Tag: Wisdom

Proper 23

12th October 2025

Reflection with readings below

The Victorian had differing views about the poor. There were the deserving poor – those who by ill chance not fecklessness had become poor and who wed good and honest people who,would make good use of your charity and would be eternally grateful. And there were the undeserving poor – those who had by laziness stupidity made themselves poor, who would squander any charity they received and would never utter a word of thanks. In fact that is an attitude that still exists today. In 2023, Jeremy Hunt, the then chancellor, spoke about ‘strivers and shirkers’.

Poverty arises for very many reasons, key among which are lack of opportunity – usually linked to inequalities of wealth –  a failure to understand specific needs and the systemic failure of society. This week Pope Leo wrote of the “many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalised and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities, moral and spiritual poverty, cultural poverty . . . the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom.” 

In today’s gospel we hear how ten lepers came to Jesus seeking healing. Jesus doesn’t question them to see which might be most deserving of his help. He doesn’t assess them to see which might make best use of his healing power. He doesn’t exclude from healing those who are not Jewish. He doesn’t even limit his healing to those who will be truly grateful.

Jesus’s healing is not limited to just some people some of the time, nor is it dependent on their righteousness or even their love of God. God’s love is offered to all without exception. To give, to share love, to desire the healing and wellbeing of all is the essential nature of God. Indeed God so loved the world that she gave her only Son for our salvation. 

When we consider the poor in our own country, when we consider the poor in Gaza and in Israel, when we consider the poor in North Sudan – when we hear their cry – we are called to respond with open hearts and purses, not limiting our love to those who look and think like us, to those we think are deserving of our concern. Indeed if we thought about it, healing just some of the wounds in the world will be to leave ourselves with a damaged world in which we too may then become victims.

The passage from Jeremiah is God’s message to those going into exile. Don’t just be good citizens in your own homes, in your own country, but be good citizens where ever you are. Don’t be good citizens just when you are the ones in power, but whatever your situation, whatever your environment, be good citizens, for only then will you protect the environment that sustains you. 

In the same way, not to care for the poor, is not to care for your own future and wellbeing. Yet so many of our economic and social systems, so many people (those in authority and those who are not) operate on the premise that hearing out for the cry of the poor – and the cry of the Earth – is not important, that spending the needs of the poor is a luxury when there is spare money, and that actually looking after number one is the key to survival. This is certainly not the gospel message! 

To finish, more words from Pope Leo: “The dignity of every human person must be respected today, not tomorrow, and the extreme poverty of all those to whom this dignity is denied should constantly weigh upon our consciences. . . Either we regain our moral and spiritual dignity or we fall into a cesspool”.

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Psalm 66:1-11

1 Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing the glory of his Name;
sing the glory of his praise.

2 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! *
because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.

3 All the earth bows down before you, *
sings to you, sings out your Name.”

4 Come now and see the works of God, *
how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.

5 He turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water on foot, *
and there we rejoiced in him.

6 In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations; *
let no rebel rise up against him.

7 Bless our God, you peoples; *
make the voice of his praise to be heard;

8 Who holds our souls in life, *
and will not allow our feet to slip.

9 For you, O God, have proved us; *
you have tried us just as silver is tried.

10 You brought us into the snare; *
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

11 You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water; *
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David– that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful–
for he cannot deny himself.

Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

With wisdom tend the earth 

11th October 2025

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6: 28b,29 

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Proverbs 3:13-15 

Happy are those who find wisdom,
    and those who get understanding,

for her income is better than silver,
    and her revenue better than gold.

She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Response: 

If with wisdom we tend the earth,

if with an understanding of creation 

we shape our daily lives, 

then daisies will be our silver.


If with wisdom we tend the earth,

if with an understanding of creation 

we choose to measure wealth,

then buttercups will be our gold.


If with wisdom we tend the earth, 

if with an understanding of creation

we value streams and rivers,

then raindrops will be our diamonds.


If with wisdom we tend the earth,

if with an understanding of creation,

we  protect trees and forests

then leaves will be our emeralds.


If with wisdom we tend the earth,

if with an understanding of creation

we cherish insects and pollinators,

then roses will be our rubies.


If with wisdom we tend the earth,

if with an understanding of creation,

we love our fellow creatures,

then fullness of life will be our everlasting treasure. 

(With thanks to Jan Struther’s for the hymn ‘Daises are our sliver’.)


Ever patient God,

forgive us when we focus on the the work of our hands 

and disregard yours.

Forgive us when we think we know all the answers 

and yet ignore yours. 

Forgive us when we value  human approbation 

more highly than yours.

