11 little Advent poems

I saw these wonderful resources from Engage Worship. They are 11 tiny Advent poems  from  24 Tiny Advent Poems by Amy Scott Robinson which I saw on Instagram.  They are really beautiful, little thought-provoking poems.

Ah, I do get this wonderful sense of hushed awe and anticipation in Advent and all these really convey that.  I love Advent even more than I enjoy family celebrations! The anticipation is such a joy but of course, you can't just have the anticipation without meeting that or He who you anticipate.

Sending you love today!

xx

A Pause for Advent- Advent Acrostic

 I was going to post something else for my Pause for Advent today but sadly, my memory stick is refusing to show up on my home computer and I'm at a bit of a loss.

I thought I'd look through my previous Pause for Advents and found an acrostic poem on Advent I wrote back in 2014.

One thing I love about this Pause for Advent is that all through the years since I've been joining in, how everyone's creativity manifests itself in different ways.  We are all writing about the same thing yet we all manage to find new and different, fresh ways of seeing Advent each time. It's not a competition but a mutual adding to something we find important or valuable for the benefit of others or ourselves.  And I think that's what is important and a thing to remember.  Is what we are doing benefitting someone positively? And if not, why are we doing it?

I hope all is well with you.x

Pause for Advent: Stillness and Silence

 Last week I talked about Listening in my pause for Advent.

Today somewhat links to that.  I didn't really know what I wanted to write about today but today I didn't wake up till late. Around 10.30am. It meant I missed out on going to church. I could and should have joined the church service in retrospect but somehow I didn't and then my Mum said she was coming round to see me and then by the time she'd gone I wanted to get out into the garden before it turned dark - someone needed to clear up CBC's prunings from last weekend from the tree above the shed and I really had to do something about the front garden wooden planter that was full of old Cosmos plants and to lift out my Dahlia tubers and plant the Daffodil bulbs I bought yesterday.  All of a sudden it was 5pm and I still hadn't joined in the church service.  And then we needed to get some bread and to hang some washing up and then it was dinner time and then it's late.

Ah, things to do!!! Too many things to do.  In my sleep-deprived state, just not having been sleeping particularly well or long after a week of a cold and weeks of just waking early, I'm going to forgive myself for sleeping in as it was the first time I managed to do that.  I can't help but notice that the one day of the week that I actually can seem to sleep longer is Sunday.  Coincidence you might say, but perhaps God is showing me that Sunday is a day of rest and reminding me that it is his day.  Yes, I am sure God would want me to be at church, but he's a God of kindness and compassion and who knows what we need so I am seeing it this way. Perhaps, however, I could have avoided all the other busyness today though though it was good to be outside in the cold and quiet with the plants. I hope to catch up on the service in the week.

But on that related subject, in this life of busyness and being on the go, Stillness and silence are very much in shortage.

Two of my favourite Bible  quotes are 

"Be still and know that I am Lord."

"Be still before the Lord."

There are carols and songs written about Silence and Stillness:

Still, Still, Still, 

Silent Night (I thought I'd go with a modern take on this one in contrast with the more traditional carol above)

Yes, I love all the Christmas carols and Christmas films and socialising and all that but when it comes to it, that beautiful stillness and silence that I experience at the Midnight service on Christmas eve is something really special. And I think we all need a bit of stillness and silence in our lives.  Not everything needs a soundtrack or a conversation about it.

I hope you can experience some stillness and silence this week.

x

A Pause for Advent 2021 #1 Listen

 This year, as Ang has lots going on, Kirsten is hosting- thank you Kirsten as it isn't Advent without this!

A Pause for Advent has always been a chance for us to sit back and prepare for Christmas amongst all the hustle and bustle of life preparing for Christmas which can often get really busy.

This week, I want to think about that...sitting back. I STILL have that wonderful anticipation and excitement for Christmas that I always have done since being a child- I love the build up to Christmas- the Advent service, the music, the concerts, the rehearsals, the special meals, the sending of Christmas cards, the excited chats about plans, the arrangement of meetings. I am so grateful that I have that.  That excitement and familiarity that comes from knowing that it Christmas is coming  and Christ is coming, as he has always come, will never fade and that singularly keeps me going and never getting tired of the traditions. I don't put up loads of decorations, nor buy loads of expensive presents for loads of people (although I do buy presents) and I don't actually go to that many Christmas dos, but I do enjoy listening to others and their excitement so in preparation for Advent this year, I want to listen to other people, take the time to hear their plans, hear their excitement or indeed, sorrows or worries, if that is where they are.  So for me, my first pause for Advent is to remind me to listen.

Listen to the messages of the season.

Listen to God and what he might be saying.

Listen to those who want to rejoice!

Listen to those who want to reminisce and share memories.

Listen to those who are worried.

Listen to the needs of the world and pray for them.

Listen to my body and don't push it when it is tired.

