Awesome

In college prayers last week we were asked to write about the awesomeness of God. Here were my thoughts

How do you begin to describe the indescribable?
Can you speak of the length of the one who goes on forever?
Can you fathom the depths of the fathomless?
How can you explain the love of the one who is Love?
Is it possible to tell of the deeds of the ageless one or contemplate the creator of the world and all that is in it?
What is it to say that God is this or that, when he is always more, always beyond. Yet to say he is always more, always beyond is just as inadequate, as he is always close always near.
How do you begin to describe the indescribable?

OAP in need of ASBO

Over the Easter weekend we went with my 12 year old son and 9 year daughter out for lunch. It was great place with a large conservatory and plenty of tables outside. Being a sunny day we decided to eat outside. The children and I went in to get a menu and my son took one out to Lori, the sliding door he tried shut on the way bounced back and was left half open. After looking at the specials board an older very posh lady completely started on me complaining my children had no manners, and left the door open (bear in mind she was sitting in a conservatory and it was 20 degrees outside) I explained my son was not rude had very good manners and if she had asked him to shut the door he would have done so. I was told “don’t even bother, do you not know how to bring up children!” I started to reply arguing that my children had good manners, but she cut me off saying “don’t bother, go away you silly man” I stood there partly in shock, and said I was going no where. So stood there for a while whilst she grumbled and moaned at me some more.

Standing in line to get the food a older couple came up to me and said, ” your children were not impolite in the slightest and it is grumpy old people like that – that give us a bad name” Several other older people in the conservatory tried to protest to her that she had been unreasonable. A few even came outside to eat as the that atmosphere she exuded was so negative.

On leaving I wished I had taken a photo of her as I thought we could start a website titled “Is this the grumpiest person in Britain”El cártel full

Easter Saturday Loneliness

After Good Friday how did the disciples cope? For us we know how the story ends, the hope of Easter Sunday. We tend to focus on the confusion and expectancy after the women have been to the tomb and discovered the body missing. Yet the in between period and turmoil must have been terrible, how do you cope after the expectancy of the previous three years, walking and talking with Jesus? Every time you see bread or wine, what is going through your mind, does it help when it seems your world has just come apart?

Trying to reflect on this in between time is hard. A way in is to try and imagine the disciples scattering after the arrest, and that feeling of loneliness. Most of us will have experienced loneliness from time to time but this must have been a loneliness of body, mind and spirit. A loneliness not just of missing the physical presence of a friend, but a loneliness of mind as all the thoughts and expect ions have gone and loneliness of spirit when God is distant or even seen to have died.

Rohtenburg

Forgive us

When we betray you, we betray ourselves.
Forgive us

Every time we allow another person to belittle us, patronise us and walk all over us, we betray you.

Every time we put ourselves down, think negative thoughts about ourselves and criticize ourselves, we betray you.

Every time we see injustice and deceit and lies and remain silent we betray you.

Everytime we scuttle past the street dwellers feeling embarrassed and avoid the big issue sellers because we are in a hurry, we betray you. When we give no eye contact to those who hold out their hands for money, when we de-humanise people, we betray you.

Whenever we side with the powerful over the powerless and the articulate over those with no words, we betray you .

Whenever we choose to remain silent in the midst of injustice, whenever we are passive when faced with destructive behaviour, whenever we close our eyes to the pain of the other – we betray you.

When we laugh at others misfortune and judge and criticise those who don’t come up to our standards – we betray you.

Everytime we vote for violence over peace and justice – we betray you.

Forgive us and help us to forgive ourselves
Help us let others go and let ourselves off the hook
Enable us to lose life and find that which is more precious.Clue ipod