Forgive us when we hoard monetary wealth 

and neglect the wealth that comes from serving you.

Forgive us when our desire for more takes away 

what we might rightly have shared with the rest of your creation.

In your loving mercy, 

hear us and pardon us. 

Amen.


Creator God, source of wisdom and understanding

inspire us to discover the true treasures of life on earth. 

Open our eyes to see the full glory of what you have created. 

Guide us not to be selfish,

neither keeping that wealth for ourselves 

nor squandering it.

Remind us to be grateful, giving thanks and praise 

for the treasure trove you have provided.

Grow in us a caring and responsive attitude 

for the well being of creation – 

its different plants and creatures, 

birds and insects, 

our brothers and sisters.

Amen.

Proper 20 14th Sunday after Trinity

21st September 2025

Reflection with readings below

This passages from Jeremiah seems to express both the grief and frustration of God and of Jeremiah – and it is not always clear to the listener which of the two is speaking. But that shouldn’t be surprising as a prophet is someone who is tuned into what God feels and desires, and what God is saying. The closeness of the relationship is both a joy and a stress: joy from sharing in God’s presence; stress from knowing God’s grief over the waywardness of humans. For both God and prophet it is not black and white. It is not as simple as God hating and dispensing with the one who sins, nor as God loving and rewarding the one who is righteous.

In last week’s gospel we noticed that the sinner rescued by God was no different from the ones who didn’t need rescuing. They were all sheep of which one had gone astray. They were all coins of which one had been lost. Nor is either sheep or coin discarded: both are retrieved and loved with an overriding passion. We should not then be surprised to read in Letter to Timothy that Jesus ‘gave himself a ransom for all’. Salvation is salvation for all – not just a few, not just most – but for all.

Knowing that salvation – healing – for all has always been God’s desire. Again from the Letter to Timothy ‘God our Saviour … desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’

All and everyone is more than just humankind, but envelopes all that God has created. We should not imagine that salvation in just for humans and that other creatures, other living beings – and even ecosystems – are not part of God’s vision of healing and restoration. Indeed if only humans were rescued, life would be very bleak. What delights would we have to eat? What fresh waters would be there for us to drink? What flowers and trees would be there to delight our eyes? What sounds of bird song would enchant our ear?

And yet we humans often live as though all the other parts of creation were of no value and can be ignored, wasted and discarded with no repercussions. We seek to consume ever increasing amounts of the Earth’s resources as if there were no limits to supply. We seek to discard what we don’t want as if  the Earth could endlessly absorb our waste and are surprised when that waste returns to pollute our rivers and coasts! We seek to take more and more land away from wildlife and still expect our fields, hedgerows and gardens to be abounding with wildlife. We seek to fill the atmosphere with more and more carbon dioxide and yet are surprised when this upsets the Earth’s natural balance, triggering rising temperatures and extreme weather events.

Not only that, we also seek to live as if we were the only ones that mattered. That our actions will not affect the lives of others. Bizarrely we seem to believe that if those who are rich get richer, that growing wealth will not make others poorer. Bizarrely we seem to believe that if the rich get to buy more and bigger houses, more and bigger cars, that that will not mean fewer and smaller houses, and  fewer transport options for those who are poorer. Bizarrely we seem to believe that if larger companies take bigger and bigger profits, that smaller companies will not struggle to earn a fair share. Bizarrely we seem to think that if the rich can pay to lobby governments and authorities to shape the world to suit their wants, that those of us who can’t afford to pay lobbyists, will not find their needs excluded from decision making processes.

Yet everything could be so different. 

This week saw the CEO of Barclays calling on the government to curb public sector pay and resist calls to increase taxes in banking profits – this the same Venkatakrishnan, who can ‘earn’ a maximum annual package worth £14.3m, up from £9.8m previously. The average UK income was, in 2024, £37,430 although research suggests that a comfortable income for a family of two adults and one child is around £60,000. 

Would it not be more equitable for everyone to have a sufficiently generous income? 

A report by the Guardian last week revealed that through the privatisation of publication services – such as water, buses, mail, rail and energy – around £200bn has been paid to shareholders, diverting wealth from the common society to a private elite. In effect privatisation has cost £250 per household per year.

Would it not be better for public services to be owned by and run for the benefit of society as a whole? 

We need to use wisdom and discernment, honesty and compassion, if we are to live equally good lives one with another. Truly it is because of God’s wisdom that we are told to love our neighbours as ourselves. Unless we can act with generosity towards one other – both human and non human beings, unless we can work cooperatively with one another, unless we can live within the limits of the Earth’s resources, we are not to find salvation. To live in this way is to truly love God.