Listen to my friends.

and finally,

Listen to the myriad examples of beautiful music that so many people in so many people over the years have been inspired to write over their joy and rapture at this wonderful season.

Right now, I am enjoying the John Rutter Christmas album.

Christmas definitely isn't Christmas without Rutter!  

I hope you enjoy any opportunities you take to listen this week.

xx

The Centenary Stained Glass Window

I recently went back to my old church for my friend M's wedding.  It was SUCH a joy to be back there and to be a part of something special in a place that meant and still means so much to me with so many happy memories and also to think of my own wedding there.

It was also special to see something I'd not seen completed too.  The church celebrated its Centenary in  2013 and the congregation were asked if they wished to contribute towards a centenary project of replacing the plain windows above the altar with stained glass designed by Henry Shelton, our resident artist.  I was delighted to contribute to this project, to be part of something beautiful, made for the glory of God and for the joy of visitors and members of the church, however, it was a few years after I left the church (because of moving), that the window was fitted. I wasn't able to attend the inauguration of the window, and the times I visited the church were for the Carol service so I never saw it in daylight so the wedding was the first time I saw it!

Ah, it was SUCH a joy to be bathed in its radiant hues and to see the glorious reflections onto the walls.  It reminded me of how beautifully the modern stained glass made me feel when I visited Liverpool's Catholic cathedral.

I really like old stained glass but I really love Henry's vision and it works for me with the Arts and Crafts decor of the church.

There are various beautiful features to the church including over modern projects but this one will be the one which means a lot to me because I am part of it. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing the beauty of the window.

On Angel Wings- Hexham Abbey art installation

 In Hexham, there is a wonderful, ancient Abbey that I realise I have never posted about in all the times I've been going to Hexham.

At the moment, there is a wonderful art installation there that has been created in response to the pandemic. 

Since they put the reason for it so much more eloquently than I can, here's the info from the Hexham abbey website about it:

On Angel Wings is an installation that came into being following discussion on how we could offer the community a space to commemorate those who had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As we slowly reopen following a turbulent 2020 and start to 2021, we realised people had been affected by this in more ways than we ever could have originally anticipated. What we wanted, was to provide people with the opportunity to be awed and provoke thought as well as allowing people an outlet; somewhere to palpably show their appreciation and respect.

Inspired by the installation in 2020 by our friends at Ripon Cathedral 'On a Wing and a Prayer', angels seemed like the perfect way to honour those who had served relentlessly throughout, those who had lost their lives, those whose lives had been disrupted and those who had fought to get through one of the toughest times they had known. An idea was devised to hang origami angels, each with dedications to loved ones, in the Abbey; therefore each angel representing someone or a group of people precious and cared about by someone else. 

We contacted the Verger at Ripon Cathedral to help with the logistics of how we could go about hanging multiple thousands of origami angels in a 1,300 year old building, which had not had ease of access to the rafters built into planning and design! After much deliberation and consultation of architects, conservation engineers, rigging teams and planning committees, we realised this was a real possibility and the plan was put into action!

The resulting project is 'On Angel Wings'; 4,500 origami angels, made by local schools, volunteers, Abbey staff and members of the public, suspended 45ft high in the Chancel of the Abbey. The angels stretch right to the High Altar from the start of the Old Choir Stalls and are lit from the sides. The angels are high enough that dedications can't be read from the ground; keeping those memories and thoughts private but still present; much like a prayer. 

I thought this was such a beautiful idea and I was keen to see it in person.

This was our first glimpse of it as we came round the organ to the choir stalls.  The effect was instantly calming and awe-inspiring.  The lights shining on the angels and the soothing music made for a beautiful meditative atmosphere.

As we walked along, we saw some examples of the angels made and some of the messages.

You can see some of the ancient stones in the background.

Here was another take on the angels from children too.

When you came into the chancel by the choir stalls, the spectacle of the angels with the majesty and gravitas of Hexham Abbey was breathtaking.  The music was just right and I was amazed by the scale of this project.

The colours change slowly with the lighting.

Unfortunately, just as I was hoping to sit and contemplate the angels, a guided tour came in and sat in the chancel and somewhat ruined the atmosphere for me (and also made it difficult to go and sit as they were spread throughout the choir stalls).  However, it was still amazing to see all the angels and soak in the atmosphere.

If you are in the north and are able to go and see it, it is well worth a visit.  It also gave me ideas for an art project at school!

Hope this Christmas (Advent at Home)

 As some of you may or may not know, every year since I have been at my school (all 14 years!), I have composed an original song for the children to sing at the church for our Christmas performance.  It's one of my favourite things I do in the year and to hear our children singing my own song always makes me very proud. As we teach the children, it is important that you learn to write for a specific audience, be that writing instructions for a recipe, a letter to your local MP, a fairy tale story for Reception children, a fanfare for a king and in this case, a Christmas song for a choir or school and I do this as an exercise to show that the learning never stops, nor does the creative process, no matter how old you are and that being a teacher is not all we are- we have skills, interests and hobbies that we do beyond the classroom.  As well as, of course, showing the children I care about them by writing something FOR THEM specifically.  

