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A BLESSING FOR YOU!May you receive this blessing as you listen to this psalm, recorded with you in mind.Psalm 20New International Version (adapted on the recording to us the Lord's name)For the director of music. A psalm of David.May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.May he send you help from the sanctuary    and grant you support from Zion.May he remember all your sacrifices    and accept your burnt offerings.May he give you the desire of your heart    and make all your plans succeed.May we shout for joy over your victory    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.May the Lord grant all your requests.Now this I know:    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary    with the victorious power of his right hand.Some trust in chariots and some in horses,    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.They are brought to their knees and fall,    but we rise up and stand firm.Lord, give victory to the king!    Answer us when we call!Wouldn't it be lovely to appoint a Director of Music for our Church?

Would you rather?Choice is a wonderful blessing for most of us most of the time, and a burden for many of us much of the time!  "Would you rather?" is a great question to ask when working through issues that affect our wellbeing.

The most positive presentation of the value of ageing that I've ever had the privilege to listen to.Q. Is your church helping you to grow spiritually?

Grace Will Walk Us Homeby Thom M ShumanWild Goose Publicationswww.ionabooks.comUsed under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher.MusicAtmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

Grace Will Walk Us Homeby Thom M ShumanWild Goose Publicationswww.ionabooks.comUsed under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher.MusicAtmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

Praying the Scriptures is building your prayer life upon the firmest foundation!

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a massive blessing to the Body of Christ - helping us to value our differences.  Here's a link to a free version as featured in this podcast:16personalities.com

Shift Happens   All At Sea Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on manoeuvres in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patch fog, so the captain, remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out. Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.” Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain said, “Send, I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.” “I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.” By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send, I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.” Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.” We changed course.   The Man on the Subway “I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York. People were sitting quietly – some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed. The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.  It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was like unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?” The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what do think, and I guess they don’t know who to handle it either.” Can you imagine what I felt at that moment? My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, and because I saw differently, I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently. My irritation vanished. I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man’s pain. Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely. “Your wife just died? Oh I’m so sorry! Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?” Everything changed in an instant.”   

Zoonami   We all have precious moments when providence or serendipity sends us a treat.  One such precious moment was last night in the freezing cold on Swanage’s Victorian Pier.  A crowd of us was there for the switching on the lights by Father Christmas (who arrived by boat!)   Waiting in the cold, looking out over the waves under the moonlight, a small girl asked her Dad if a big wave had ever flooded the pier.  Realising she meant a Tsunami, her Dad shared the word with her as he reassured her… but here’s the thing: I heard him say, “Zoonami!”   Of course, he didn’t say that, but it was too late, my imagination was engaged!  I ‘saw’ a flood of animals coming into Swanage Bay on surf boards (like the seagull I’d recently seen surfing on driftwood.)  (Thought to self: I probably need to change my medication!)   And this brings me to today’s two questions: Q. What animal would you most like to be? AndQ. Why?   Dog or Cat? Cat or Mouse? Dinosaur – but which one? Fish, Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, Mammal? Orangutan, Gibbon (Funky, of course), Gorilla, Chimpanzee?   They say confession is good for the soul, so I’ll lead by example!I want to be an Otter. Why? They are massively playful, lithe, and love fish, of course! To me, they stay young forever through their combination of frisky fun-loving living, insatiable curiosity, and healthy diet.   Once you’ve decided on your animal or bird (and shared it with us), how could you be more like your Avatar?   How could I be ‘more Otter’?  Hmm, I think that Sea Swimming is beckoning again!   I’m looking forward to a flood, a Zoonami, of witty, wise, and wonderful revelations of your favourite animals!

