You are all sons of light.
And sons of the day.
The evening cool was in sight.
And I took a walk around Thoresway.

What glorious open views.
The hills stretching far away.
Every shade of green and quiet to muse .
This is a place to pause , rest and stay.

And here waved the white poppy.
The last crop of barley and wheat .
Gently tramping the stubble , happy .
Far from the busy roads, a retreat .

Pausing to sense the wind through the crop.
Mindful only of the present moment, time to stop.

—-+++—-

Rest in the moment
Feel the quiet wind through the trees
No past or future

—-+++—-

See 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6,9-11

Be certain about those who have died.
So that you do not grieve for them.
No one has lied.
They have not gone, they will come.

Will I see my mother and father again.
Now they come only in dreams .
But one day I will see them without stain.
They will not be taken away by time’s flowing streams .

I pray that one day I may hear the trumpet of God
And hear the voice of the archangel.
Then we all will truly be awed.
And we will all have a chance to be an angel.

We will meet again , it is set.
But happily not quite yet.

—-+++—-

We will meet again
But happily not quite yet
In death not in life

—-+++—-

See 1 Thessalonians 4 : 13-18

Accept and submit to the word.
Which has been planted in you.
We ask ourselves if we have been heard.
Saying is there anything else we can do in lieu.

I try my best at mindfulness.
But on its own it seems a dead end.
And I am prone to restlessness.
I worry if my worries really are on the mend.

I prefer to meditate with a purpose.
And with the help of scripture.
I make spiritual gains as fast as a tortoise.
Either way contentment is the lure.

I’m not sure it’s enough to concentrate on the breathing.
For some time ,maybe quite soon , that will be ceasing.

—-+++—-

Be mindful surely
But not just of your breathing
But eternity

—-+++—-

See James: 1-17,21-22,27

Let the sea and all within thunder.
Let the rivers clap their hands.
Will the sails of our life be torn asunder.
Will we never reach calm lands.

The storm rises, the waves surge, will you live to tell the tale.
You can be filled with stress.
Or you can reef your sail.
You cannot control the waves or make them less.

You can sink beneath life’s wave.
Or you can ride it’s rage.
The sea does not consciously behave.
Stand still, close haul, head for port’s anchorage.

We cannot control what assaults the mind.
We just should not that much mind.

—-+++—-

We cannot control
The assaults on our own mind
We should just not care

—-+++—-

See Psalm 97

 
Let all the coastlands be glad.
The mountains melt like wax.
With such beauty all around we cannot be sad.
For he fills in all of nature’s cracks.

We need to rest awhile in this moment.
We may not have a distant view of mountains.
We may not be gazing at the ocean’s current.
We may just be staring at closed curtains.

But the beauty is here now.
In the stillness of our mind.
Long forgotten is any wearisome row.
So too the worried future , the daily grind.

The future is not yet gained, The past is lost.
But this present moment comes without cost.

——-+++—-

The past is now lost
The future is not yet gained
Livefor the present

—-+++—-

See Psalm 96

May the Lord make you love one another.
And the whole human race as much as we love you.
Our own self self regard is our own tether.
Apart from our families there are others too.

We love our children and grandchildren so much.
Why can we not love everybody like that.
I suppose it is about having a delicate sensibility and touch.
Of knowing where we truly are at.

Strange that last night I was dreaming this question.
Then today’s reading flagged it up.
It is often the way if we keep dreams in possession.
So with dreams we fill truth’s cup.

But to think we should do something.
Is a long way from doing anything.

—-+++—-

Trying to do it
Is a way from achievement
But we can still try

—-+++—-

See Thessalonians 3:7-13

If climb the heavens you are there.
If I lie in the grave you are there.
But He keep asking where is where.
Although I know you care.

If I say let the darkness hide me and light be night.
Even darkness is not dark for you, the night is as day .
In the impenetrable darkness around me I see your light.
When I say in despair I can’t, you say yes you may.

Last night I saw my body becoming bed ridden.
My mind sinking with untreatable dementia.
But I knew that life and health is not forbidden.
We are more than this, there is no need for hysteria.

So I will look to the early dawn’s glimmer.
It never fails to come ever brighter.

—-+++—-

The dawn never fails
However dark the night it comes
Whatever we say

—-+++—-

See Psalm 138

You will see heaven laid open.
And above the Son of Man, the angels ascending and descending.
Our dreams need never be broken.
We can come to terms with our ending.

We need not fear our end.
We will either be on the ladder.
Or we will be oblivious to our end.
We will certainly not be sadder.

I keep praying.
That I may believe that I too might touch the ladder.
So far no vision is appearing.
I will just have to accept being sadder.

But we live in hope.
And never say nope.

—-+++—-

We can only hope
That we do find a ladder
Not oblivion

—-+++—-

See John:45-51

We do not need to tell other people about it.
Other people tell how we started the work.
A flame has been lit.
That we cannot now shirk.

