Author Archives: Janet

December 22nd, O King of nations

On a clear day,
Maybe we could try some blue sky
Thinking about nations and kings.

Partitioning the globe,
Drawing lines on a map,
Invasion, conquest, uprising:
All of these and more
Feature in the formation
Of human notions of nations.

Kings have been crowned and beheaded,
Lauded and vilified, others abdicated.
If there’s a place where the ideas of human power
Meet and are found wanting it is here,
In the nexus of kings and nations.

Longed for One,
We want you
To transform our global glories,
Our personal power trips,
Our eutopian understandings
Of our common life.

There’s a place, O King of Nations,
Where we live together differently
Because your rule makes the difference
To life lived in the communion of love.
Even so come then Lord Jesus

In our life and our believing
The love of God

December 21st, O Dayspring

Go through the park, on into the town….

Before the light comes we are just shapes
In the darkness, feeling our way.
A wet nose touches my hand
To confirm this as a common path
For early morning companions.
Bare winter boughs are reflected
In leaf littered pond water.
The park gates keep the traffic out
As I step from one world to another.
In the underpass the same graffiti
Urges on one team or another.
The empty cardboard boxes
Have no occupant today.

The people of darkness are needing a friend….

Come then Dayspring,
Brightest of all lights.
Come to the park and the underpass.
Come to the commuters on the 8.08.
Come to our anxious minds and crowded lives.
Come to platforms both busy and bare.
Come through the grey and heavy air.

The light of the world is risen again….

The sky is touched by the first signs.
The bare branches whisper and sigh
Recognising the moment of miracle
And all the birds in every corner sing
To God, creator of the Universe:
Even so, come then Lord Jesus.

The sun still shines on it never goes down….

In our life and our believing

The love of God

Today’s reflection includes lines in italics from the hymn Colours of Day, 572 in Rejoice and Sing, by Sue McClellan, John Paculabo and Keith Rycroft.

December 20th, O Key of David

D for David, the Key of David,

Ray, a shaft of morning light,

Me, the one who needs the key,

Far, a long way out of sight,

So, I’m waiting here in hope,

La, I’ll sing a waiting song,

T, the first letter of Truth,

That will bring us back to D (for David).

Apologies for borrowing this idea from Rogers and Hammerstein!

December 19th, O Root of Jesse

Earth was the only meeting place….

Earth was the only meeting place for the work of toil and seed.
Earth was the only greeting place for the winged one and womankind.
Earth is the only dwelling place for those who search the skies.
Earth is the only birthing place where the newborn one cries.

From a root comes a shoot,
From a shoot comes a leaf,
From a leaf comes all life;
A miniscule molecule making energy from sunlight.

Come then, O Root of Jesse,
Come and be our Son-light,
Born of root and shoot,
Bursting from the earth
To fill the skies.

In our life and our believing
The Love of God

December 18th, O Lord

O Lord, O Lord, O Lord
Our common exhortation;
Save us, deliver us, help us.
O Lord, O Lord, O Lord
Save us from trivia,
Deliver us from lost deliveries,
Help us with our on line dilemmas.
O Lord, O Lord, O Lord,
Save us from the common place complaints,
Deliver from the frequent ditherings,
Help us to get in tune with you.
O Lord, O Lord, O, Lord
Save us, deliver us, help us.
Come down and meet us here.

In our coming and our going
The Peace of God.

December 17th: O Wisdom

Wisdom we need you,
to discern, to distinguish,
but not, as we fear, to judge.
We need to see you on street corners,
in supermarket aisles and at railways stations,
on motorways and in board rooms
in our homes and neighbourhoods.
O Wisdom, only you can help us
to discern the truth and face our fears.
In these days of untruth and of false news:
come to the rubble of the world’s conscience,
that we may distinguish truth
and follow the Way of Wisdom

In our life and our believing
The Love of God

Song for Aleppo

All of this term we have been thinking about Aleppo and the children living there under seige. Here is a song for Aleppo. Please sing it – the tune is Forest Green (the tune we use for O little town of Bethlehem). 

O broken city of Aleppo,
Before our eyes you die.
We see the dust we see the blood,
And hear your wretched cry.
But we are too distracted,
Can’t think of what to say;
We turn you off, we block you out;
Will you survive today?

O shattered city of Aleppo,
We hear your weeping still;
As bombs and bullets everywhere
Seek out children to kill.
We see your tweets and videos
Not sure what to believe;
But unlike you besieged, denied
We can turn off and leave.

O ruined city of Aleppo
For you I sing lament;
For you I pray now every day,
My intentions are well meant
For Christ was born in Bethlehem
Two thousand years ago,
But every day on your cruel streets
Children all hope forgo.

Copyright: Janet Lees
Tune: Forest Green
13.12.2016

 

…these roads we never planned to take

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This year I will be travelling as a Seeker with the Lay Community of St Benedict. My journey into Benedictine Spirituality began when in my middle 20’s I first visited the Abbey of St Mary’s West Malling, in Kent, which is a Benedictine community. There I was introduced to the Rule and the Hours and they became part of my journey, sometimes close, sometimes more distant companions.
I first read about the Lay Community of St Benedict in the summer when I was walking on the Cleveland Way. It started to pop up on my Twitter feed. Before that I’d taken a retreat in May with another Benedictine Community at Stanbrook Abbey in Wass, and felt a homecoming there. I therefore decided to explore this invitation to be a Seeker and began at the end of November (around my birthday).
The Lay Community is diverse and widespread, I am told. Here begins a year to discern whether my unlikely path merges with theirs. As a result of ‘joining up’ I now receive their regular verses for meditation. Today’s blog title is from the first one and the words are by Peter Millar of the Iona Community, so that is familiar company so far.
There are many roads in my life I never planned to take and I acknowledge the surprising wisdom I have so often encountered on these unlooked for paths. This week I have been ministered to by people of all ages and I have shared in that ministry with them as we fill our Advent cupboard and share our Advent worship, tell our personal stories and listen to each other, as we travel on together on roads we never planned to take.

In our coming and our going
The Peace of God

Growing in the dark

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Growing in the dark
almost silently;
reaching upwards,
like fingers snatching
for the tiniest thread of light.

Nurturing in the dark
tip-toeing gently;
new growth welcomed,
caressed with worn fingers,
lit by dripping candles.

Triangle God; Creator, Son and Spirit,
We pray for Rhubarb farmers,
working in the dark:
planting, nurturing and harvesting
the ruby red stems;
lighting their way with candles
in a secret liturgy;
toiling to bring to light
the scarlet treasure.
We are amazed by the transformation
from dry root stock to tasty foodstuff.
As you transform the rhubarb,
so change us, the rhubarb eaters,
to watch and wait
for the harvest time:
when it comes it takes all stalks.

Seen on a van in Wakefield: Honk if you like Rhubarb