Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth.
And dies, it remains alone.
But if it dies in dearth.
It bears much fruit to atone.

Whoever loves his life, loses it.
And whoever hates his life.
Will keep it.
For eternal life.

We know this .
We try to follow it.
But do we do this.
Or follow it.

For we love this life.
Perhaps we should think of the next life

….

Whoever loves life
Will not have eternal life
Or that’s what we’re told

…..

See John 12: 24-26

The boat by this time.
Was a long way from land.
We are done with our prime.
Our life pouring out like mere sand.

Then we see our Saviour
Walking on water.
We are terrified, what are we here for.
Is this really to be our guide for ever.

We try to do the same.
We sink.
We do not have true faith in his name.
And slide gently into the angry drink.

He holds out his helping hand.
And we are saved only by his hand.

…..

We see him walking
We sink if we try the same
But his hand is there

……

See Mathew 24:  22-33

If you have faith , like a grain of mustard seed.
You will say to this mountain move from here to there.
And it will move, what a deed.
You would never fear.

But it’s faith we lack.
Certainty we question.
Pulled on doubt’s painful rack.
Open to any new suggestion.

Jesus told us the mountain will move.
And that nothing will be impossible to you.
We have really nothing to prove.
If only we knew.

But deep in our hearts we do know.
So we never need to be low.

..  ….

If you just have faith
Just like a mustard’s seed grain
You will move mountains

… .

See Mathew 17: 14-20

If anyone would come after me
Let him deny himself.
Take up his cross and follow me.
Forgetting the ego self.

For whoever would save his life.
Will lose it.
But whoever for my sake loses his life.
Will find it.

The choice is a simple one.
Do we think of ourselves .
Or of the one.
And so forget ourselves.

A simple choice.
But an almost next to impossible choice.

…. …

Whoever saves his life
Will most certainly lose it
We all have that choice

……..

See Mathew 16: 24-28

He was transfigured.
And his face shone like the sun.
This man, soon to die, disfigured.
But everything would eventually be won.

A voice said this is my beloved son.
With you I am well pleased.
Listen to my son.
By God conceived.

And us, do we listen.
To the son.
Do we hasten.
To one transfigured like the sun.

Is this event absolutely extraordinary.
So completely out of the ordinary.

…..

He was transfigured
A quite amazing event
Will we now listen

……

See Mathew 17: 1-9

O woman great is your faith.
Be it done for you as you desire.
I wish I had that sort of faith.
And that my soul was on fire.

But I am full of doubting
Questioning.
But hoping.
And seeking .

We are like the Canaanite woman.
Falling on our knees
Woman or man.
Filling prayers with our pleas.

One day soon we will know the answer.
But we fear, at night, will there be an answer.

…..

Like the Canaanite
We fall praying to our knees
Seeking an answer

…..

See Mathew 15: 21-28

It is not what goes into the mouth.
That defiles a man.
But what comes out of the mouth.
That defiles a man.

What do we say.
Are we kind
Thoughtful, troubles to lay.
Do we mind.

Rather than our own personal war do we think of peace.
Are we too often thinking of ourselves.
Rather than argue, understand without cease.
Do we concern ourselves with yourselves.

But if our mouth speaks wrong.
At least we try to sing our own song.

…..

What goes into mouth
Is of little importance
It is what comes out

…..

See Mathew 15

Jesus came to them walking on the sea.
But when the disciples saw him.
Walking easily on the sea.
They were terrified to see him.

How would we react.
Would we try like Peter to do the same and sink.
Would our faith remain intact.
Would we achieve the spiritual link.

Would he say to us.
O you of little faith.
Would we acquiesce or make a fuss.
Our belief no more than a sinking wraith.

Why, he asks, do we doubt.
Or just blackout.

……

Walking on water
Jesus then comes towards us
And we’re terrified

……

See Mathew 14: 22-36

Jesus said, they need not go away.
You can give them something to eat.
For what do we pray.
Do we turn expectantly to his spirit seat.

Do we ask just for bread.
And some fish.
Or to the spiritual, have we fled.
What is our true wish.