There’s no fruit without there first being a seed. The man on the corner by one of Swanage’s many pubs proudly wore a T-Shirt with just two words: “Bad Seed.” I think he thought it was funny. I didn’t. I want to sow “Good Seed” during this season of goodwill to all. The whole World knows we need this. Specifically, I’d love, along with you, to play our part in growing the traditional seasonal fruits of hope, joy, peace, and love (or ‘charity’ if you like old-fashioned version!) Reminds me of the three angels I had branded with a spelling error: Faith, Love, and Hop. I kid you not. I’d like to have been ‘Hop’.  Have you tried skipping lately? It’s liberating. Children do it all the time… naturally… freely. Be childlike today. How do we sow seeds of hope? Hope is always to do with the future – so anytime we can make anyone feel better about their future, we’ve sown seeds of hope. Paint a picture in people’s imaginations of a brighter better tomorrow. How do we sow seeds of joy? I think Spike Milligan had the right idea: “Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.” [The full poem can be read here: https://noc-events.co.uk/sites/conference.noc.ac.uk/files/documents/Smile%20-%20By%20Spike%20Milligan.pdfbut be careful, it’s contagious.] Stick a grin on your chin, and see who says, “Hey, I’m ‘in’!” How do we sow seeds of peace? That’s the answer to a big Nobel prize-winning question! Maybe it’s as simple as always looking for what we share in common with others? I watched, “Derry Girls,” for the first time this year. It was a profound experience, highlighting the humour and the tension of the troubles in Northern Ireland. In one particularly touching episode the way to peace was by finding that common ground. And, finally, and perhaps most importantly, how do we sow seeds of love? I think that’s the easiest question to answer. Those of us who want more friendship must show ourselves to be friendly. We, very generally speaking, reap what we sow – that’s the way of Nature. What does, ‘’being shown love,” mean to you? Once you can answer that, go and do that for or to someone else.  Maybe, just maybe, we’re all about to have a very good day indeed!

I have chosen the 'Jesucristo crucificado' By Diego Velázquez - to represent this most transformational prophecy in the book of the prophet Isaiahhttps://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/cristo-crucificado/72cbb57e-f622-4531-9b25-27ff0a9559d7 (Museo del Prado), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4214227The Suffering Servant is the foundation of much of our theology about the sacrifice of Christ to deal with our sins and all the consequences of sin.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Crucified_(Vel%C3%A1zquez)The unusual use of The Amplified Bible requires a copyright notification.Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

Our theme for World Day of Prayer* was, "I Know The Plans I Have For You."  The day and the service were planned and printed and prepared for well-before any knowledge of what was to happen in Ukraine.  For this reason, I believe it is doubly comforting.  God is in the business of restoring people who have been displaced from their homeland.More than this, He is also committed to their wellbeing during any season of displacement.  The passage we had was Jeremiah 29:1-14, some of which I share in the podcast.  I do not believe the displacement of the Ukrainian people is anything other than the purpose of Russia (unlike this passage that has a very different political and historical perspective).  I share the words because they show God's heart is towards those who are displaced, and His purpose for them is only good - to give them a future and a hope.We, of course, have a part to play in making certain this is so.[*World Day of Prayer was 4th March 2022]

"A Lover is a Giver; A Giver is a Lover."  This inspirational message and sermon explores the link between giving and genuine faith.It was recorded while Storm Eunice was raging outside.  This means it's atmospheric but not using the usual broadcast level of equipment I have... after all, the power was out!  Thus, I've used battery-powered kit.Do you enjoy the benefits of having a generous heart?  Those who truly love are naturally generous givers.  They give without expecting to receive in return.  They give without any hidden agenda.  They give because they LOVE to give.  They give for pleasure.This is a ministry and a gift.  It is also the secret of divine prosperity until you start giving in order to receive... then it goes a little haywire!The path to prosperity is to realise that giving is like planting seeds.  What you plant is not what is going to come up.  In a similar way, what you plant may not be returned to you from the place or people where you planted it.Become a greater Lover by becoming a greater Giver.