  Over the years, pretty much every aspect of the Christmas story and our performance has had a song written for it- Donkeys, Mary receiving the message, the baby sleeping, Caesar Augustus and his census, the Kings, the (swinging) shepherds, the innkeepers, the angels, the introduction part, a party song at the end, the message of Love being the best gift etc.

This year, I wanted to write a song of Hope, not aimed at telling an aspect of the Christmas story but to remind people in the year of 2020: you and all of our children and parents to have hope, stay positive, be kind, trust and never give up, no matter how hard things have been or are getting.  It was going to be a surprise that in the last week, I was going to record each class singing a section of it and then I was going to stitch it together and send it to the parents on the last day.

 

BUT, because we were having to stick to bubbles, this wasn't going to be possible so I adapted and was going to just  record it with choir this week (we learnt it last week on Tuesday but I wanted all the quarantining children to be part of the recording) .  Of course, my enforced isolation has put paid to that  and I've been unable to do that. Best laid plans and all that.

However, I still wanted to send the message of hope to all of you so I recorded myself singing and playing it.  No comments, positive or negative on the singing please, it's a little cringy (& a bit strangled cat!)  as it is intended to be sung by a large group of children for maximum impact, not by a slightly embarrassed teacher, trying to play the piano part correctly simultaneously, hoping her neighbours don't hear her!

The message is what is important- there will always be light if you keep it alive in your heart with hope.

Hope this Christmas

It’s been a hard year and we’ve found things changing too much.

It’s hard to see when the hardships and restrictions can all cease.

Times are strange and there’s sadness so

We must stay strong, keep our faith and let’s have

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Don’t give up now, Trust  and pray and keep on striving, keep the season’s Joy!

It’s been oh so hard, when we we’re lost and oh so lonely,

But we can find joy, if we try to seek it, try to let it shine,

Yes there’s fear but there’s courage, strength so

We must be kind, show our love and always:

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Don’t give up now, Trust  and pray and keep on striving, keep the season’s Joy!

Keep the hope, keep the joy, don’t give up, share your love, you’ve got to keep that

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Hope this Christmas,         Hope this Christmas,

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Stay safe this Christmas      Stay safe this Christmas

Don’t give up now, Trust  and pray and keep on striving, keep the season’s Joy!

 

 This is part of my 'Advent at Home' post with Ang. 

From the Archives- What can I give?

 Here's another old post from 2014 - one of my pauses for Advent.  I read this and it made me think of how I have failed so many times in being gracious to my husband.  Often, he says things and the way he says them, the way he responds, the way he does things, hurts my feelings.  Instead of being patient and loving, instead, I snap at him with wounded feelings, wounded pride. I snap at him at times and I need to show him a consistent good example if I want him to be kind. It's no good snapping back at him if he is insensitive because that isn't going to change things.

Reading this is a good reminder to me. Always be the one who acts the way you wish to be treated.

A pause for Advent 2014: 3: Presents

CBC and I went out to do a spot of Christmas shopping on Saturday and I was not a nice person to be around.  It was cold, wintry, I didn't have thick enough tights on, I was annoyed, I was tired, not feeling particularly well or enamoured to be out and travelling on trains and walking. I was just generally discontented today and particularly with CBC. I was not kind to him or loving. He wanted to hold my hand and I wanted to keep my hands warm in my pockets. I ended up feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself. 

As I came home tonight, thinking about this and thinking about my Pause for Advent,Christina Rossetti's poem  for In the bleak mid-winter came into my mind, as I pondered how ungiving I had felt in the late afternoon. 

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

It was cold- I felt like my heart stood hard as iron, locked in my irritation. We can feel like that at times, locked into a bleak landscape inside our mind which we struggle to escape from, struggle to think beyond or even think, just reacting.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Yet beyond all my irritation, there was someone waiting for me, waiting for me to make the right choice,  Waiting, like I should have been waiting for him through Advent.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk,
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

That should be enough for me.  I shouldn't need to get irritated and turn what should have been a gentle restful afternoon in a pleasant place into a field of hostility.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air -
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

Forgiveness, love and letting go of anxiety/irritation can begin with just one small thing, like that kiss. One hug, one saying of I'm sorry.  Or God, who in sending Jesus,one act, one great act that seemed seemingly small, a small baby coming, said, "I forgive your sins," 

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part;
Yet what I can, I give Him -
Give my heart.

What shall I give him?

A snappy tone of voice because I am irritated with my husband?
A grumpy disposition because I haven't had enough sleep?
An irritated huff because I wish we'd agree on the Christmas shopping?
An impatient sigh because we were stopping in a cafe for lunch when I just wanted to get on with it?
An angry heart that is thinking horrible thoughts?
A hostile outlook which transmits to those around?

