Scandalous incarnation

Christmas is lights, tinsel and turkey,

Christmas is giving, receiving and sharing,

Christmas is carols, candles and communion.

Christmas is birth,

Christmas is scandal.

 ‘Our God contracted to a span

Incomprehensibly made man’

A man of flesh, of pain and passion.

A man with muscle, bone and hormone.

A man who lived and loved and lost,

Who sweated blood,

Who feared,

Who died.

God made man,

What a scandal!

Scandal of life,

Scandal of light,

Scandal of hope,

Scandal of grace.

Thank God for the scandal.

©Ruth M Gee 201216

For the LGBTQI Community - a kiss and a prayer

A kiss.
offering of love,
sign of affection,
joyful greeting,
comfort and healing,
The touch of lips in closeness and vulnerability.

When a kiss is abused,
When love is met by violence,
the world weeps
and we look for rainbows.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other. (Psalm 84:10)

Loving God,

Parent of all,

No-one is nameless before you.

We name before you now;

The LGBTQI community who have been devastated by the horror in Orlando,

Each person who died, was injured or has been bereaved,

Their names are written on the palm of your hand.

We name them and we pray for them.

And, lest we forget or ignore it,

We name the hatred and homophobia that destroys life.

We name it and we stand against it

Because you offer fullness of life

and we are your rainbow people.

We name these and pray for justice and peace.

Good Shepherd, you know your sheep by name

As we walk through the darkest valley,

We trust in you.

©Ruth M Gee  (June 2016)

Written in response to the killing of members of the LGBTI community in Orlando on June 12th 2016

Give up or take up.

What shall I give up for Lent this year?
What shall I take up during Lent?
What will I read?
What will I.........

This year I am not giving up or taking up but I am going to try to restore balance. It is always tempting to set targets for the season and usually when I do that, I set myself up for failure.
So this year I am noticing where things are out of balance and aiming to restore it.
For me this means more time to read.
Revisiting my pattern of prayer.
Looking carefully at my diary and priorities.
Ensuring that I spend quality time with family and friends.

All this is likely to mean that I will have to give up some things and take up others and at the end of Lent I hope that I will be in better shape physically, mentally and spiritually as a follower of Jesus.