The 12th Day of Christmas   On the 12th Day of Christmas, we celebrate the Eve of Epiphany.  This means we are on the cusp of change.  We end the 12 Days of Christmas and move into Epiphany.  I rather like the decision of the Council of Tours in 567 (what a great date!) that there should be celebrations from Christmas Day through to Epiphany Eve – which gave birth to the 12 Days of Christmas – or what we Brits call Christmastide.  This is a splendid idea since most folks don’t really come back to work until about 10th January!  Holding to this tradition and adapting it to the modern work pattern, we’d have 12 Days of feasting and 4 days to detox!   In fact, the ancient pattern wasn’t that far away from that - because there is a tradition of fasting during Advent to get ready for the feasting.   Fasting, feasting, detox!   From tomorrow, Epiphanytide will run until Candlemas.  What is Epiphany?  This is traditionally when the Three Kings came to adore the baby.  Thus, the Irish tradition of adding the figures of the Three Kings to the Nativity scene on Twelfth Night ready for Epiphany.   But that’s tomorrow… let’s talk about partying!   The famous Carol, “Here we come a wassailing,” refers to this evening where the poor would often go door-to-door singing songs of good cheer and blessing each household in return for a drink from the wassail bowl – filled with hot ale, apples, spices, and mead!  The noun, “wassail,” refers to the drink.Where the wassail is more cider than ale, it can be connected to a more rural request for a good cider apple crop in the year to come.  To wassail, as a verb, means to party on in the lively way associated with twelfth night, and also to go from house-to-house singing carols.  It should, therefore, be a jolly good evening!   Another tradition you may enjoy bringing back is the King Cake – baked with a bean and a pea.  I’m guessing there was a separate cake for the boys and the girls as whoever gets the piece with the pea in gets to be Queen for the night, and whoever gets the bean gets to be King… for one night.  We can be heroes just for one day.  Servants would become masters.  This could become a fun family tradition for you and yours - if only for one night!   Do we need any deep spiritual message for today and tonight?  I don’t think so. Epiphany, tomorrow, is deeply significant, but for tonight let’s enter into the spirit of celebration, blessing, thanksgiving, and generosity… and if you don’t have the energy for that, you could always watch Shakespeare’s comedy, “Twelfth Night.”  (But that’s another story.)

Imagine being asked to leave a monastery for being too extreme. This was part of the journey taken by Simeon Stylites - a famous "Pillar Saint". Focus gets results.

Jesus was presented at the Temple, as was the Jewish tradition. This involved circumcision as the child's name was presented to God.We'd talk about a Christening nowadays, and a lot less blood and pain! In the classic movie, "Dances With Wolves," we learn of the Native American tradition of naming someone according to their most visible or memorable characteristic or characteristic behaviour. Kevin Costner's character was seen dancing with wolves, hence the name. What would your Native American Name be from your current lifestyle? What would you prefer it to be if that's not a happy answer?

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMASSaint Basil on Social Justice (and more!)The 16th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations is, "Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions." Goal 10 of the 17 is, "Reduced Inequalities." Goal 1 is, "No Poverty." Goal 2 is, "Zero Hunger," and Goal 5 is, "Gender Equality." Saint Basil would approve. Quote 1When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor. Quote 2A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. Quote 3While we try to amass wealth, make piles of money, get hold of the land as our real property, overtop one another in riches, we have palpably cast off justice, and lost the common good. I should like to know how any man can be just, who is deliberately aiming to get out of someone else what he wants for himself. Enjoy more of Basil's wisdom here:lnkd.in/gUxyujtxandlnkd.in/gKQ8GmmZ

"Let It Be"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to meSpeaking words of wisdom, let it beAnd in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of meSpeaking words of wisdom, let it beLet it be, let it be, let it be, let it beWhisper words of wisdom, let it be[Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon]I wonder if the Reformation was a rejection of Motherhood?  It's an interesting thought given the venom against Mary.  What would have happened if Sigmund Freud had access to Martin Luther?  Imagine Luther on the couch and Ziggy saying, "Tell me about your Mother..."In this very emotional recording, captured last Christmas, I realise (watching it again with some distance) that my own loss of my Mum is impacting what I share and how I share it.  Mum died in 2019, and the wounds are still raw.  However, this is the point of the Podcast and the Vlog - we all need a Mother figure.  The Apostle Paul recognised the need of the Church to have father-figures, even though Jesus was clear that we only have One Father.  If the Church needs flesh-and-blood father-figures to help the saints grow to maturity, how much more do we all need Mother-figures?[Pauline reference is 1 Corinthians 4:15 "For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News."]Enjoy then, a fresh, if emotional, appreciation of Mary and Motherhood on this, the 8th Day of Christmas.Oh, and also enjoy the shout outs to two other great Mother figures: Guan Yin and... Moominmamma, with her handbag full of wonders and compforts!Not content with bringing focus back to Mother Mary, here's a bit of Eastern Philosophy!  https://youtu.be/5yZ8a_zAEl0 - it includes Guan Yin.