The light shines in the darkness.
And the darkness has not overcome it.
It shines and dispels all emptiness.
An eternal lamp is lit.

I stood by the running chalk stream.
Its notes quietly ringing.
An infinite consciousness stream.
The sound tingling, burbling.

In the city you do not see this light.
Running yet still, mindful.
Reflecting the pale winter twilight.
Calming , soulful.

The stream endlessly carries on.
We, we hope, endlessly carry on.

…..

The stream carries on
And we, we hope carryon
To light from twilight

……

See John 1: 1-18

The child grew and became strong.
Filled with wisdom and the favour of God.
It is for him that we long.
We search for him as God.

During the night I was filled with doubts.
How could a man be God.
Where were my spiritual lights.
Who , what is God.

I woke and I knew.
God is love.
For the many and not just the fervent few.
Love never dies , he is alive.

All through the long night I kept repeating.
God is love, God is love repeating.

…..

How do we know God
God is love, he is just love
Keep repeating it

….

See Luke 2: 36-40

Let the greatest among you become the youngest.
And the leader the one who serves.
Thus we value the least.
With the lowest reserves.

I woke in the night feeling a failure.
But our religion congratulates success.
But values failure.
And does not  worry about success.

Four centuries apart, two royal Henrys.
Two Thomas’.
Two over powerful Henry’s.
Two honest to themselves Thomas’.

Who were the greater.
We know who were the lesser.

……

Thomas and Henry
One powerful one humble
We know the greater

…..

See Colossians 1: 24-29

Whoever honours his father.
Atones for his sins.
God the son and Father.
Together take away our sins.

I have always wondered how Jesus could be God.
But in my dream I saw him not as God on earth but in Heaven.
He really is man and God.
Man on earth , God in heaven.

In my dream my doubts lifted.
I believed without question.
It was if I had never doubted.
There was only faith without question.

Like Joseph in dreams, we see the truth.
Because during the day, activities bury the truth.

…..

In dreams Joseph was warned
We must listen to our dreams
Is an angel there.

……

See Sirach 3

Beloved that which was from the beginning.
Which we have heard.
Which we have seen from the beginning.
Which we have touched with our hands and not just heard.

The life was made manifest.
And we have seen it.
And proclaim to you the eternal life made manifest.
And we testify to it.

We proclaim to you the eternal life.
Which was with the Father.
Now we ourselves hope for eternal life.
And we seek it with son and Father.

We follow St John.
And we know our inspiration is St John.

……

From the beginning
The word was made manifest
Our inspiration

….

See 1 John 1: 1-4

Be a rock of refuge for me.
For you are my rock.
A mighty stronghold to save me.
An everlasting rock.

Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven.
And saw the glory of God.
We search heaven.
Our only wish to see God.

Behold he said , I see the heavens opened.
And the son of man standing at the right side of God.
Will we ever see for us heaven opened.
Will we come face to face with God.

That is our only hope.
And what a hope .

….

He saw heaven  lit
Will we have the same vision
That’s our only hope

….

See Acts 6

How beautiful upon the mountains.
Are the feet of him who brings good news.
We tread wearily our own spiritual mountains.
Spreading in a small way our own good news.

Christmas is not just one day.
A day of  family celebration.
It is a day for every day.
A perpetual annunciation.

We can be joyous.
It will never end.
The light remains perpetually luminous.
To the universe’s end.

The saviour is born.
We will be reborn.

….

We can be joyous
For this  day will never end
It’s perpetual

….

See Isaiah 52: 7-10

And you child shall be called the prophet of the most high.
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.
This truth is certain, it is no lie.
We bask in his son’s rays.

This glorious hymn of Zachariah.
Fills us with confidence.
Now we can play our part in this drama
With hope inspiring ebullience.

We have our part to play.
We are an actor in this story
We too can prepare the way.
Step by step, story by story.

We are here.
We need have no fear.

….

This child the prophet
A light to the nations
We have a part too

….