What can I give him?

Give him a patient moment where I think whether I really need to get irritated.
A taking of five minutes to gather myself and making a smile whether I feel it or not, because a smile does change you.
Letting go of my annoyance rather than wishing I would be taken seriously when I am annoyed.
A grateful sigh for actually having some lunch and a warm drink.
An agreement to let it go when I am not happy with something.
A loving hug when I want to be cross.

How can I show Jesus's love to my husband and those around me.  What can I give Jesus?

Show my love for him by loving those around me. Not being grumpy. Not being in a hurry. Not being selfish. Not showing my irritation.  Take time, take love, take a moment, take a decision to be loving.

Share peace, love, patience and think of others.

What can I give him?

Give my heart

xxx



This is my 3rd contribution to Ang's Pause in Advent. Click the link to find other posts to read.

You can read my previous posts and those from previous years by clicking the A pause for Advent label

Prayers

Liz Slater manages to articulate her prayers so beautifully and clearly and says everything in such a way that I feel. I wanted to share them with you here, for things to think or pray about.  

Let us pray.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you promised through your son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith. Thank you Father.

So we come to you now in faith with our requests. 

Father God,  we lift up our church, your people, to you. We pray for the clergy of all churches. bring all clergy towards you, especially those taking up new posts.. We pray your blessing on those who lead and organise services in church and those who enable services and coffee stop meetings online and those who have other responsibilities such as wardening or working in the offices during these difficult times. Give them strength and wisdom. Bless each of us, whoever we are, whether at home  watching or worshipping with others in church. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for our world. Help us to  understand learn from discoveries that are being made about links between the environment and the pandemic.  For example, where our over exploitation of the natural world has led to eco-systems being unbalanced and viruses spreading beyond their usual hosts. Where a reduction in air pollution during lock down has seen an increase in insect life. Help us to take this seriously so it does not get forgotten during the urgency seriousness of other immediate decisions needing to be made. Help us not to forget. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for our national leaders. Give them wisdom as difficult decisions need to be made. Help them to communicate with honesty and transparency.  Help them to work together with all interested parties for the common good of the four nations in the UK. We continue to pray for those who have continued to undergo anxiety about their exam results. Again,w e ask for wisdom as Sixth forms, Further Education colleges and universities struggle to honour promises of places.  Also for firms offering apprenticeships who may not themselves be sure of their own future.  Be with those those who,  in spite of everything, have missed expected places. Help those, whose remit it is, to be imaginative and creative, in their support.

We pray for the safe return to school for pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff.  Strengthen those who have responsibility for ensuring  safety on site, and trying to resolve problems like crowded lunchtimes and break times. We think of bus drivers coping with travel to school and we think of families concerned about transmission in school between adults in school and transmission from pupils into the home.  We think of parents who do not want to send their children back to school. Father there are so many anxieties and so much  stress. Father, we place all of that in your hands. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, in this year of bewildering disruption, disease and dismay, help us to look to you and not be overwhelmed because you are our strength, our shield, our rock.

We pray for the nations of the world. Help leaders as they cope with an increase in Covid cases again.

Help nations to work together more and to cooperate over prevention, treatment and vaccines. 

We pray for those whose future employment  and income is uncertain, those who must quarantine but who are short of income, those who will find it difficult to pay rent, landlords, whose main income is from renting accommodation and and those who rely increasingly on food banks

We continue to pray for Lebanon  for the people of Beirut, as they cope with food and power shortages as well as COVID19.

We pray for the people of Belarus as the outcome of the recent election are contested.

We pray for the rigours of North west China as people are being moved to re-education camps.

We pray for the people of Hong Kong as they seek to retain their freedoms.

For Californians as they confront hundreds of fire outbreaks.

And the preparation for fair and democratic elections in the USA

Strengthen Christians in all these situations so that they can support others. Keep us faithful in praying for then. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for all those who are sad because of family members who have died.  We pray for those who are not well....Comfort and strengthen all those we have give them your healing and your peace.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

And for ourselves- Lord, as we think of how you met and called your first disciples,we thank you that you meet us wherever we are and whoever we are. Help us to remember that you are the  God who notices, however ordinary or insignificant we feel. The God who meets us in our everyday lives at home, at school, at work.  Thank you that when we accept your unfailing love and amazing Grace, you become God with us, who walks with us throughout our every day lives of highs and lows, understanding everything that we feel. 

So we ask, for ourselves, that you will teach us to walk in the light of your presence,  to love with your heart of compassion, to trust in the word of your promise.  So that all of our being,  all our whole being praises you and we are able to proclaim with heartfelt joy, that HALLELUJAH!  OUR GOD reigns.

