Roof Timbers

I attend St. Mary’s and have for many years

And throughout the centuries it’s known joy and tears

The happiness at weddings the sadness of farewell

The babies who have been baptised whose future none can tell.

I’ve shared in people’s pleasure and in their sorrow too

And through it all, my Father, I’ve always honoured you.

Sometimes, in a service, I confess my mind will stray

In a lengthy sermon or even while we pray!

But in those careless moments my eyes will wander round

And see the beauty of this church, which stands on Holy ground.

I see the mighty pillars that reach up to the sky

And those arches, so uneven, that they make me wonder why?

Then I see the roof supports all patterned red and white

And then up to the roof beams, a truly wondrous sight!

The beams are brown and wooden and even as can be

And thanks to some good carpenter, a true delight to see.

They make me think of Nazareth and a worker there in wood

And so I’m drawn back to You, in calm and peaceful mood.

Those wonderful roof timbers, which make a glorious whole

Truly lift my spirits, and gratify my soul. 

A Rhyme for your Ways

Lord I want to follow you throughout all my days

But sometimes I am feeling I am lost within a maze

And often I get tempted to try the latest craze.

My life is often troubled and I am in a daze

Then within my heart I feel your ever-glorious rays.

My life starts moving to a new and wondrous phase

My soul is filled with comfort and my whole body prays

And then I hear the rhythm as your heavenly music plays

And I realise I don’t care what anybody says

I am at peace but this I know - I’ll always sing your praise

Temptation

When You were racked with hunger and had a raging thirst

The devil came to tempt You and tried to do his worst.

You knew Your Father’s purpose and the road you had to tread

You might have been forgiven for accepting drink and bread!

Who was there to blame You if You took the easy way?

Yet you never faltered. A heavy price to pay.

You knew that You would suffer our torture and our scorn

When they crucified You on that fateful Friday morn.

You knew that You would take the blame for all our sin and shame

And nothing in this world You made would ever be the same!

You opened up our path to God and paid the price that we

Should cast off satan’s fetters and live, forever, free!

Thank You Lord for taking our burden as Your own

And resisting all temptation so we could see Your throne.

And though our earthly lot may be to suffer pain and strife

We know that you have won for us our own eternal life.

A Sonnet of Praise

When I see the moon and stars,

The breakers crashing on the shore,

A meadow filled with scented flowers,

The lightning flash with thunderous roar;

When I hear the blackbird’s song,

The cry of welcome new-born child,

A friendly campfire sing-along,

The roar of lions in the wild;

All the things that you have made,

The beauty of your nature’s law.

I do not know what can be said,

They fill my heart with wondrous awe.

But I can very plainly see

That even yet you care for me! 

Repetition

There once was a church music group

Who seemed to get stuck in a loop

They repeated a phrase

For what seemed like days

Like chickens shut up in a coop!

Jesus is My Friend

Jesus knows my failings. My prejudice and pride

My over-riding selfishness and all I like to hide!

He gently peels my carapace until my heart is bare

Then with his loving hand examines all that’s lying there.

He sees my motivations and the things that I hold dear

And though he does not like them, there is no need to fear.

Lovingly he soothes my hurts and gently lets me see

The things I need to modify to be the best of me!

And though I often fail to be the person he desires

Still to be my loving friend, is all that he aspires!

 

The Spirit’s Presence

Many times in services I’ve felt the Spirit near

A sense of peace and comfort and no need for fear.

Without a rhyme or reason the Spirit chose to stay

And worked with those who needed him and then He went away.

At other times when people felt their format was just right,

To have some sights and wonders, no Spirit came in sight!

I’ve often felt uncomfortable with those who yearn for signs

That seems to me an insult to our Father’s great designs.

Then they blame the people, whose faith they say is small,

When no miracle occurs in answer to their call!

Lord I see your wonders in everything around

From the blackbirds singing to the snowdrops in the ground.

Every new-born baby and a couple filled with love

Remind me of the majesty of my Lord above.

Lord I know there’s nothing that you cannot do

And when you show your presence, is entirely up to You.

So I’ll sing your praises from the bottom of my heart

And tell all those who’ll listen just how great Thou art.

Laughter

I love the sound of laughter as it echoes round a room

How it lifts our spirits and banishes our gloom.

Not the hollow laughter of some boorish fool

Nor the sound of laughter that is cruel as a rule.

Just the sound of laughter of friends just having fun

Laughter that’s inclusive, involving everyone.

I like to think in Galilee the Master and his crew

Shared a time together with fun and laughter too.

For God created laughter to ease our human lot

Till we at last are taken to that glorious heavenly plot.

Though it’s not in the bible, so you may think me daft,

But of this I am certain, my Saviour, Jesus laughed!

Taking Time

I haven’t got the time for prayer,

Rushing here and rushing there.

My diary’s full, I’m in despair.

Problems, problems, everywhere!

But when I take the time to pray,

All my problems go away.

I will find that time today!

The Woodpecker

I heard my old friend Woody in the churchyard yesterday

At seven in the morning as we sat down to pray

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tapping as if upon a door

He seemed to get no answer and so he tapped some more.

It reminded me of Jesus’ talk about persistent prayers

To our loving Father the one who really cares.

He will always listen and give us what we need

Perhaps not what we ask for in our envy and our greed!

At twelve there was a funeral for a dear old friend

A loving, friendly gentleman – faithful to the end

And still I heard the tapping as Woody carried on

Reminding me of constant love and where our friend has gone

I’m sure that in the evening Woody persevered

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tapping, for he was not afeared.