This past week the daily reflections from the Centre for Action and Contemplation have been on the theme of love: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-work-of-grief-and-love/

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

My joy is gone, grief is upon me,
my heart is sick. 

Hark, the cry of my poor people
from far and wide in the land: 

“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King not in her?” 

(“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images,
with their foreign idols?”) 

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
and we are not saved.” 

For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,
I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. 

Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there? 

Why then has the health of my poor people
not been restored? 

O that my head were a spring of water,
and my eyes a fountain of tears, 

so that I might weep day and night
for the slain of my poor people!

Psalm 79:1-9

1 O God, the heathen have come into your inheritance;
they have profaned your holy temple; *
they have made Jerusalem a heap of rubble.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the air, *
and the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the field.

3 They have shed their blood like water on every side of Jerusalem, *
and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a reproach to our neighbours, *
an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 How long will you be angry, O Lord? *
will your fury blaze like fire for ever?

6 Pour out your wrath upon the heathen who have not known you *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your Name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob *
and made his dwelling a ruin.

8 Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be swift to meet us; *
for we have been brought very low.

9 Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your Name; *
deliver us and forgive us our sins, for your Name’s sake.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For

there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind, 

Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all

— this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, `What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, `How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, `A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, `Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, `And how much do you owe?’ He replied, `A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, `Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

I am the Good Shepherd

13th September 2025

‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 34:31

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from John 10:11-15

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

A response: 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

In your gift is daily bread, sustenance for each day

From you comes wisdom and understanding –

the gift of peace.

The Lord desires green pasture and clear waters,

wooded hills that clap their hands, 

streams that overflow with joy –

a  world where all may rest in peace.

The Lord restores my soul, 

forgives my sins and heals my pain.
He renews my confidence so I too 

may renew broken relationships.


The Lord leads me in right paths.

He goes before us, leading by example 

and marking the way – 

on earth as in heaven.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 

even though the news is of  floods and drought, 

fires and tempest, I am comforted 

for the Lord is my steadfast companion.

 I hear of evil  – of warfare and greed, 

of persecution and oppression; 

of self-interest and self-delusion 

 – yet I  fear not evil, for the Lord is our righteousness.

You prepare a table before me 

where bread and wine will satisfy my wants. 

In the face of adversity, 

You anoint me with the Holy Spirit.
    

The goodness and mercy of the Lord 

 shall stay with me all the days of my life,
for the Lord is my shepherd 

and I shall not want. 

Prayer:

Sovereign God, Shepherd of your people:

When we walk along pilgrim ways,

You lead us and we thank you.

When we sing and pray for your guidance,

You are with us and we thank you.

When we stand alongside our brothers and sisters,

You are with us and we thank you.

When we call on those in authority to take action, 

You inspire us and we thank you.

As the days unfold, keep within us the hope of change.

Soften the hearts of those in authority 

in industry, in government and in the churches,

that all may respond to the cry of the earth 

and the cry of the poor.

Amen. 

The Grace 

Forgive our oily sins

6th September 2025

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Deuteronomy 30: 15-29

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them,  I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live

 A response – 

When oil is pumped from the ground 

it leaves a sticky trail 

that reappears 

as polluted soil, polluted water and polluted air. 

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When seeds are sown in the ground, 

the energy of the sun is absorbed 

and reappears as waving heads of corn.

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

When oil becomes petrol it powers the car 

but then reappears 

as an exhaust that pollutes the air and pollutes our lungs.

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When the corn is cut the grain is milled

and the straw reappears as mulch, 

and the grain reappears as bread.

It never becomes nothing.

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

When oil becomes plastic it can become anything –

but then reappears 

as pollution in the rivers and pollution in the seas,  

it reappears 

as micro particles in  the air we breath, the water we drink and the food we eat – 

it even reappears in our blood!

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Forgive our sinful ways and restore life.

When the bread is shared and the people fed, 

the energy reappears 

as hearts that love, 

as hands that heal and as minds that learn, 

as feet that walk alongside and as shoulders that share the load. 

It never becomes nothing. 

Living God, 

Praise to you for the  generosity that gives life.

The Grace.

Magnificat reimagined 

19th July 2025

Trust in the Lord and be doing good; dwell in the land and be nourished with truth.
 Let your delight be in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desire.
Psalm 37:3-4

You Lord are the bread of life;

feed us with your wisdom.

Our nourishment is to do God’s will;

guide us in all we do

Whenever we eat or drink

Let it be to the glory of the kingdom of God.

