They went in

It was simple enough.
It was a ‘come in’ kind of place:
Homely, warm, gently buzzing.
So they went in.
After all they’d been in other places,
Scarier, less welcoming.
Places where you got questioned
About everything:
Where did you come from?
How did you get here?
Why have you come?
What do you want?
So they went in.
There was a baby
And like most babies,
It was the centre of attention.
It was sign, they said.
We’ve bought gifts, they said.
And eventually,
We’ll go back another way, they said,
Backing out slowly,
Not making a fuss.
Like they went in.

Welcoming One, may we also come in to your presence,
Homemaker, may we be welcoming too.
Manger Babe, may we bring others to the light and joy of your love.
Help us to remember that a welcome is not just for Epiphany,
And on the streets and beaches of this land may we be the welcomers.

JAL 06.01.2019
Feast of Epiphany

Living water

The water is alive!
See how it flows,
Hear how it whispers and roars!
After a summer of dwindling,
Seeping away, slowly sinking,
Now rain raises it up,
Brown and white, foaming and vigorous.
This valley is marked by it
As it both stills and flows,
Moving on to give life to other places.

May we be like the living water.
As you raise us up, enliven us,
By your Spirit, to share life and renew
Our communities with hope and love.

JAL 05.01.2019

Lost

You can get lost in a temple
Or anywhere at all.
You can wander about for a few days
Or much, much longer
Until the story comes back to you.
Then you remember
Your place in God’s kindom
And you set off again,
Firmer, clearer, resolved.

JAL 04.01.2019

It seems that if you use a printed lectionary the story of the Lost Jesus only comes up once every three years, whereas it comes up quite often in the Remembered Bible.