He would keep on tapping until the day was done

And he would begin again at the rising of the sun.

Our Lord is just like Woody tapping to make holes

But Jesus will keep knocking until he gains our souls!

Confession

I confess that I get tempted to moan to those I know

About the things I do not like but am too scared to show

I know that it is something that stems right from my youth

Of course my mother taught me to always tell the truth

However it was also a maxim I was taught

That if I could say nothing nice to people then I ought

Just to keep my mouth shut and not to speak at all.

I know she’d find my conduct a thing that would appal.

I show my disapproval. In fact I almost sulk.

Sitting silent, po-faced. A ponderous, stony bulk.

Then showing disapproval when I talk amongst my friends

Knowing they might pass it on and thus achieve my ends!

Luckily my wife is there to make me well aware

That for my crass behaviour she really does not care!

Lord, please will you help me to curb my vicious tongue

And help me be encouraging, and not just to the young!

Christ’s Message

I’ve no time for the religious with their certainties and rules

If they think they know it all, they are really fools.

They have no time to listen to opinions, which they fear

And condemn any challenge to the things that they hold dear.

If they listened to Christ’s message, perhaps they’d understand

That he loves all people, from all creeds and every land.

The God I know within my heart, has only ever craved

To capture every human heart, until we’ve all been saved.

He has no time for dogma or any sacred creed

He just longs to help the poor and succour those in need.

I am proud that I’m a Christian and attend St Mary’s here

But in case you wondered I’ll just make one thing clear.

I see all men as brothers be they Muslim, Mick or Prod

Hindu, Jew or Buddhist and if you think that’s odd

Then I’m truly sorry for I think that is Christ’s way

And I know He loves all people, be they straight or gay.

I am Just a Christian

I am just a Christian and I hope that others see

A reflection of my Lord, whenever they see me.

I know I am not perfect, as anyone can tell

And as a Christ-like image I don’t do very well.

Yet still I always try my best to do the things I should

Please know that, though I’m failing, I’m trying to be good

Loving God is easy when I think of all He’s done

He even cared so much for me that he sent his son!

I even find it easy to love those who are nice

But I have always struggled to love those locked in vice.

Or those who do not like me, or those who hurt my friends

Or do me some great injury and fail to make amends.

My saviour told me not to judge for that is not my task

And if I want to learn to love, all I need do is ask!

So I will grow more Christ-like with the Spirit’s aid

And hope, that when I meet God, all my debts are paid.

Singing

We went to church each Sunday when I was just a child

Attendance was compulsory and no one ever smiled.

The kids all sat like statues and didn’t say a word

For in that ghastly service we were seen and never heard!

The best thing was the music for all the people sang

And with the lovely melody the rafters simply rang!

But there was a problem when I was very small

I could not sing. Through illness I could hardly breathe at all!

It was the greatest sadness, indeed, it made me cry

And in my infant misery, told my Granny by and by.

She bade me take my trouble to our dearest Lord above

And ask that he should let me sing, in his goodness and his love.

When I reached the age of seven all my illness went away

And I had the breath enough to sing and sing all day.

I sang when I was happy, I sang when I was sad

I sang to make things better when I was feeling bad!

I did not have the talent to make me feel too proud

But I had the lung-power for singing rather loud!

I owe my voice to God above and therefore all my days

I will sing, with all my heart, my great Redeemer’s praise  

Lent

This year for Lent I thought I’d try a different way to go.

I’ve found with cutting out my treats I didn’t think, and so

I decided that in this year’s Lent I’d write a verse each day

So I would think a while of God and what I ought to say.

So far I’ve found the challenge a stimulus for me

To think of Christ’s temptations and how I ought to be!

In sharing these on Facebook I hoped that I might start

To share my thoughts with others so they’d know my heart.

I offer these so freely in the hope that you will find

That some of them may trigger a prayer within your mind.

The Family Service

I love our family service with the children in the aisles

Dancing to the music with beaming, radiant smiles.

I love the interruption of the pious and the proud

For their hearts are full of joy, they shout it right out loud!

You welcomed little children by the shores of Galilee

And to follow your example is good enough for me! 

The Sermon

An endless explanation

Of St Paul’s interpretation

Of how we’ve been redeemed.

Not as simple as it seemed!

Then in case we’ve not discerned

What we really should have learned

Some worthy worship leader

Or some qualified lay reader

Will tell us in their spiel

What we really ought to feel!

Well thank heavens that I find

Your Spirit in my mind

To guide me on my way

No matter what they say!

A Rite of Passage

The foremost column in the church is almost three foot wide

And sits upon a six inch-plinth, though not on every side.

There is just room for tiny feet to ease their way around

While all the time avoiding stepping on the ground!

The gap upon the one side is large enough to be

A very major challenge when you are not yet three!

I’ve watched through generations with twinkle in my eye

As each and every toddler goes creeping softly by,

Evading Mummy’s clutches or Dad’s restraining hand

They stagger towards the pillar as if at God’s command.

With wary eye for parents who might not let them do

The toddlers rite of passage before their task is through!

With hesitating footstep they clamber on the base

Then sidle round with arms outstretched for balance, just in case.

They come upon the problem, as every child before

A gap too wide for bridging until they grow some more!

Every week, on Sunday, they’ll have another try,

Each time a little braver, as the weeks go by.

And then at last, in triumph, they cross the great divide

Achieve their rite of passage with a grin of pride.

And those of us who watch it cannot forbear to smile

Knowing other toddlers will try it in a while!

Thus it’s been for centuries and countless girls and boys

Have passed their rite of passage that ancient pillar’s joys