us Your peace. Let us live differently in the midst of trial so that the world might see You in us. Amen.
(James Spencer, The Moody Center; 15th April 2020)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Stay Well, Stay In, Stay Connected.
With Love and Blessings
Norman
For today, a thought and a prayer.
Consider the pearl.
A pearl is beautiful and precious.
The world’s oldest gem of unblemished perfection.
Sought after.
Appreciated.
Valued.
We know the pearl comes about from a place of discomfort.
The Oyster responding to that which has the potential to harm it.
From a place of hurt comes an object of beauty.
Interestingly, the cause of the hurt is still there.
At the centre of beauty.
Hurt wrapped in Grace.
Holy God,
we offer who we are, to you.
The hurt we carry at a time like this.
The worry and anxiety that ebbs and flows from our minds.
The grief that weighs us down.
Wrap our hearts with your grace, we pray.
That we may emerge from these days.
Beautiful.
Amen.
Our Thought for the Day comes from a book I bought called “Grace will walk us home.”
This book came to mind when I thought about a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, the one when he walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their walk is a walk we could call, from Grief to Grace.
During these strange, and sadly for many painful days, we need a moment of grace.
Consider these words.
Job 31:6
our
stress, fears, foolish
choices, nightmares
are gradually piled on
and we slowly begin
to sink deeper,
then
you place kilo-grace
after kilo-grace in
the weighing pan
until we are tipped
towards your
love.
Grace will walk us home
by Thom M Shuman
Copyright © Thom M Shuman
Published 2019 by Wild Goose Publications
21 Carlton Court, Glasgow G5 9JP, UK,
the publishing division of the Iona Community.
Scottish Charity No. SC003794. Limited Company Reg. No. SC096243.
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.
Today I want to invite you to take a step further if you haven’t already done so, and that is to create a sacred space in your home.
All of us need a space like this, but I think that it is even more important in a noisy house.
There are many helpful sites to explore, for example, look at Christian Mindfulness.
The Sacred Space can be as simple as a table with a few helpful items on it.
Let your creativity guide you.
The Sacred Space is a place to be mindful, thoughtful and prayerful, a place to have a different kind of rest, a place to be quiet.
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd,
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
of concern from my mind.
wanting, it is you, who
gives me dignity.
so that I may stand alone.
the path I walk.
beside me-
And be my friend…?
Gracious God
Today is April 1st– April fool’s day, Poisson d’Avril.
In this second week of lockdown tensions are mounting and situations in households are getting explosive.
As well as tension there is confusion and we pray for those who are confused – those with dementia, the elderly who lived through wartime and don’t understand, children who don’t understand why they can’t go to school or be with their friends. In our confusion show us the way – Your Way, Your Truth, Your Life.
We pray for all who currently have the virus and pray for Your healing.
We pray for those currently out of work.
Loving Father You are our hope, our strength and our shield.
Loving and Healing God draw close to us all in this pandemic crisis and let us feel your healing loving and gracious presence.
Isaiah 64:8
“But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.”
During these days that we spend in this way.
Our lives limited by the Coronavirus (Covid19).
We may be restricted but we are lives are not redundant.
We are finding new and creative ways to be together.
We are connecting more than ever before.
The internet is groaning under the load of activity.
We are doing things differently and we are doing different things.
A time to grow.
Isaiah describes God at work in our lives as a Potter shaping clay.
We are encouraged to open our hearts and minds to a new work by God in our lives at this time.
Prayerfully consider how God could shape your life in these days.
Be blessed and be safe.
Our quote for today was shared by Morag Christie.
The days ahead are uncertain as we find ways to deal with the Covid19 Coronavirus, help those who are infected and affected, and try settle the anxiety in our own hearts and minds.
Maybe today is the day that you choose to “put your hand into the hand of God”
Blessings and stay safe.
It is good to see beyond our places of confinement.
I looked through my window.
Outside my study window, I can see the cemetery that surrounds our church in Fettercairn.
I thought about the stories of those laid to rest and wondered what life issues they had to face.
Through another window, I can see a view of our village and it is very quiet.
I imagined the people in their homes.
Some are people living on their own and others are families who are living together.
I wondered how they are doing.
Go, and look through your window.
What do you see?
What are your thoughts?
Lord, today we pray for the lives of the people we can see through our windows.
For the witness of their stories from times past.
For that which we face tomorrow.
We pray that you will guide us.
We pray that you will guard us.
We pray that you will grant us Your peace.
Amen.
Of course, we worry!
We worry that our children stay safe during these terrible times.
We are anxious about our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We don’t want to interfere but every maternal and paternal instinct rages.
We want to protect and provide, nurture and cherish.
We want to do everything we can, but we can’t.
We are separated by distance, be it a room, a house, a village, a country, an ocean.
We love our children.
“He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark10:14
And so today, we pray…
Holy God, whisper our words over those who come from us.
“May you know the deep love I have for you
May you know that nothing, no circumstance, no distance, no wall can separate you from me for we are connected. We will always be family and I will always love you.”
Amen
Deep peace of the Running Wave to you.
Deep peace of the Flowing Air
to you.
Deep peace of the Quiet Earth
to you.
Deep peace of the Shining Stars
to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace
to you.
For Today
The daffodils are starting to show.
A wonderful reminder, in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, that there is a cycle of life that continues.
Consider, in the midst of our chaotic uncertain day, those moments where the cycle of life continues.
A loving family member.
A reliable friend.
A caring neighbour.
The neighbourhood dog that barks.
The sound of a bird that seems clearer because of less noise.
Look for the daffodil moment in your life today.
Be encouraged.
Be blessed.
Holy God,
We pray that even in the midst of uncertainty, anxiety, even chaos, we will still recognise those Daffodil moments which reminds us of the cycle of life.
This familiar moments in our day when we feel anchored, centred, even settled.
Amen
Listen to Phil sing
” The Lord’s Prayer”
(Click on Title)
There is a sense of novelty and the time will come, has come, when the reality of what we need to deal with sinks in.
People will get screen tired, overstimulated by the ongoing interaction with social media and never-ending online commitments, and even reading this is adding to that.
The most significant and important connection is with others in terms of friends and family. We must not stop connecting with our loved ones.
To know that we are loved.
To know that we belong.
To know what is going on in their lives.
Even prayer
Know that you are loved.
Know that you belong.
Know that God knows what is going on in your life.
Especially prayer.
Psalm 38:9
All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you
We all are busy in our heads.
These are uncertain, complex and disturbing times.
It is not difficult to let our anxiety, fear and worry overwhelm our thoughts.
And it is now more important than ever to make sure we include in our day, those special moments that help us relax, de-clutter and to ponder the good, the kind and the helpful.
What from yesterday made me feel positive, a phone call, a note, a social media posting, something on TV?
There is a lot of alarming news, but there are also incredible stories of bravery and courage, of kindness and love.
My goodness, just think of those on the forefront of medical and community care. The person delivering goods to our doors still, those who continue to do their work so that we can cope just a bit better with what is going on.
Maybe today, listen to a favourite song, re-read a favourite poem, sit in a spot where the sun comes through the window or consider these words, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
God bless. Stay safe-stay connected.
Brian.
the days are uncertain and the expectations of how to respond to these new demands placed on us are challenging.
Our work is different, our family living is different, our public conversations and our inner conversations are sometimes in conflict.
We want the best to be brought out in us, and protected from the worst that could be.
Guide us in our thinking and our speaking, in our doing and in our resting, so that we walk in the way of Light and Love.
Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Listen to Phil Smith singing: Speak, I Pray Thee (Click on title)