See Luke 1: 67- 79

The time came for Elizabeth to give birth.
And she bore a son.
Today’s we celebrate John’s birth.
Tomorrow evening God’s son.

They would not accept Zachariah’s choice for name.
Just as they what not accept all his son’s preaching.
But he has won immortal fame.
By his foretelling.

I could not hear all of the sermon.
But no matter.
I got the sense of preparing the way, Amen.
And does much else matter.

John cried out in the wilderness.
And we will emerge from whatever is our own wilderness.

…….

Elizabeth birthed
And she bore a son called John
Precursor saviour

….

See Luke 1 : 57-66

O King of nations.
And Cornerstone of the church.
We are from all nations.
In his one church.

Come and save humanity.
From whom you formed the clay.
Let us then cherish all humanity.
That’s all we really need to say.

I was in a packed country church.
At their annual Carol service.
Perhaps cultural Christianity, but all part of our search
A moving beautiful service.

Every service has value.
And this we can value.

….

O king of nations
And cornerstone of the church
Dave humanity

……

See Today’s Gospel acclamation. Rex Gentium

When Joseph woke from his sleep he did as the angel commanded.
He took his wife.
We too are commanded.
To seek new life.

I woke from my dream.
And realised I just needed to pray.
I do so as I dream.
But during the day I hardly ever pray.

I just sat back.
And thought of God.
Inspiration, I did not lack.
There is a whole universe in God.

He need not be nowhere.
In our prayers he can be everywhere.

….

We just have to pray
All day and at any time
We just have to pray

….

See Matthew 1: 18-25

O key of David and sceptre of Israel.
You who open and nobody then can close.
Of long lineage royal.
Thus the truth shows.

Come and lead the captive from prison.
Free those who sit in darkness.
He is risen.
There will be no more emptiness.

I sat by the darkening winter lake.
In the utter solitude of nature.
Wondering what one can do for his sake.
It is prayer, there is nothing greater.

David’s key can open.
We can open.

……

The key of David
Can open and it can close
It is eternal.

…..

See Todays Anthiphon from Vespers

O stock of Jesse.
Who stand as a sign of the nations.
God exists, the translation of Jesse.
His son David, inspiration of nations.

Before whom kings fall silent.
Whom the peoples acclaim.
Our faith keeps us resilient.
Surely our hopes are not lame.

I sat alone in the church silent.
What was this together joyful feeling.
Why did I feel more resilient.
Was I closer  to heaven and earth’s ceiling.

Come stock of Jesse to us.
Deliver us.

…..

O stock of Jesse
Come to us, deliver us
That is what we pray

…….

See O radix Jesse . An Antiphon at Vespers before Christmas

Behold the days are coming.
When I shall raise up for David a righteous branch.
His reign will be never ending.
Leading to a spiritual avalanche.

I sat in the church looking quietly
At the winter sun through the window.
Just looking meditately.
If I concentrated, I could not be low.

The branch was moving.
Amid an orange glow.
The winter sun shining.
No, I could not be low.

Here is stillness.
Quietness.

……

The days are coming
A righteous branch raised up
Our eternal king

……

See Jeremiah 23: 5-8

In his days justice shall flourish
And great peace for ever.
There is always something to cherish.
We never say never.

May the mountain bring forth peace for the people.
And the hills bear peace in uprightness.
We are those people.
And we walk forward in hopefulness.

May he defend the poor of the people.
And save the children of the needy.
That is all who ask amongst the people.
On behalf of all the needy.

In his days justice shall flourish.
And great peace until the moon is no more shall flourish.

….

Justice shall flourish
Great peace until there is no moon
And peace shall flourish

..  ….

See Psalm 72

Which of the two sons did the will of the father.
They said the one who repented, the first.
Can we try and see further.
For what do we really should thirst.

I now believe, there has to be a first mover.
It can only be spirit , not physical.
It is God the Son and Father.
Not temporal , eternal.

Our soul is spirit.
Our body is mortal.
It is now hidden our soul, our spirit.
Holy , pre ordained, loved , eternal.

