The Shepherds and the Angel The night was torn by blazing skies,The shepherds fell with trembling cries,Their bodies froze, their voices few,The terror bound their hearts askewAnd this shall be a sign to you. The angel spoke, yet dread remained,Their souls still shook, their breath constrained,Could joy be real? Could hope break through?The weight of …
Category: Poetry
Sonnet: A Mind Apart
Shall I Compare Thee to a Daffodil? I dwell in possibility, not rules,Where beetles talk and teacups hum with light.My thoughts wear hats and dance through dreams at night,Unbothered by the ticking clocks of schools.I hear in colours, swim in silent pools,Where daffodils recite their own delight,The sun composes verses out of spiteFor rigid minds …
Relationships
Who is Jesus? part 17 Before we leave the opening song to John's Gospel, it's good to look at the whole thing for context. Although we are looking at poetry, and although the form is chiascic, like most of the Psalms, this is a narrative song and has a clear begining and ending. (Chiasm is …
It’s that Baptist again
Have you ever tried unpacking the jokes in John’s Gospel? And guess what? The first joke in John doesn’t just walk onto the stage once; it makes a grand return in Chapter 1, verse 15, because who doesn’t love a good sequel?
Millitary tattoo
A poem for fundamentalists based on Revalation Chapter 19. The King of Glory, on a white horse rides across the sky.With 'King of kings and Lord of lords' written on his thighIf Jesus Christ can have a tattoo why can't I?
Trinity
A poem for Trinity Sunday In the beginning was chaos.Into the chaosthe Spirit of God fluttered over the waterand into a place where there was no lightand a new day dawned,An idea in the mind of the Creator, Spirit, Word Godcame into reality. Into the created world the Word walked.Into the chaosthe Spirit of God …
Asking God to repent: Psalm 90
The 4th book of Psalms In 2019, after having read through the bible twice in 30 months I decided that 2020 was to have its focus in worship. Then in March that year churches were closed. I have learned mote about worship in this last year than I have in many years when churches were …
Gleaning truth from Ruth
Gleaning truth from Ruth The above image is part of a stained glass window on the north side of Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield. It is taken from the story of Ruth in the Old Testament and shows women gleaning in the fields. Gleaning is the practice of collecting grain from the fields after the harvest …
Matthew’s Passion: Association with robbers
Matthew's Passion: Association with robbers 40 Blogs of Lent: 33 Matthew 27:32-44 Who was Simon, the man from Cyrene who was made to carry Jesus' cross. That someone should ne named in the story in all three synoptic Gospels is strange. Stranger still is that Mark's Gospel should also mention Simon's sons Rufus and Alexander. …
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Poem: Christmas then and now
Christmas then and now A poem for Christmas 2018 Shrunk down to human size God comes to earth, And in his poverty< We find our worth. The choirs of angels sing. Shepherds and wise men come To see, adore. Humbly like them, we come, We kneel before And praise the newborn King.
Making an ass of myself 