Merciful father, accept our prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Prayers and thoughts

I really liked the prayers from our church Youtube  service the other day, which I have transcribed, and I wanted to share them as they articulate all the things I've been praying and thinking about. Even if you aren't someone who prays, thinking about these issues is important and giving them some time!
I'm glad that I am able to talk to God about these things and share my fears and give petitions.

"We pray this morning for our world, your world. Such great turmoil and distress. We ask for your guidance for all those who bear heavy responsibilities for making International, national and local decisions. For world leaders, for our government and opposition as they seek to make the correct decisions.  For our local councils as they continue to provide services in our local community.
for scientists as they examine data and explore options and for researchers they work to find antidotes and vaccines.  Father, may they act with honesty, transparency and integrity, with clarity of thought and an ability to admit and to learn from mistakes. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who feel that they have a very uncertain future, with no work, reduced income, for those who now rely on food banks, for those who have become homeless.  Father, give them your reassurances and help them, to commit their future to you. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are alone and unable to meet friends or family. Father let them be aware of your presence and your friendship.

We pray for those who are exhausted, with much more work than usual and with unaccustomed roles. for health professionals and all who are working in hospitals. for those who work in crematoriums and funeral parlours, for those who deliver food and supplies and post. For supermarket workers and takeaway food suppliers, for those who work for foodbanks. For parents who are having to homeschool their children.  For teachers designing online work and teaching children of keyworkers. For children and young people who should be at school and college. Father renew their strength and stamina.

As we remember young people, we think of young families- be with these families as they cope wiht limited outings, who are not able to see relatives and friends.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Ass we bring our own congregation to you, bless all preachers and those leading flocks. Thank you that we have the technology to lead and connect. Help us to reach out to those who can't do this.

Pray for all those who are sad because someone they know or love is ill or has died. Also for those who are unwell and have other needs.  In the quiet moment, we lift up others known to us.
Father, uphold and comfort them and help them to know your presence. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father. help us to remember your love to us and the certainty and hope we have in you.  Thank you for the constance we have in our families, in our friends, in the season of Spring surrounding us.  And for your unfailing love surrounding us and your saving Grace, that no matter what we have done and whatever happens, you are God who is Emmanuel, God with us, who walks with us through everything.

Merciful Father, accept our prayer for the sake of your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

A-Z of Prayer for this time.

This morning, I have been blessed to share in church services from all my previous churches.  The message I am receiving in abundance is to keep praying.  
One prayer which I heard today was: "Renew our hope, God our Father, by the Holy Spirit's power.  Strengthen us to pray readily, to serve joyfully and to grow abundantly, rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
The church building may be closed but the church should be out of work.  Palm Sunday was the day Jesus journeyed into Jerusalem, met by the crowds.  We may not be able to physically go on a journey, or meet in crowds but we can meet spiritually in crowds and journey together towards Easter.
I started writing this post during the week, inspired by Sutton Vineyard's creative approaches to prayer for this week.  One suggestion was to pray for each letter of the alphabet.
So I have done.
God bless you and keep you safe this week.

