Pilgrim

The theme today is part of a series focusing on stewardship and in particular today we have been thinking about giving with generosity.   Today the focus is Money.   One of those taboo subjects really.   I don’t know about you, but I was always bought up to believe that it was a tad rude perhaps to talk to people about their finances.   Well, it may be personal, but it seems to me that this country has recently suffered quite a bit due to poor awareness of some simple financial management.   So much so that there are now courses on how to budget our personal finances. When I realised that I was due to speak on this, I must admit that my first reaction was abject horror.   After all, I don’t really like Money.   So I stopped and I listened.   I listened to people and I listened to God. I prayed.   As an individual, I have nothing good really to say about the subject, and I know for sure that I can’t stand here being true to myself and to ...

Come O Holy Spirit Come Come into this darkest core Take me up to light sublime To the place that Jesus saw Come O Holy Spirit come Come to where the pain does groan Heal us, mend us, Spirit sublime Grant to us thy sweet shalom Come O Holy Spirit Come Come to where my spirit moans Touch my Heart O lord of Light Light my flame in radiant tones Come O Holy Spirit Come Take me to your perfect home Show me how to love and care For Jesus who gives life alone Come O Holy Spirit Come With the Father and Jesus in high triune Tame me by my hand so small Let me taste they sweetest dew © Colin Waldock

Thunder clouds loom Threatening, enveloping Injured children in fear crouch down Fear of death consumes God’s chosen Darkness surrounds the righteous Clouds suffocate the children A church quakes and reels People are lost Where are you O God Lightning fractures the sky Hail batters the ground Rocks fail, earth splits Edifices fall Have you forsaken us O God As all else is reeling A cross stands true Testament to love Foundational; enduring God bursting through A rising church Children healed Resurrection in action New Faith, new life Immanuel, God is here

The Lord is my saviour, I shall not hide he saves me from my nightmares, my self doubt, my anxiety. From demons in the night, from destruction of anger, mistrust and fear. He is the restorer of my soul He guides me through the darkness of my mind. Even though I still get scared, even though I sometimes find it hard to pray. He provides me with all I need. He sends Angels to walk by my side and fills me with his Spirit. I fear no evil when God is with me, holding me in his arms, surrounding me with his love. Surely I will rest in the wings of the Lord, my saviour all the days of my life.

A psalm for Today The Lord cries out “Have you forgotten me? Have you forgotten justice, righteousness and love Where are you going? Some of you have an obsession with guns And you act surprised when young men lay dead on your streets, or a child kills a teacher by accident These are consequences of an inability to walk with me Selfishness, nationalism and anger breed extremism You kill those unlike yourselves Borders are argued over; killed over. You kill in my name. You drag my name in the gutter, depositing your sin on me You extremists, your activities are repugnant to me You Fundamentalists, you make me want to cry out in frustration You are all so full of your own ego I know longer recognise you You call out Lord, Lord but I don’t know you. Stop the Killing, do you think I want sacrifice Stop the Killing, I want justice peace and honesty I spread my arms in the gutter for you once Absorbing all your hate and vile You don’t ne...