Only spirit can unite with spirit.
But God and our soul are both spirit.

….

Who’s the first mover
It can only be spirit
That’s what we call God

…..

See Matthew 21: 28-32

 

 

 

He knows the knowledge of the most high.
Who sees the vision of the almighty.
We pray, we sigh.
Where is he , is he not mighty.

I was at  a funeral in the Cathedral.
Of someone I did not know.
But his great spirit  spoke in the small chapel.
Somehow it was joyous , we could not be low.

In the eulogy and the sermon.
All came right.
The choir came on.
And here was celestial light.

He obviously lived a good life.
And now , we pray enjoys an even better life.

….,,

He lived a good life.
His funeral was joyful
Will they commend us

……

See Numbers 24

 

 

 

 

Gaudete in Domino semper.
Interum dico Gaudete.
Rejoice in the Lord always, semper.
Again I say rejoice, Gaudete.

In the Lord we feel love.
Above all joy.
To all men love.
And in our life joy.

Was John in despair.
As he languished in prison.
Was he gripped by fear.
Then in joy he heard Jesus’ lesson.

Hard times and doubt come for all of us.
But in hope and faith we will have joy.

……

Doubt and hard times come
But if we have hope and faith
We will then have joy

……..

See Matthew 11: 2-11

Elijah has already come, they did not recognise him.
But did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer for us and him.
Then the disciples recognised.

That he was speaking.
Of John the Baptist.
They started understanding.
Their sight penetrated the mist.

St Lucy is the martyr of light.
Of courage.
And of sight.
Proclaiming the Christian message.

We can follow her.
Without fear.

….

We follow Lucy
She is the martyr of light
And of great courage

… …

See Matthew 17: 10 – 13

John came neither eating nor drinking.
And they say he has a demon.
The son of man came eating and drinking.
And they say he’s a drunkard and glutton.

Yet wisdom is justified.
By her deeds.
If we are justified
It is by faith and deeds.

It does not matter what we drink
Or what we eat .
Or whether we drink.
Or where in church is our seat.

We will revive.
In hope we shall survive.

…….

We may eat or drink
Or we may not do either
It does not matter

……

See Matthew 11: 16-19

He who has ears to hear.
Let him.
Sing and hear.
In glorious hymn.

We hear.
But do we listen.
Or just hear.
Rather than listen.

The words are clear.
Not hidden.
but we do not listen although they’re so clear.
Is it just us, because what is so hidden.

John the Baptist came, they did not listen.
Jesus came, we do not listen.

……

We have ears to hear
We only have to listen
But do we do so.

….

See Matthew 11: 11-15

Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest.
We are bidden.
We only need more spiritual zest.

Take my yoke upon you.
And learn from me.
This all applies to us too.
If only we could see.

For I am gentle.
And lowly of heart.
Yes his touch is gentle.
We only have to believe to start.

For my yoke is easy.
And my burden is light, easy

…….

We’re heavy laden
But his burden is so light
His yoke is easy

….

See Matthew 11: 28-30

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray.
Does he not leave the ninety nine on the mountain.
And go in search of the one who has gone astray.
Of this we are in the parable certain.

I dreamt I climbed down a mountain,
In real life I am scared of every height.
Here in my dream I was fearless, certain.
Up and ready for the fight.

In real life we would stay with our livelihood.
The ninety nine sheep.
In the parable we do what is right and good.
And we do so in our dreams and sleep.

Against all reason God cares for the one.
And we all of us are the one.

…..

The ninety nine left
And he goes after the one
And we are that one

……

See Matthew 18 : 12-14

The spirit of wisdom and understanding.
The spirit of counsel and might.
The prophets are worth reading.
Like Isaiah they foretell and shed light.

But who am I,  I keep asking.
Where are we going.
From where are we coming.
In just a few years will our soul be existing.

Don’t worry, just accept the spirit of the Lord.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist.
And your delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
We are here , we are going to to exist.

…..

Our understanding
And our wisdom and counsel
Will keep existing

…..

See Isaiah 11: 1-10