A reading from Matthew 25: 34-36 (The Message)

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’” 


A canticle reimagining the Magnificat:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

Praise to you O God, for the rich creation of this world 

for which you have created humans to be under-gardeners.

From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.

You have blessed Earth with fruit bearing trees and plants, 

ensuring food throughout the seasons.

God has mercy on those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

Your wisdom guides those who, in each generation, 

have the honesty and humility  to seek it.

God  has shown strength with her arm
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

May  each generation see the damage 

they cause when they  disdain your will. 

Casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.

Raise the spirits of those who work at the grassroots, 

give them strength to overcome the deceits of big business.

God  has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.

Bless the work of food banks and charities that feed the hunger, 

and teach those with wealth to be sacrificial in their giving.

God came to the aid of his servant Jacob
to remember his promise of mercy,

Help nations and communities to work together

for justice and for peace. 

God’s promise is made to our ancestors,
from Abraham and his children and for all generations to come.

May every generation to come, reap the harvest,

not of our greed, but of God’s grace .

Amen.

Trust in the Lord and be doing good; dwell in the land and be nourished with truth.
 Let your delight be in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desire.
Psalm 37:3-4

A lament in times of drought

5th July 2025

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A lament:-

Dried up grass, withered leaves, parched earth:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Wilting stems, shrivelled fruit, sun-bleached petals:

 My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Desiccated trees, with premature leaf fall:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

Harden mud in the ditch, ponds reduced to a smudge:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

The smell of ash and dust – no scent of roses now:

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for frogs and toads? Will newts survive?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for caterpillars? 

If no caterpillars, what future for birds and butterflies?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for worm-eating birds?  

What future for grass-grazing rabbits?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for arable farms when the rain doesn’t fall? 

What future for livestock farms when fields are bare?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

What future for humanity when reservoirs and taps run dry? 

What future for humanity when food is unaffordable?

My heart aches, my soul cries with pain.

A reading from Isaiah 55:1-5 (The Message)

 “Hey there! All who are thirsty come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything’s free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.  Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.

To you O Lord, we turn for help! Make your ways known to us: 

Embed them in our hearts.

Give and do not count the cost, be generous in every way.

Exercise leadership with diligence, show care with cheerfulness. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Share one another’s burdens, remove the burden of debt.

Care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Do  good; seek justice, correct oppression; 

bring justice to the abandoned, plead the widow’s cause.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Love your neighbour.

Establish governance with righteousness. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Do not be greedy, foreswear dishonest gain.

Do not bear false witness.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Tend and care for the soil, give the land due rest.

Tend and prune the plants; give them due respite.

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

Care for the animals of the fields, and the wild creatures.

Have respect for every living thing. 

Gracious God, help us to hear your words.

The Grace

The Lord is my shepherd – a retelling of psalm 23

21st July 2025

He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes. Isaiah 40: 11

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.


A reflection on Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

In your gift is daily bread, sustenance for each day

From you comes wisdom and understanding –

the gift of peace.


The Lord desires green pasture and clear waters,

wooded hills that clap their hands, 

streams that overflow with joy –

a  world where all may rest in peace.


The Lord restores my soul, 

forgives my sins and heals my pain.

He renews my confidence so I too 

may renew broken relationships.


The Lord leads me in right paths.

He goes before us, leading by example 

and marking the way – 

on earth as in heaven.


Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 

even though the news is of  floods and drought, 

fires and tempest, I am comforted 

for the Lord is my steadfast companion.

 
I hear of evil  – of warfare and greed, 

of persecution and oppression; 

of self-interest and self-delusion 

 – yet I  fear not evil, for the Lord is our righteousness.


You prepare a table before me 

where bread and wine will satisfy my wants. 

In the face of adversity, 

You anoint me with the Holy Spirit.
    

The goodness and mercy of the Lord 

 shall stay with me all the days of my life,
for the Lord is my shepherd 

and I shall not want. 

Prayers: 

Holy God, Shepherd of your people, 

forgive us for all the times we have strayed – 

and repeatedly strayed – 

from your ways.

Set us once again on the right path, 

the path of righteousness. 


Show us how to love our neighbour as ourself. 

Show us how to lead simple lives 

that do not steal food and resources 

from the mouths of the poor.


Show us how to tend and care for the earth 

that the  fertility of the soils and the vitality 

of pollinating insects will be restored.


Show us how to curb our greed 

that there may be an equal sharing of the earth’s gifts 

and equitable pay for all who labour. 


Show us how to unite all our brethren 

in eschewing the use of fossil fuels 

that global temperatures can be contained. 


