In Isaiah’s day, being blind or lame meant being destitute, and dry land meant famine. So God’s salvation wan’t just about forgiveness, it was rescue from oppressive poverty and hunger. … More Isaiah 35:1-10
Did the sun rise for you this morning? Did you do anything to deserve that? God gives his blessings on you and on me without our having done anything to deserve them. The sun also rose for the people you do not like, for the leaders of ISIS, for the candidate in the US presidential … More Being – Love your Enemies
Have you seen the film ‘The Bucket List’? It’s about two terminally-ill, grumpy guys who create a list of things to do before they kick the bucket, and the knowledge that it’s a limited-time offer focusses their minds. They start off with thrills like riding motorcycles on the Great Wall of China, but at the … More Activity – Bucket List
We can use coloured ‘reins’ to help us visualise and mediate on places where we have, or don’t have, control. We are going to use the fingers of the hand to represent the areas of our lives that God has entrusted to our care. It is good to take responsibility for the things given to us, but it … More Activity – Who is in charge?
In the film ‘Johnny English’, the Archbishop of Canterbury has (somewhat inexplicably) the words ‘Jesus is coming, look busy’ tattooed upon his nether regions. This activity helps us to be aware of how we are living – ready for Jesus or not so much? You will need paper, pencil and a clock. Jesus said that we … More Activity – Time and Date
We are creatures both of time and eternity. This activity explores these two lives in a tactile way. You will need yarn of two different colours. Each person will need a short length (about 15-30cm / 6-12″) of one colour and a much longer length, several metres, of another. Wind the longer length into a small … More Activity – Life Lines
An Activity You will need a sheet of paper, coloured pens, a glue stick and a pair of scissors. Cut the paper in half longways, then cut each of those in half again to make 4 long strips and each of those in half again to make 8 long thin strips. Using the coloured pens, … More Activity – Immeasurably More
This activity is a well-known illustration of priorities, and has many applications. There is a set of pictures you can use as well. You will need a tray and a glass jar. To fill it find something large, like ping-pong or golf balls; something medium-sized, like dried beans or gravel or nuts; and something small, like … More Activity – First Things First
We are going to illustrate what Jesus said are the greatest commandments. You will need a sheet of paper and a pencil, and some colouring pencils or highlighters. Draw three circles, one inside another, so that it looks like a target. You can cut round the largest circle if you like. In the outer circle write … More Activity – Priority Targets
This activity makes for some interesting mathematical fun as well as a a great take-home reminder of the mystery of the Trinity. The fact that I can’t quite get my head round it does not mean that it is not so. Works with maths. Works with God too. We’re going to make some joined-but-not-joined loops. They’re … More Activity – Trinity Rings
The Reflectionary 