No fear!

Bible Reading for Sunday is 1 John 4:7-21

"There is no fear in love;perfect love drives out all fear."

A temple not made with hands

Lord Jesus, you are above us-reigning.

We believe it.

That is what gives us the serenity to achieve.

Years ago there were doubting Thomases.

But this place has been renewed.

And we thank you.

Lord Jesus, you are before us-directing.

We believe it.

That is what gives us the courage to go on.

New challenges already beckon and again we sometimes dither.

But it is you that directs.

It is you who beckons.

So we dedivcate ouselves.

And we bless you.

Lord Jesus, you are beneath us.

We believe it.

When we slip you catch us.

When we kick you in the face, you just serve us.

And when we pack in and fall right down,

you come further down just to be beside us.

In awe we thank you.

Lord Jesus, you are within each of us.

Our hope of glory, of being complete.

We believe it.

It is not just the interior of these walls:

it's our own inner beings you have renewed.

We are your temple not made with hands.

We are your body.

If every wall should crumble, and every church decay,

we are your habitation.

Nearer are you than breathing, closer than hands and feet.

Ours are the eyes with which you, in the mystery,

look out in compassion on the world.

So we bless you for this place.

For your directing of us, your redeeming of us,

and your indwelling.

Take us "outside the camp", Lord.

Outside holiness.

Out to where soldiers gamble,

and thieves curse,

and nations clash

at the cross-roads of the world.

Maul us up, as you were mauled.

So shall this building continue to be justified.

That's it then! What will I do next?

Pictures from my last Munro:

Slioch- My last munro (hopefully!)

Holiday Fun

North Gaulton Castle bike ride.

Friday

Statement for Friday

We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe through the night,
and we will believe into the dawn.
We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe beyond torture,
and we will believe into freedom.
We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe beyond tombs,
and we will believe into eternity.
We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe against the darkness,
and we will believe into the light.
We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe beyond gravestones,
and we will believe that stones roll.
We will not go from here believing this is
all there is.
We will believe beyond the cross,
and we will believe through to
resurrection

Thursday

And so we are left here;

the table is empty.
Let us go with Jesus
to the garden
to hide among the olive trees
and wait.
O how waiting is hard
tonight.
It is like that moment before the storm
when even the universe goes silent,
and the stars shrivel
and everything knows
something is about to happen.
And so we wait
because it is all we can do.

Behold!
Jesus’ betrayer,
stealing towards him.
The universe holds it’s breath,
the air stops moving,
the Saviour stands, head bowed
and soon it is begun.
The future unfolds its long shadows
and the clouds roll,
and God falls
to the sound
of a kiss.

Wednesday

If God Does Not

If God does not weep,

then there is no love deep enough

to touch the pain.

Pause

If God does not get close,

then there is no love real enough

to meet our brokeness

Pause

If God does not touch,

then there is no love earthy enough

to value our humanness.

Pause

If God does not need compassion,

then there is no love tender enough

to endure our pain.

Pause

If God does not walk on,

then there is no love restless enough
to witness the truth.
Pause
If God is not anointed,
then there is no love ready enough
to diePause
If God does not know pain,
then there is no love broken enough
to comfort our world.

If God does not know death,

then there is no love potent enough
to bring resurrection.

Tuesday

The word is a silent word,

unspoken as yet,
standing alongside all other words
that are overused, and unfulfilled,
nurturing the truth no others dare,
waiting for the right time
to speak into all things…
The word is a broken word,
unspoken as yet,
standing where there is nothing to say,
where all other words have been found
useless,
but promising there is still something left
to say,
waiting for the right time
to speak into all things…

The word is a waiting word,

unspoken as yet,
standing alongside every empty word
the world is fed up using,
and tired of hearing,
waiting for the right time
to speak into all things…
The word is an enduring word,
unspoken as yet,
standing alongside every word,
every manifesto, every dogma,
every piece of propaganda,
waiting for the right time
to speak into all things…

The word is God’s Word,

unspoken fully, as yet,
standing alongside everything
that is silent,
that breaks,
that waits,
that endures,
moving towards the right time,
that will break open tombs,
with a shout
...with a shout
……with a shout
………with a shout
WITH A SHOUT!

Monday

They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately

on entering the Temple Jesus started
throwing everyone out who had set up
shop there, buying and selling. He kicked
over the tables of the bankers and the
stalls of the pigeon merchants. He didn’t
let anyone even carry a basket through the
Temple. And then he taught them, quoting
this texMy house was designated a house of
prayer for the nations;
you’ve turned it into a hangout for
thieves.
The high priests and religion scholars
heard what was going on and plotted how
they might get rid of him. They panicked,
for the entire crowd was carried away by
his teaching.

After the coins

there was silence,
so full you could hear the heavy breathing
of the saviour,
hunched on the spot,
looking round him like some madman
daring anyone to break the moment.
It was heaven’s moment,
and he knew it,
and they knew it,
and I knew it.
O my Lord,
you’ve fed the hungry—I’ve seen you—
and I saw heaven in that,
you’ve picked up the sick child—I saw you
do it—and I saw heaven at work,
you’ve spoken to me when no one else
would—I heard you—
and I heard heaven’s voice,
but this,
this is new to me!
Heaven has come into it’s own:
it’s a dangerous, wild thing,
a mad man,
a loose canon,
a Che Guevara,

Lord, do you know

you are shutting down the temple,
pulling the ground from under the system?
Do you know whose interests you are
playing with here?
The Lord of Life
has raged against injustice
in the very place justice should be born,
and I’ve seen it
and heard the coins roll
heaven is coming into it’s own.

Fools for God?