Show us how to make space for others 

that migrants both human and creaturely 

may have space to call their own.

Amen.

Trinity Sunday

16th June 2025

Reflection with readings below

Trinity Sunday is a celebration of the mystery of God. Human understanding of God is always going to be limited and incomplete because God is always going to be so much more and so much greater than we can imagine or understand. So we should not feel foolish or hopeless if we feel do not understand God as well as the ‘experts’ but at the same time we should not narrow our search for understanding or simply appreciating the character and nature of God. 

Trinity Sunday in particular celebrates God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three different but interconnected and united aspects of God. And today’s readings touch in that range and diversity of experiencing God. The readings also show us how integral to and engaged with, is God’s relationship with the Earth. And that points us to the benefit we can gain by studying, by paying attention to the Earth and all that God has created – for that too will enlarge and deepened our understanding of, our relationship with God. We might them reflect that Jesus came to save the world – that is to save not just humans but the whole of creation. 

Looking around the world and at the poly crises we face – loss of biodiversity, climate change, conflict, social injustice, depletion of resources – we might reread the passage from Proverbs and realise how we have failed to pay attention to God’s wisdom, how we have failed to understand – and to put into practice – what wisdom has to teach us about living in harmony with all that God has created. 

When we look at the conflict in Gaza and in Ukraine, can we reflect how in the natural world (ie the world not dominated by humans) different plants and animals benefit from living alongside each other, thriving together such that successful stable ecosystems are those with the greatest diversity of species. Which is not to deny the predation of some creatures on others, but the overall outcome is one of balance and harmony. But in conflict zones we see humans either wanting to eradicate the other or, motivated by greed, wanting to extract more than their fair share of resources. There is no system in place to help nations and communities understand each other, to value what gifts and skills they have to share, and how by cooperation they might all thrive.

When we look at polluted waters, we see how we as humans have not understood how rivers and seas work, how delicately balanced are their ecosystems, how flooding them with pollutants damages not just life in the water but also the ability of the river or marine ecosystem to protect against floods, droughts and storms. For example, if pollution kills the wildlife – the plants and birds and worms – that create and sustain the mudflats, then the mudflats break down and can no longer absorb excess waters during times of flood, nor protect the land behind during times of storm tides.

Celebrating Trinity Sunday, let us acknowledge God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice? 

On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand; 

beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 

“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live. 

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago. 

Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 

When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water. 

Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth– 

when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil. 

When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 

when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep, 

when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command, 

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker; 

and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always, 

rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.”

Psalm 8

1 O Lord our Sovereign, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!

2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.

3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

5 What are humans  that you should be mindful of them? *
mortals  that you should seek them out?

6 You have made them but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn the, with glory and honour;

7 You give them mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:

8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our Sovereign, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!

Romans 5:1-5

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

John 16:12-15

Jesus said to the disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Tune our senses to God’s wisdom 

7th June 2025

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:1-2 

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:17

Listen; attune your ears – what do you hear? 

The excited chatter of children,

and the chatter of jackdaws,

wind rustling the leaves,

and feet tapping the road.

Or the drone of cars – too much!

Or the whine of planes – too many!

Look; focus your vision – what do you see?

a lacework of branches against the sky,

and curvaceous clouds,

the green patina of leaves,

and the tight curl of a snail shell.

Or traffic crawling bumper to bumper – too much

Or discarded tatters of plastic – too many!

Stretch; bare your skin – what do you feel?

The warm caress of the sun, 

the gentle frisson of the breeze,

the prickle of grass,

the textured bark of a tree.

Or the rasp of exhaust in your throat – too much!

Or the scratch of particulates in your eyes – too many!

Sniff; breathe deeply – what do you smell?

The aroma of fresh coffee,

and the zest of orange juice,

the fragrance of the rose,

and the warmth of ground spices.

Or the reek of petrol – too much!

Or the sting of pesticides – too many!

Savour; let it linger on your tongue – what do you taste?

The fresh acidity of an apple, 

and the earthy satisfaction of bread,

the squashy sweetness of banana,

and the melting delight of chocolate.

Or the fake sweetness of green wash – too much!

Or the gall of climate injustice- too many !

Merciful God, 

bring us to our senses.

Help us rebuild a world 

of right experiences.

Amen. 

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

Holy God, 

in the hour of our stupidity, 

guide us with your wisdom. 

Help us to understand afresh 

the intricacies and interconnectedness 

of the world you have given us.

Holy God, 

in the hour of our need, 

repair the damage we have caused 

to your world 

so that we might all be saved.

Amen.