(Some slight amendments)
O Light who is Shining
O Light who is shining in all the dark places;
shine on me.
and shed your hope upon shadowed faces;
let them see
the love and the courage of one who’s defying
the powers that threaten, the gloom that’s denying
the truth, grace and justice; together defining
the kingdom that’s coming to be.
O Light who is true and cuts through the night-time;
shine in me.
Let love glow warm when we’re worried and frightened
make us free;
for action to end all the fear and the hating,
to touch anxious hearts when love is abating,
to bring on the peace for which all are waiting;
where faith, hope and love abide: three.
O Light who is life for all of creation,
shine through me.
We are the offspring of Love’s celebration;
sent to be -
the flickering flames of hope where there’s need,
embracing God’s children, regardless of creed.
To gather a harvest, where love is the seed;
we make this our goal and our plea.
©2010
words: Ken Rookes
music: Judy & Jessica Chalmers
(I can provide music for this song. When I work out how to post it I shall. Otherwise contact me. - Follow link to my website)
Loddon Mallee UCA Presbytery Blog
Monday, February 22, 2010
Big Black Car
Big Black Car
The big black car came
to take away the children.
From countless nightmares,
thousands of these helpless ones
would wake and cry;
not from fear of the shadowy Bunyip
or deep-night dwelling Gabba Gabba,
Woowee Wowee, Yaa-loo, Dongu
or even the mischievous Mimi spirit;
but the Big Black Car, driving fast
into the night, headlights shining fierce
to illuminate the terrible journey.
The Big Black Car,
back seats filled with fear;
stealer of children, bringer of tears,
and destroyer of families.
Their only crime their parentage
and their colour, declared guilty
by a patronising system
that knew what was best,
the children were sentenced
to lives of dislocation and unknowing;
their mothers to torn hearts and tears.
Two years ago a word was spoken
that acknowledged the aching
and the arrogance,
and which caused the Big Black Car
to recede, at least a little,
in the dreams of aging children.
Ken Rookes
The big black car came
to take away the children.
From countless nightmares,
thousands of these helpless ones
would wake and cry;
not from fear of the shadowy Bunyip
or deep-night dwelling Gabba Gabba,
Woowee Wowee, Yaa-loo, Dongu
or even the mischievous Mimi spirit;
but the Big Black Car, driving fast
into the night, headlights shining fierce
to illuminate the terrible journey.
The Big Black Car,
back seats filled with fear;
stealer of children, bringer of tears,
and destroyer of families.
Their only crime their parentage
and their colour, declared guilty
by a patronising system
that knew what was best,
the children were sentenced
to lives of dislocation and unknowing;
their mothers to torn hearts and tears.
Two years ago a word was spoken
that acknowledged the aching
and the arrogance,
and which caused the Big Black Car
to recede, at least a little,
in the dreams of aging children.
Ken Rookes
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The gift of bewilderment
I found this gem in sermon at http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20100215JJ.shtml
"Bewilderment then can be an excellent preparation for Holy Week, our yearly collective meditation on why bad things happen to good people and how we can possibly embrace events we do not chose or understand. The liturgies from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday warn us to look within and without at brokenness and deliberate harm. Faith is about the courage to love when your heart is broken, the determination to hope when all the news is bad. The true foundation of our maturing spiritual lives, the true ground of our heartfelt and honest prayers, are the wilderness times which still live within our souls — where we survived and found unexpected grace."
"Bewilderment then can be an excellent preparation for Holy Week, our yearly collective meditation on why bad things happen to good people and how we can possibly embrace events we do not chose or understand. The liturgies from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday warn us to look within and without at brokenness and deliberate harm. Faith is about the courage to love when your heart is broken, the determination to hope when all the news is bad. The true foundation of our maturing spiritual lives, the true ground of our heartfelt and honest prayers, are the wilderness times which still live within our souls — where we survived and found unexpected grace."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A prayer post for Ash Wednesday
Let us pray:
O God, you have made us for yourself, and against your longing there is no defence. Mark us with your love, and
release in us a passion for your justice and joy in our disfigured world; that we may turn from our guilt and despair
and face you, our heart’s desire. Amen.
Silence ...
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is by your precious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Those who wish come forward and the ashes are imposed.
Remember, O mortal, from dust you came and to the dust you shall return.
O God, you have made us for yourself, and against your longing there is no defence. Mark us with your love, and
release in us a passion for your justice and joy in our disfigured world; that we may turn from our guilt and despair
and face you, our heart’s desire. Amen.
Silence ...
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is by your precious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Those who wish come forward and the ashes are imposed.
Remember, O mortal, from dust you came and to the dust you shall return.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A blessing for you
Hi, i have arrived as your new Presbytery minister Pastoral care and am on a steep learning curve. I am trying to renew this peace and make it useful for people. The idea is for us to share any prayers, poems or images that we have found useful, either for worship or for personal reflection.
to get hem up on the site you can email me at gordonbannon@gmail.com.au and i will post them for you.
“May i, may you, may we
Not die unlived lives.
May none of us live in fear
Of falling or catching fire.
May we choose to inhabit our days,
To allow our living to open us,
To make us less afraid,
More accessible,
To loosen our hearts
Until they become like wings,
Torches, promises.
May each of us choose to risk our significance;
To live so that which comes to us as seed
Goes to the next as blossom
And that which comes to us as blossom,
Goes on as fruit.”
Dawna Markova.
to get hem up on the site you can email me at gordonbannon@gmail.com.au and i will post them for you.
“May i, may you, may we
Not die unlived lives.
May none of us live in fear
Of falling or catching fire.
May we choose to inhabit our days,
To allow our living to open us,
To make us less afraid,
More accessible,
To loosen our hearts
Until they become like wings,
Torches, promises.
May each of us choose to risk our significance;
To live so that which comes to us as seed
Goes to the next as blossom
And that which comes to us as blossom,
Goes on as fruit.”
Dawna Markova.
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