With his bread we never hunger.
With his wine we never thirst.
We need fear no longer.
For we know what comes first.

It is that first communion.
Now with him we are in union.

……

Where is our hunger
And then for what do we thirst
For we must answer

…….

See Mathew  14:: 13-21

John’s disciples came and buried the body.
And they told Jesus about it.
What we ask will happen to our body.
Will Jesus accept and recognise it.

When the moment comes.
Will we be ready.
How will they add up our life’s sums.
Have we thought about it already.

We do not know the answer.
But it is there waiting.
We are just the dancer.
Expecting and hoping.

It be be sudden or slow.
We just do not know.

….,,,

How will our death come
We may not have an idea.
But we are ready

.. ….

See Mathew 14: 1-12

A prophet is not without honour.
Except in his home town and in his own household.
How can we avoid dishonour.
Of what virtue can we keep hold.

And he did not do many mighty deeds there.
Because of their disbelief.
But we need not fear.
For we have belief.

They may not recognise us.
They did not believe him
They may spurn us.
They expelled him

But we will believe.
And we will receive.

….

He’s not recognised
Because he’s in his country
And we are the same

….

See Mathew 13: 54-58

Behold like the clay in the potter’s hand.
So are you in my hand.
Our life flows out like sand.
But we remain in his parkland.

He reworked the clay into another vessel.
As it seemed good to the potter to do.
He shapes us with his loving pestle.
The many unworthy and the worthy few.

Of course we are no more than clay.
Worked by someone else.
We are just a passing instant in the sun’s ray.
No more and no less.

But this clay is unique and loved.
And never abandoned, beloved.

……

We are potter’s clay
Reworked by the holy hand
But a loving hand

…….

See Jeremiah 18: 1-6

I am the Resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me though he die.
Shall have life.
What amazing news , we shall never die.

We know this phrase so well.
But every time it strikes home.
We now know where we will ultimately dwell.
And where happily our soul will roam.

We question.
And we worry.
But there is no need for any other suggestion.
No need for the mind ceaselessly to hurry.

Do we believe Jesus’ promise.
It is the only worthwhile promise.

……

He’s Resurection
And he is eternal life
No other question

…..

See John 11: 19-27

Do not remember against us.
The guilt of former times.
We just ask for hope to value the plus.
So we can may value even the smallest dimes.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us.
For we have been brought very low.
Please pray for us.
So that we may just swim with the flow.

Free us O Lord.
For the glory of your name.
We know we can do nothing without you Lord.
We just try to keep alive our spirit’s flame.

We ask nothing more.
Knowing Lord you have unlocked eternity’s door.

……

Please lord forgive us
For we just cannot do more
We have tried our best

…….

See Psalm 79

The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed.
That a man took and sowed in his field.
From this what can we read.
We will survive if to God’s will, we yield.

It is the smallest of all the seeds.
But when grown, it becomes a tree.
Larger than all the other plants and reeds.
Where birds can flock to its lea.

From this what can we learn.
That there is hope in the smallest.
For what then should we yearn,
Perhaps to be the humblest.

Into that small seed.
Everything we can read.

……

The small mustard seed
Grows into a mighty tree
And we will aswell

……

See Matthew 13: 31- 35

The kingdom of heaven.
Is like treasure hidden in a field.
Which a man found as in heaven.
In his joy, he sells all and buys that field.

Have we found our pearl of great value.
Have we sold everything and bought it.
Is it the eternal that we value.
Have we valued it.

What else matters.
The rest is dross.
That dies and scatters.
With no great loss.

We are searching for now that field.
And wondering what of the forever it will yield.

……

Have we found that pearl
Have we sold all and bought it.
For we must answer

……

See Matthew 13: 44-52

So death is at work  in us.
But life in you.
Please pray for us
As we pray for you

St James’ memorial.
Is the first great pilgrim path.
We can walk it from fell to fell.
Or search our own way to free us of all wrath.

We are all weary pilgrims .
Seeking our own imperfect way .
Casting aside worldly emblems.
Working out what to do and say.

We ponder, is it the right path.
Whatever it is, it will be the right path.

….