A- Anxiety- Please God, bless all those who are anxious.  Help calm their fears.
B -Boris Johnson- Please God, I didn't like him or vote for him but he is in charge so we better pray he is the best he can be and this is a chance for him to change for the better. Please give him wisdom, discernment and help make him better. I pray you bless ALL leaders such as him to make wise and dilligent choices.
C- Cure- Thank you for those who have studied hard at Science. Lord, I pray you will help our scientists to find a cure for the Virus, curiously quickly- let it be developed quicker.  Please bless the scientists so they can develop a vaccine that will cure the disease.
D- Delivery workers- Thank you for their hard work God. Please God keep all those who are delivering food and goods in anyway- Milkmen, Postmen, Supermarket workers, van drivers,
Ignorance - Lord, for those who are ignorant and stubborn, please make them realise the importance of doing the right thing.
E- Energy: Lord, please give energy to those who are going out to work and energy to face the challenges daily.
F- Faith: Thank you for keeping us safe so far. Please help people to have faith in you God and choose faith as opposed to fear.
G- Governments:  help governments to cooperate and make the right choices.
H - Hospitals- Lord, I pray you will help hospitals to be sanctuaries, clean and with all the equipment needed to help those in
I- Immunity- I pray that those who come into contact with the virus will be immune, that they will have no harmful effects because of disease.  Thank you for those who are immune and have had no ill effects.
J- Joy- Thank you for all moments of joy we still experience despite all the unknowns. I pray that everyone will find joy each and every day. Even the small joys of managing to buy flour, the joy of seeing a rainbow in a window, the joy of being with their family, the joy of a phonecall, help us ALL Lord, to seek and to see clearly, the joys every day.
K- Kindness- Lord, help everyone to show kindness to each other.  Give us opportunities to KNOW where we can help, give us the KNOWLEDGE of how to help others and KINDLE a yearning in us to help others. Thank you for all those opportunities people have taken to be kind to one another.
L - Loneliness- God bless all those who are lonely- because they are alone, because they are isolated for whatever reason. I pray that they will put their trust in you. I pray that those who love them and know them will call them and take away from their loneliness.
M- Miracle- we need miracles in times like now. Lord, I pray you will make a miracle happen. I pray the cure will be found. I pray there will be no deaths on Easter Sunday, I pray that the virus will be cured and not be seen again like the previous SARS.
N- NHS- we pray for the NHS.  God bless and keep our Doctors, nurses, health care assistants, administrators, cleaners and all those who are working to fight the disease. Thank you so much for their hardwork and sacrifice.
O- Opportunity- Lord, the Earth is getting some chance to rest with less vehicles moving around. Thank you for that. I pray that this will teach us that it is possible to make choices to save our Earth from destruction. I pray that our Earth will take this opportunity to recover- air quality, melted icebergs, oceans and rubbish.  I also pray this opportunity makes us notice all those people who do Overlooked but important jobs.  Help us to value them and notice them.
P- Police- Lord, give good health and wisdom to the police as they make sure people are doing the right thing. I pray they have all the equipment and protection they need and that they stay safe from germs, danger and reaction from those they have to reprimand. Thank you for their hardwork.
Q- Questioning- For all those with questions- be they children at home learning and not understanding, for those who are seeking the answers to issues, for those who are questioning their faith, for those questioning how they will get home, for those questioning when life will return to normal, for those who are questioning how they will live their lives after this, I pray you will answer those questions, positively Lord.
R- Rest- help everyone to get the rest they need for recovery, for recuperation time, for rest and good sleep for those who are able to go out of work, for rest for those who are at home to make their immune systems strong. To Revive a spirit of faith in all of us to give us rest in You Lord, that we may find out Refuge, Recovery and comfort in you.
S-Selfishness- Lord, I pray you take away the spirit of selfishness that is making people have secret gatherings, taking too much from the shops, that is causing them to take risks, those who are refusing to accept what is really happening (like Donald Trump)
T- Transformation- Our lives have changed so much over the past few weeks. Transform our lives in a good way as a result of this difficult time, not in a bad way. I pray this will help us all, the rich, the poor, the powerful, the weak, the clever, the ignorant to realise the deep need for change in our lives and to make these changes happen in a good way.
U- Unemployment- for those who are worried about the consequences, for those who have lost their jobs already, for those who are worried how they will survive, Lord, please help those people
V- Vegetables and Vitamins- I pray that everyone will have access to fresh vegetables and healthy foods to give their bodies the best possible chance with all the vitamins they need. I also pray that those growing their own vegetables will be successful. I thank you for all the vegetables we have had access to.
Wealthy- Lord, I pray those who have utter riches such as the super billionaires and moghuls will take the opportunity to share and donate their riches to help the world to recover.
X- Xenophobia- Lord, we've seen a lot of Xenophobia from people as this crisis has grown from fear of foreigners to abuse of Chinese and refugess being refused rights. I pray that there will be no xenophobia and that all, regardless of faith, will be helped.
Y -Youth- we've all heard reports of selfishness and thoughtlessness from youths from those spitting on people to those gathering in the parks. Lord, take away the self-centredness, the arrogance from those who think they can do anything without consequences.  For those youths who are frightened, please reassure them and keep them motivated to work at home/
Z - Zoom- Thank you so much Lord for this program which is helping many, many people work and stay connected. I pray that it will continue to work effectively and not to cause any issues.

Amen.

This was inspired by Sutton Vineyard's challenge to pray the alphabet.

Covered with feathers

Once again, Sutton Vineyard provided a wonderful service via Youtube live (I've shared the video at the bottom of this post).  I could do what I did last week and summarize what it said but I don't want to just do that at it is a bit lazy.
However, today, I would like to share the Psalm which was the basis of the sermon:
Psalm 91 which I wrote out and decorated with feathers. I intend to put this in my bathroom so I see this every time when I go in.
I will confess something- I do not like those vomit-inducing plaques that have some sort of platitude, e.g. "Family makes home" or something like that.  I find them a bit tacky.  However, seeing the words of Psalm 91 in their entirety are a comfort.
At a time when dark thoughts and fears can, understandably, come to us at any point, the thought that God, if I come close to him and admit my fear and weakness, will cover me with his feathers like a bird, is a powerful image.  Feathers may seem flimsy but with the lightest of touch, they provide great warmth and cover.
The terrors can come to us, no matter how rational we feel and Psalm 91 gives us a sense of protection, we can sometimes nestle into God's feathers. Other times, we can be strong and proclaim our faith, be strong and help others. We can be lifted high to a position where we can see. We choose our direction and we will walk in the direction we choose to look in.
I look to hope, joy and salvation.

Please a comment if there is anything you need particular prayer for.

