I come to the garden alone

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

C. Austin Miles

We sang these beautiful words at our evening service last night. My supervisor had used the words during a funeral yesterday. I had not heard them before but I was touched by them. Its an old fashioned hymn - if you want to hear the tune that goes with it you will find it here.

The words of the refrain speak to me of the very personal relationship we each have with God. As we walk with our Lord no one call tell us what that relationship is like; no one can tells us what it should be; it just is. And that means we each experience it in a different way. There may be commonalities but there most certainly will be a uniqueness to each relationship.

My prayer for this moment is that we can all acknowledge our differences but rejoice in our commonalities. We have a Lord that loves each and everyone of us - with all our individual eccentricities. None of us perfect - ALL of us Rag dolls - broken and bent.

Amen

The photo above is of our front garden - taken a few years ago.

Awesome love

Was reading ASBO Jesus today and came across a reference to the following poem. I did a bit of cyber hunting and found it here. It's a poem about love, about God's love...

BTW the cartoon on ASBO Jesus is pretty cool too.

"... There are so many kinds of awesome love,
I bless them all:

Love of kindred for their kin
Love of lover for their mate
Love of country for the native
Love of land for the explorer

Love of the labourer for his work
Love of the scholar for her truth
Love of the artist for the muse
Love of the preacher for the word
Love of the disciple for the way
Love of the mystic for their God

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
We need them all:

Love of the beloved, love of the friend,
Love of the stranger, love of the needy

Love of the woman for the man
Love of the man for the woman
Love of woman for her woman
Love of the man for his man

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
Why must we set one above the other,
Say some are worthy and other base?
Why must we choose one love
When we need all the kinds we can get?

There are so many kinds of awesome love:
The love that knocks you off your feet
and sets you to desperate things
The love that is gentle and kind
and swells the compassionate heart
The love that is joyous and life-giving
and keeps you singing for days
The love that is steadfast and loyal
and sits out long nights of pain

Young, jocular love
Old, wise love
Rich, extravagant love
Poor, pitiful love
Strong, encouraging love
Vulnerable, wounded love
Passionate, sensual love
Free, philial love
Fiery, prophetic love
Self-emptied, contemplative love

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
I bless them all ..."

"So Many Kinds of Awesome Love"
by Nicola Slee

Out of nothing...

I used the following during our all age worship this morning. I thought it was beautiful and challenging all at the same time. Beautiful in the way it is written - the challenge being the potential in each of us as seen by God and the possibilities - if only we let him.

Creation out of Nothing by Peter Dainty from The Electric Bible

Darkness is nothing
but the absense of light;
and, out of nothing,
God made all things visible,
sparking the empty black
with blazing stars
an innumerable mornings.

Silence is nothing
but the absense of sound;
and, out of nothing
God made all things audible,
plucking the noiseless tension
into the throbbing music
of creation's song of joy.

Stillness is nothing
but the lack of movement;
and, out of nothing,
God made all things move,
broadcasting seeds of life
in the growing fields of space.

God's nature always is
to turn poor nothings
into something great.
He called weak slaves
to be his chosen nation;
he made a dying man
the world's salvation;
and from the grave he raised
a new creation.

If from such nothings
God makes all things new,
what might he, in his wisdom,
make of me and you?

We are amazing creatures - so full of potential, so loved by God.

Parental love

"You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." Mark 1:11 The Message

At the grand old age of 40 (well for the next six weeks anyway) you would think that I would feel all grown up and quite independent of my parents. The truth is that I still look to my parents for their approval. Not for everything - my mums face was a picture when she saw our holiday snaps, once she got over the shock of my wearing a bikini (too skimpy apparently) her eyes then stopped on the tattoo on my upper thigh! But for bigger more important things. Having them at my graduation earlier this year was a BIG thing for them and it was a BIG thing for me too, having them there. I know that at that moment that they were proud of me - I was fulfilling my promise; this was for them too.


As a parent myself I am extremely proud of both my kids. They are both very different but both wonderful and hopefully 'marked by my love' and definitely 'pride of my life.' I hope they do not feel that they are constantly having to seek my approval. I hope I tell them often enough how much I love them and how proud I am of them. (Not that they are perfect - know one is!!!)

God - Abba - Daddy. As a daughter of God, I know that I am loved. And I know that my heavenly daddy might not always be best pleased with me. Perhaps I ignore him too often, or I do and say things that must make him frown. But regardless I know he loves me. He is the parent I want to be.

"You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

Jesus's Mum & Dad

These words from Mary & Joseph are courtesy of "Hay & Stardust" from Wild Goose Publications.


Mary
Your eyes are open now.
Those eyes will open the eyes of others.
You study my face
and, just for the moment,
though you came for the world,
you are mine and mine alone.
I made you and you made me
and we gaze at each other
in equal wonderment.