We should not agonise if this is all true.
For it certainly is right.
I think this much, we always knew.
That whatever is doubted we can see, dimly, the light.

The usual night time doubts swirled.
But I seemed to know the message all made sense.
And it bestrode the World.
In all the past, present and future tense.

So do not worry if it is all right.
Just accept the readings and keep them in sight.

—-+++—-

It does not matter
If it is all true or not
It just seems so right

—-+++—-

See Thessalonians 1: 1-5, 8-10

Husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies
For a man to love his wife is to love himself.
I often wonder if we are truly our own bodies.
I will not die, but was I actually here, what actually is the self.

Today I suddenly felt my body was here, but my true self was elsewhere.
We have these undefinable feelings.
For once we are free of the all consuming we’re.
That within us there are other hearings and seeings.

But we can recognise the other whom we love.
It is their inner not outer self.
We fit like a mystical glove.
And they are a reflection of our better self.

So to remain true.
Is life’s glue.

—-+++—-

Always remain true
You are then honest always
To you and to her

—-+++—-

See Ephesians 5:21-22

A son has been born for Naomi.
And they named him Obed.
When does one feel the most free.
When by the ever changing wind we are led.

I once had a boat called Naomi.
It was small and simple.
It lay beautifully to the wind’s Lee.
On the great sea , it was a mere passing dimple.

Why do we always want something bigger, better.
Why not be satisfied with what we have.
The lesser is usually the greater.
We are what we calve.

And the women said to Naomi,that sage.
The child will be a comfort to you and a prop of your old age.

—-+++—-

Just be satisfied
The lesser is the greater
And then brings true joy.

—-+++—-

See Ruth:1-3,8-11,4:13-17

Wherever you go I will go, wherever you live I will live.
Your people will be my people and your God my God.
Are we prepared ourselves to strive.
Will we have cared enough before we are put under the sod.

When an ‘Inspector calls’ as in the play.
Will we pass muster.
Will we hide our responsibility , what will we say.
Are we not all responsible, we will be found, we cannot scatter.

When yesterday I saw it on television.
I was transfixed by the play’s drama.
I realised how lacking we all are in vision.
We all contribute to the World’s trauma.

If people work for us in a dangerous country.
We cannot say we are another country.

—-+++—-

Another Country
Is also our country too
We are one country

—-+++—-

See Ruth1:3-6,14-16,22

Go to the crossroads.
Invite anyone you can find to the wedding.
Of our own making we make heavy loads.
Throughout our lives we are merely dreading.

We may be the last to receive an invitation.
But it will come anyway.
We just need patience, our train will arrive at the station.
Even if by then we’ve gone grey.

But we had better have the right wedding clothes.
Or we could be thrown out.
So be prepared , who knows.
It won’t last for ever, this drought.

And meanwhile accept those invitations.
They may have interesting foundations.

—-+++—-

Invitations
May after all be useful
So accept many

—-+++—-

See Matthew 22: 1-14

And the thorn bush answered the trees.
Come and shelter in my shade.
Often the most humble can give us life’s keys.
While greater trees, the fig, the olive and the vine have strayed.

Thus the last will be first.
And the first last.
Even the thorn bush can slake our thirst.
With the humble we can break our fast.

But we are full of resentment..
For those who put in less effort.
And get more contentment.
They do better, we think we are better.

Maybe we should not care so much.
And not worry if we are a soft touch.

—-+++—-

Why this resentment
Why not take it in our stride
Let them do better

—-+++—-

See Judges 9 6-15
Matthew 20:1-16

Peace be with you.
Have no fear, you will not die.
But perceptibly fear grew for you.
We are afraid, we cannot lie.

We are afraid of so many things.
We are wary of spouse or boss being cross
We are scared when time rings.
We are terrified of any loss.

We while away the long hours at night.
We realise everything has its terrors.
And they appear constantly in sight.
They seem encased in never ending mirrors.

But if we try and keep the Lord in sight.
Out of darkness appears new light.

—-+++—-

The terror of night
Is dissipated by light
It is then the Lord

—-+++—-

See Judges 6:11-24

If you wish to be perfect.
Go and sell what you own.
It’s a lot harder to give than collect.
Not to see everything we give as a loan.

The commandments are possible.
Save this, the hardest.
It is perhaps all too biblical.
It’s all too easy to lose our zest.

Like the young man.
We go away sad.
It is just too short, our span.
Even if we never actually go bad.

But we can try a little.
And not allow ourselves to be too brittle.

—-+++—-

Give away our all
The most difficult of all
But we can just try

—-+++—-

See Matthew 18:19-22

A great sign appeared.
A woman clothed with the sun.
After this nothing is to be feared.
Is victory won.

We are told she was raised up bodily.
So our body is al important.
We should respect it fully.
But we ask, will it rise up , we are expectant.