Stay safe, dear friends and God bless you.  

xx

This is my Pause for Lent with Ang et al.

Adjust, Invest, Engage

I am so grateful for technology in some ways though it can give us too much of an information overload.  I am amazed, not in a good way, by how so many places are completely sold out of so many items- bread, eggs, lentils, flour, rice, pasta, noodles, tinned soup. Even online!  It's a shame CBC and I are almost out of flour and what we have is very out of date as we have a breadmaker and make our own bread. Ah well!
But today, I was blessed. The church I've been attending didn't seem to have loaded any sort of service link and my previous church were hosting their service via Facebook which I don't have.  Fatdormouse, Alison, sent me the link to her church service in France but I woke late and couldn't get Zoom to download onto my computer.  I was pondering what to do and then my friend Becky on Instagram posted her church link to her service and it was Youtube live which I COULD stream.
I was so relieved to be able to find a church service and so happy to see the pastor, that I confess to shedding a tear.  But the service was brilliant! I am so grateful to the Sutton Vineyard team who posted such a wonderful service.  The sermon was really, really, real, practical and helpful. I can't put it so succinctly as Jason, the pastor put it, so I have shared the youtube video here.
Sutton Vineyard has a dedicated Corona page.

Right now we need to do three things:

• Adjust
• Invest
• Engage

Adjustment:  right now we have a new norm.  Things are changing and we need to anchor ourselves together in the storm that is happening.  Be responsible, do the right thing. Be sensible. Connect in places like churches. Accept that we are in the storm and it is ok to be scared but Jesus can take us from fear to faith.  God has not abandoned us.  Isaiah 30 v18-30

Investment:  We need to decide what we are going to do with our time.  Are we going to invest our time in futile things that cause us to fear or spend time doing good things?  The now is the time to invest in our time with God.  Do things differently, let go of things that are keeping us from God and pray, give things away, give financially if we can, spend time hearing God.

Engagement:  As a church, 'go out' (metaphorically of course) and be agents of his kingdom- take the opportunities to live differently.  Engage with those who need help.  Think of how wonderful it will be when we can meet again.  The early church could not get together because of oppression but they grew!

The lovely thing was, when I posted to Becky that I was so grateful and I have felt truly uplifted by the service, she invited me to join in with her small group prayer.  I managed to make Zoom work and it was so exciting to see all these new faces (plus Becky) on the screen and share in prayer and positivity together.  It was a wonderful time. We'd all lit candles in our windows to acknowledge world day of prayer.

I am thankful for community aided by technology! 
 This is my Pause for Lent with Ang et al.

xx.

P.S.  Please can you let me know if there is anything specific you would like prayer for.

Peace which passes understanding.

Are you feeling anxious at the moment?  I wasn't really feeling anxious, as I tend to ignore the news at most times but it reached Friday and I couldn't escape from it anymore. EVERYONE, wherever I was, was talking about the virus.  Teachers, TAs, children, parents, friends, restaurant owners.  I started to feel the fear.  One of the reasons I avoid the news is, as I have realised in recent times, I am a natural worrier when I am left alone to my own devices.  If I am worried about something, it fills my mind, will not go away, no matter what. 

I haven't been to church for a few weeks.  Actually, since the 16th February for various reasons. 
When I went to today, though the focus was on the commandment, "Do not murder,", the anxiety I was starting to feel was really helped as we prayed for our nation, as we talked about trusting in God, as we considered that we may think we are in control but we are so much more fragile than we think and that actually in difficult times, we must depend on God.  We sang 'The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want' which I hadn't sung at this church since I've been there and indeed I haven't thought about that song for a while.  But, it is a song I sing and say to myself whenever I'm scared- when walking on high peaks where I am terrified of falling, where I don't know what to do and am worried.  It has always been a comfort.  I felt that peace, which passes understanding, come over me and I knew that this terrible time is a time to show love, to show care if I can, to trust in God, to help people.  I gain nothing through stressing. I gain nothing from worrying.

I came home from church, after chatting to a friend, Darren, who moved to our town a year ago, I walked home with my neighbour, Marianne, and I rejoice in the beauty of the sky, the beauty of the Spring flowers and relished the freedom I felt. We went over to my Mum's and shared lunch with her and walked in a beautiful country park near her and I felt better.  Nothing, but perhaps prayer, prayer, prayer, can change what is going on, but I felt a peace.

It may not last once I am in contact with colleagues again but briefly, it was good.  'The Peace which passes understanding be upon your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'- I felt that peace.