Death is at work now
But there is life too in us
It’s eternal life

……

See 2 Corinthians 4: 7-15

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom.
And does not understand it.
The evil one does come.
And snatches away it.

This is what was sown.
On the path.
Our fate is sown.
But who knows our path.

As for what was sown on good earth.
This is the one who hears the word and understands it.
Are we sown on good earth.
And the word, do we understand it.

Where are we sown.
Ah, all that is an unknown.

…….

Where then are we sown
Is it on the path or earth
We just do not know

……

See Mathew 13: 18-23

I am the true vine.
And my father is the vine  dresser.
He keeps us in the celestial line.
And for that we are the no lessor.

We are not on our own.
We are merely the many leaves.
He is our root though barely known.
And we will be gathered up in sheaves.

One day after reaping and stacking.
In the book we will be entered
Our faults held up for numbering.
In the celestial field , stood up and judged.

As the farmer says for stooking.
Before threshing and sorting.

……

We will be gathered
Held upright for our reaping
And the at last judged

……

See John 15: 1-8

On my bed at night.
I sought him whom my soul loves.
Endlessly praying, seeking the light.
Dead end thinking in droves.

I sought him whom my soul loves.
I sought him but found him not.
Thought racing , seeking celestial doves.
Trying to untie the doubting knot.

We are praying.
And we are seeking.
Meditating.
Partly understanding.

Yet still in our heart we know he is thinking.
Caring and listening.

…….

On our bed at night
We seek him whom our soul loves
We pray he’s listening

….  …

See Song of Solomon 3 : 1-4

Shepherd your people, Lord with your staff.
The flock of your inheritance.
He does everything on our behalf.
Against all happenstance.

Do we follow.
His call comes gently in the night.
When all else seems hollow.
Here is hope’s flickering light.

His word, we barely hear.
But it is there.
All can be clear.
Banishing all fear .

But do we listen.
To this salvation do we hasten.

….

Shepherd your people
Flock of your inheritance
Salvation for all

….

See Micah 7

An evil generation seeks a sign

An evil generation seeks a sign
But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
We ourselves ceaselessly seek a sign.
Although we travel far.From Plato onwards we ask.
Is there an immortal soul.
In his Meno that is his task.
Socrates poses the learner’s paradox but we do have a soul.

Jonah was three nights in the belly of the sea.
So will the Son of Man be three nights in the earth.
Can we not see.
We will emerge from the earth.

So we search with philosophy.
But we cannot learn everything from philosophy or chemistry.

……

We all seek a sign
Will a sign be given us
We just have to hope

……

See Mathew 12 : 38-41

The man who sows the good seed.
Is the son of man.
Do we follow his lead.
Whatever is our span.

The field is the world.
And the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.
We  plough our own furrough in that world.
As we seek the only everlasting kingdom.

The weeds are the sons of the evil one.
And the enemy who sowed them is the devil.
We just have to resist that one and turn to the one.
We will defeat the devil.

…..

Who sows the good seed
It is the true son of man
We follow his lead

…..

See Mathew 13: 24-33

A Bruised reed he will not break.
And a smouldering wick he will not quench.
Until he brings justice to victory for our sake.
And in his name, hope for the gentiles he will not quench.

We are that bruised reed.
And that smouldering wick.
He is always there when we are in need.
Or when we are lonely or sick.

He will proclaim justice for the gentiles.
He will not quarrel or cry aloud.
And we are those gentiles.
Just part of his saved forever crowd.

He will mend us.
And enlighten us.

….

We are that bruised reed
And we’re that smouldering wick
And he will save us

…..

See Matthew 12: 14-21

His disciples were hungry.
And they plucked ears of corn to eat.
Are we spiritually hungry.
Where will we find our true and final seat.

Look, said the Pharisees.
Your disciples are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath.
Are we those judging like the Pharisees.
Saying what can and cannot be done on the Sabbath.

Better to be kind.
And loving.
Forgiving not blind.
Accepting.

We should give mercy .
As we desire mercy.

….

Are we really kind
And then truly merciful
Or do we just judge

….

See Matthew 12: 1-8