Mile of Pennies

Church outing to Graemsay

From whom no secrets are hid

The priest says “Almighty God….from whom no secrets are hid.”
We rush to the next phrase but now linger there.
We are a rich conundrum of secrets,
We weave a pattern of lies in order to be well thought of,
We engage in subterfuge about our truth.
We carry old secrets too painful to utter, too shameful to acknowledge, too burdensome to bear,
Of failures we cannot undo, of alienations we regret but cannot fix.

And you know them . You know them all

And so we take a deep sigh in your presence, no longer needing to pretend and cover up and deny.
We mostly do not have big sins to confess, only modest shames that do not fit our hoped-for selves.
And then we find that your knowing is more powerful than our secrets.

You know and do not turn away, and our secrets that seemed too powerful are emptied of strength, secrets that seemed too burdensome are now less severe.

We marvel that when you find us out you stay with us, taking us seriously, taking our secrets soberly, but not ultimately, overpowering our little failure with your massive love and abiding patience. (Walter Brueggemann)

What's hiding in your closet? And are you willing to share it with God?

God bless days off

God bless days off
With no one to call back but
Oyster catchers and herring gulls

Nothing to pick up but messages left in the landscape
(how sometimes life is like a thousand shades you could never begin to describe. And sometimes life is simply blue sky, green grass and white waves)

No one to get in touch with but myself again

No deliveries to pick up but what the waves leave at my feet- (periwinkles, cowry shells, pieces of coloured glass like precious stones, willow-pattern china)

No details to get lost in but the business of a rock pool

Nothing to follow up but the path of a shore crab

Nothing to file but ideas for poems

Nothing to note but the taste and texture and salty, sharp smell of the day

God bless days off and time to retreat into

Time to discover new energy to take back into work

To serve God more fully

Holiday Club

Monday August 6th to Friday August 10th.

Crafts, Games, Stories and Worship.

All snacks and drinks provided (kids should bring their own snacks)

For more info or to book a place contact Billy on 850203 or bburnside@btinternet.com.

 

Summer 2012