Joseph
Here I stand
holding the tiny, warm weight
of God in my hands,
Such a tiny weight
to lift the huge weight
of the world.
Here I stand,
The proud father? Not me.
I have been utterly humbled
by your arrival.
You're not my offspring,
not part of me,
and yet, at the same time,
already inextricably part of my life.


In the coming days I will be thinking of Mary & Joseph and their journey. A journey that took them to that cave/stable/shed, a journey that had to be made. They had not chosen their path, rather they had been chosen. Chosen to be the earthly parents of our Saviour. I know what it is like to be a parent. The joys, the worries, the happiness, the frustrations, the wonder of a new life, the responsibility for that new life. This I can share with Mary & Joseph. I love being a parent. I love my children. They are a delight. They are a challenge. But I love them, just as they are. Just as God loves me. Just as God accepts me. He sent his Son for me, for you, for the world. To be our light in the darkness. My prayer this Christmas is that amongst all the glitter and baubles that all can glimpse a picture in their hearts of Mary & Joseph and their child. And that a light will be ignited in their lives. A light that will not go out.

What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn't put it out.
John 1:4-5 The Message

Yesterday

Yesterday was a lovely day. It started with going to church twice! Twice because I was leading worship, not at my probationary placement but at my home church. I have never led an entire service at my home church before but yesterday was my chance.

The first service was at the wee country kirk - 14 of us enjoyed our worship together.

Then it was up the road for the second service - 1/2 an hour to grab a coffee and then drive back to Keith, ready for the 2nd service.

The 2nd service was very special - my family were all there and it also gave me a chance to say thank you to the people who have sustained me, not just over the last few years but for most of my life. I have been a member of this congregation, on and off, for about 26 years - they have seen me grow up, get married and have children. I have been an Elder for the last 12 years.

It was good to be able to say thank you for their ministry to me - they may not realise it but they have in so many ways, individually and collectively, pastored to me through their prayers, gentle encouragement and even their questions. I was also able to pay a tribute to my minister - he has been a wonderful support to me - always available, generous of his time.

The strangest thing happened at the end of the service as we (the minister and I) were walking to the door - applause started and some people even got to their feet. Odd, embarrassing, lovely, awkward, sweet..........nuff said.

I am going to post my sermon later, once I have edited it for publishing. lol

After the service I stayed for the Annual Stated Meeting. then my mum and dad came up to the house for our typical Sunday lunch - bacon butties!

Later on we went out to mum and dads with my sister and her crew. Whilst granny organised tea for all 10 of us - we went for a hike up the hill.

It was just so lovely to spend time with everyone. We don't do it often enough. family really is important. Its too easy to not find or make time. But as I see us all get older, I realise how precious our time is.

Lord God,

I thank you for the time we can share with our loved ones,

I thank you for their love,

Love that sustains me and feeds me.

I thank you Lord for each and everyone of them.

Amen

Me, My Cat and a Cotes du Rhone

It's friday night and I am home alone! But happy!

KD is baby sitting with a friend, AD is off out with his mates and Neil is helping host a table at some posh dinner. A car came to pick him up to take him to Nairn ; Isla Traquair is MC and John Culshaw is the after dinner entertainment - it's a tough gig but someone has to do it! lol - and he looks just a tad tasty in his kilt, pity I will be asleep before he gets home ;o)

So I am home alone - in control of the remote, had a lovely steak for dinner, there is a rice pudding in the oven and I have a lovely bottle of Cotes de Rhone by my side! Watching Masterchef and have a good film for later. Pure indulgence!

Feeling much better about things at the moment. I have had a fairly easy week - not really got up to much, except stuff at The Loft and a bit of prep for pulpit supply on Sunday. I say a bit - still have most of the prayers to write and an entire sermon to write - och well I have all day tomorrow!

I had a good talk with Neil last week-end about my concerns about probation - he had realised something was up - which means I must have been really wound up, coz gorgeous and loving he may be but intuitive? mmm not his strong point! (and he would concur!!!) But he knows where I am at now and is just the best support I could ask for. I know I have asked a lot of him - his life is going to be turned upsides down when we become a manse family. But I also know he will be a great asset, not just to me as my husband and friend, but also to a congregation. Not being a Christian also means he will face many challenges and we will need to make sure we keep talking - just as well that we do! ;o) I am so lucky to have Neil as my husband, lover and friend. I just hope he really understands how much I appreciate and value his love.

Anyway - I may be home alone but I am happy - not because I am home alone but because of what I call home. A house where there can be screams and tears and the 'odd' argument; but also a home mostly full of lots of love and laughter.

Lord

I give you thanks for my home and family,

for the love and support of Neil, KD and AD and all my family.

Following my call has taken them on a journey too - a journey that has no end.

But they are journeying with me and I give you thanks and praise for that.

Amen