This is my pause for Lent with Ang et al.

xx

The peace and the stillness

Lent is a time of preparation.  Preparing for Easter.   I've not been the most sensible or thoughtful in preparation for Lent so far.  Somehow, I have had my absolute busiest stretch of life since Lent began.  I agreed to play for 3 different orchestras, plus a choir and a gamelan concert. I've had late-night events with school, I've had and have rehearsals and concerts galore.  And it isn't conducive to preparing for Easter.  As I get busier and busier, I feel the peace ebbing away from me.  Every night last week, with the exception of Friday (and I did go out for dinner and got back after 11pm), I haven't returned home from work or school before 10:20pm. Wednesday night was 1.30am.  Lent is a time of preparation but I've learnt this week, it must have peace. It must have stillness.  There's no time for Jesus, no time for him if I don't actually stop apart from sheer tiredness and sleep.

Don't take on too much in Lent!

"Be still and know that I am God."


I apologise for this being short!  More next week.
x

A pause for Advent 2019 #4

A pause for Advent is one of my favourite parts of preparing for Christmas, even though I stress a bit over what to write each time, hoping some inspiration will hit me.

Today, I am thinking of just the idea of a Pause.  Taking the time to sit back and count the blessings.  I am grateful for everything God does for me- I feel his presence with me and I know that I would be lost without his presence.  Jesus didn't stay a baby- he grew up and shared his wise teachings, helped countless people and then died so that those who came after him might also have the opportunity to live life in abundance- a life without fear, a life without being totally lost, a life where the awful things we do don't have to define us and to be our future. He came to save Me and You (if you choose to accept that) and every time I do something I regret- I know that it is not the end- I am not condemned for ever- I have hope and a chance to live the future with Hope and freedom. I hope you do too!

Things I am blessed by today:

1.  Beautiful sunshine,
2.  A warm house
3.  Peace and quiet
4.  Silence and Solitude.
5. The knowledge of good things to come.

God bless you this Christmas.

xx

A Pause for Advent 2019 #3

I've mentioned on numerous occasions that I created a tradition at my school of writing a song for Christmas for my KS2 Christmas performance. Over the last decade, I have created songs for the various parts of the nativity.  It's one of my absolute favourite Christmas traditions and I'm always really excited to do it.   It is an act of worship, writing a song for parts of this story which is so important to my faith, an act of giving and love to my children; to write a song especially for them and an act of creativity; to continue to use my skills as a composer and an act of fun- I love composing!  I would not say that these are great songs-they are very much aimed at my audience- the children and their parents but I hope that they are a different way of approaching each aspect of the Christmas story and you find something you enjoy in it or it speaks to you in some way. It's also become A Pause for Advent tradition that I share my song for one of the posts.  I'm not sharing it for praise (or indeed censure- though you are welcome to your opinions) but that the act of writing is a pause to think about a particular aspect of birth of Jesus and to use the gifts, skills or interests, whichever way you wish to look at it, to offer back.

This time last year, I heard a song called Mary did you know? which was used for the dancers for our Advent carol service at my old church.  This year we actually sang it for the carol service.  I remember thinking, "I like this song- I haven't written a song about Mary for my nativity, I will do that next year."  I even started writing some basic sketches for it in the Summer holidays this year, working out the first bit, the end and the basic accompaniment for the first bit. I recorded some of these improvisations and used these to begin typing up the notation for it into Sibelius, the music software I use.  But then I got stuck on the middle bit and abandoned it.

It came to October and I knew I had to get the song finished as I needed to be teaching it the first week back to my choir (this year, my song was a choir solo rather than the whole key stage.).
It was strange because I'd been stuck on the middle section but when I looked at the direct words from Luke's gospel, all of a sudden, I became unstuck and able to work it out.  Divine inspiration for sure!

My children learnt it really quickly and they really do sing out when singing it.
The last bit is sung as a solo by one child but alas, this recording was from when I hadn't chosen the soloist so it is all of them.
You can hear me singing it first and then you will hear my children singing it in the 2nd week of their learning it. They sing it much better now, 7 weeks on but I haven't had a chance to record them again.

Mary, you are chosen,

Mary, highly favoured,

Mary, you're the one.

Mary, be not afraid,

Mary, God with you,

Mary, chosen one.

You will be with child and give birth

To a son and name him Jesus

The son of the most high.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David.

And he will reign, his kingdom ever more.

Mary, the holy spirit will come upon you.

Nothing is impossible with God upon your side.

Oooh,

Oooh,

I am the Lord's servant, let it be to me as you have said.

(Words by chosen and adapted by me based on Luke's gospel. 

Melody and accompaniment by me.

Voices: Me and my children after.)

The words of this song are saying to me right now- Trust.  Trust that there is something better, that the bleakness of the past few days aren't the end, they can't be. That God is with us even at the hardest times and he calls our name and it's our choice whether we choose to hear or not. I trust, hope and pray for something better than this earthly existence.

This is my 3rd pause for Advent with Ang and co.

If you want to hear some of my songs from a few previous years (and don't feel obliged!), you can click these links to the posts:
The innkeepers rant
Feel the Christmas beat
Join in our story
Ring out the bells

Shepherds Swing

Love is all you need at Christmas time