Help me to have faith and not to be fazed.
That you Lord may be believed.
That my body too will be raised.
And everything will be retrieved.

Meanwhile help me to just plod on.
Hoping with belief in a new dawn.

—-++—-

is the body raised up

It is a matter of faith
You have it or not

—-+++—-

See Apocalypse 11:19,12 :1-6,10

O God who filled your priest Kolbe.
With love of neighbour .
Help us to obey.
That we too for others might Labour.

We do not know how we would act .
When and if the test comes .
All the future is barely drawn , abstract .
We are not yet called by fates’ drums.

Would we step up for another.
Would we give our life away.
Would we even stand by our brother.
That question can only be for another day.

All we can do now is persevere.
And hope one day all will be clear.

—-+++—-

We will never know
If we would be a martyr
But does it matter

—-+++—-

See the Collect of the day

When you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho.
Those who held Jericho fought against you.
As I drove past the town it was merely a distant echo.
Memories and views sank and grew.

Like them I live in towns I near built.
I drink wine from vineyards I never planted.
All their work now reduced to silt.
Like them little of my work has counted.

But one thing subsists.
the love of our Union.
Nothing resist.
This dominion.

Echoes rebound.
And never are bound.

—-+++—-

At the end of life
All save love is lost in time .
Only love survives

—-+++—-

See Joshua 24:1-13 and Matthew 19 :3-12

 
The waters of the Jordan will be stopped in their course.
And stand still in one mass.
Then indeed did they lose all remorse.
All of Israel could cross in one great mass .

I have stood by the Jordan.
It is so narrow you could wade across.
It is not the river that stops us, but man.
O that we create these barriers to our loss.

If only we could learn to forgive a wrong.
Not seven times but seventy seven you say.
Now the journey from Jerusalem to Amman would not be long.
But wire barriers stand in the way.

One day peace that makes us one people will be met.
But sadly not yet.

—-+++—-

Forgive all our wrongs
Seventy times not seven
But first it needs peace

—-+++—-

See Joshua 3: 7-11,13-17

Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah.
And the Lord showed him the whole land.
Here even today you can see far.
The view drops into endless sand.

Often in our own wilderness we can see a great distance.
But all we perceive in our mind’s eye is endless desert.
Of our blighted view we can make no sense.
No grinding perplexity can we avert.

Others may take the road happily forwards.
We are condemned to be buried here, we deplore.
We regret we were such a coward.
We could have achieved so much more.

But Moses for all his faults achieved so much.
We too can do a little with the help of his touch .

—-+++—-

Despite all our faults
We can  too achieve so much
No need for regrets

[See Deuteronomy 34:1-12]

Thin sowing means thin reaping.
The more you sow the more you reap.
Giving is as good as keeping.
If we give there is no need to weep.

Every time we die we live a little more.
Every time we lose a little we gain a little more.
When we fall we rise higher than before.
Dying is returning to our core.

The wheat grain dies.
It lives again.
They are not in vain ,our cries.
They remove every bane .

So we need not fear death.
It is just new breath.

——+++—-

Death is not the end
It is just the beginning
Of exciting new life

——++++—-

See John12:24-26

I am going to lead her out into the wilderness.
Then she will respond to me as she did when she was young.
All will no longer be emptiness.
No longer will he feel the hurt, no longer will it be sung.

Hosea felt betrayed by she whom he loved.
But he returned again and again to his betrothed.
He knew that fortitude was needed.
He was prepared to welcome back his beloved.

He looked at her with justice and integrity.
With love and tenderness.
Despite all prosperity and adversity.
He ignored all love’s numbness.

What an example to follow.
True love need never feel hollow.

——+++—-

True love is justice
Fortitude integrity
And true tenderness

——+++—-

See Hosea 2:16,17,21-22

O Lord, I have had enough.
Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors.
Sometimes everything seems irredeemably tough.
We have no faith even in our elders.

As the long dark night passed.
And the problems mounted.
I thought of those who had lost the passed.
How little compared to them have my worries counted.

Nothing lasts for one.
All bread goes stale.
Save one.
And that never goes stale.

So, despite the past, we surely can cope.
Because in the future we can hope.

……….

The past then is gone
And now the future beckons
And one bread then lasts

………..,

See 1 Kings 19: 4-8

Faithless and perverse generation.
How much longer must I be with you.
So are we condemned to damnation.
I can only say if only I knew.

So last night the usual doubts and fears were worrying around.
There are the long and the short type.
The years long regrets abound.
The short term irritations all too ripe.

And then in the dark my mental eye saw a light.
I focussed on it alone and just the present.
The doubts disappeared out of sight.
Few had ever given me a better present.

Perhaps our happiness is just down here and now to us.
Like faith a little would move mountains, we make so much fuss.

Haiku

In the long dark night
I try to focus on light
Happiness is now

[See Matthew 17:1,4-20]