Let’s feed ourselves as a community at this time with the Word of God that brings life. Let’s speak these words of Life over each other, by sending in Scriptures, words of encouragement, prophetic pictures, song links etc. that raise faith not fear. The Pastors will decide where these contributions will best be used as we seek to encourage each other.
2021
Click on the tabs below to see what God has been saying during this time…

Following on from last Sunday’s preach on Isaiah 40:6-8, I was reminded of series of drawings I made last summer of blades of grass inspired by this passage. A rumination on the fragility of life.
Rodney Dee
From Sunday morning’s sermon (3rd Jan) – Isaiah 40, Luke 2:21
You can’t stay neutral
Jesus Christ is born…and
He requires your attention!
We find ourselves when we look outside of ourselves.
Simeon carried, yearned, waited for?
— Him.
Are you willing to hang around the temple
Til it’s accomplished and you see
— Him?
From Sunday morning’s sermon (10th Jan) – Isaiah 40, Luke 3:1-6

From Sunday evening’s sermon (10th Jan) – Psalm 16
Do you know the path to life?
How can you ever survive ?
By setting the LORD – Always,
At your right hand.
Do not regret your past or fear your future.
Do not minimise all God wants to do through you.
Keep your heart open.
Realise His Way and release your way.
Recognise He is out to bless.
When thou goest, thy way shall be opened up before thee step by step – Prov 4:12

Your life is beautiful,
and fragile.
Handle with prayer.
Esther Matthews
2020
We are God’s House
During Sunday morning worship on 2nd August we celebrated being God’s house and a church family. We were challenged to respond creatively in some way – perhaps through giving a testimony, writing a song, drawing a picture, or even building something in 3D! Below are just some of those responses…
I did this creative exercise a long time ago but being God’s family/community reminds me of it…. It came out of a prompt to explore what it meant to join with others.
Two separate paintings like two people coming together, and then being woven together. As I completed this project, I reflected a lot on the process and meaning. It is titled ‘2 become 1’, but actually I was thinking in terms of church relationships (as well as being true for marriage). Part of each person’s responsibility is to hide periodically to let the other be promoted and ‘shine’, to act as a support to the other. But each individual also needs to take their turn up front, letting who they are be seen and celebrated.
As I wove the strips together I noticed that sometimes a bit of paper had to be torn off an edge to make the strips tessellate. God requires us to be honed and refined, and the more we allow Him to do that the better we tessellate and ‘fit’ with others. Although the final pattern is a mixture and could potentially look quite messy there is still a beauty and an entirely unique pattern that emerges. But it requires sacrifice, and it struck me that having bits torn off yourself and being willing to hide underneath others can be painful.
It was also a slow process of weaving and joining. It required a lot of effort to tessellate the paper strips. And that’s just two people merging. When you join together many many others in the church context it really does require each person to do their part to join, transform, merge, submit, show up and commit to the sometimes painful process of uniting. Each part needs to do its part or the pattern doesn’t fit as intended. God is good at this work of unity, but are we good at joining with Him and being pliable in His hands?!! I found it challenging but it also explained a lot!
Libby Williams


This is not a picture of the house that Jim built! It’s a photo I took several years ago in Cuzco, Peru. This wall was built in Inca times and every stone is different from the next one and every stone was cut by hand and every stone fits perfectly with its neighbour. As a piece of architecture it’s fantastic, but as a picture of how God shapes us and builds us as His church family yet lets us keep our individuality, it’s a miracle!
Does it remind you of 1 Peter 2:5?
“…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Jim Merritt


Elizabeth Edwards
Psalm Devotionals with Murray Salisbury
Just click on the tabs below to see each of Murray’s videos
Click on the tabs below to see what God has been saying during this time…
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From Sunday morning’s sermon – Luke 2:8-20

What is His Word to us
As we crawl – 2020 to 21?
Our God of Providence in all
Our uncertainty.
Put into place the Rocks of Truth
The Truth and Grace for a life well lived,
Then the pebbles, the sand
will fit around.
Return to your fields,
– your calling, your place.
Running, seeing, telling, living.
With the message of Truth
And a new face
of wonder and Grace.
From Sunday morning’s sermon – John 1:9

From Sunday morning’s sermon – John 1:1-5

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 13:1-21

“He makes a way, where there was no way…”
God can create hope and light out of darkness.

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 10:19-39

From Sunday evening’s sermon – Mark 1:14-19 and John 1:35-42

From Sunday evening’s sermon – Mark 2:23-3:6

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 3:7-4:13

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 2:5-3:6

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 1:5-2:4

From Sunday evening’s sermon – Mark 1:14-15, 21-34

God changeth everything,
God changeth nothing.
God in the coming,
God in the going,
God the Almighty Forgiver.
I cannot come into His presence,
How I am tainted in sin,
O but I can
Stand before Him
Forgiven and completely washed clean.
Overwhelmed
by the work to be done,
It is not my burden
Says Him,
God’s Son.
I have gone before,
And I WILL go ahead,
So cast out all fears
THIS is what the Bible says:
You who are weary,
In need of rest,
O come to the alter
Let my will manifest.
I have overcome,
I have paid the price,
Sin has been defeated
My chosen sacrifice.
Who am I to question?
Who am I to judge?
When I’m standing in the fire
I look upon Your blood.
Dripping from Your hands,
As You hung upon the cross
All my sin laid bare
O how the waves do toss.
Yet You do not leave us lonely,
You do not disappear.
Instead You rose again
To wipe away our tears.
You left us with Your Spirit
Of knowledge and of peace,
I know that one day we will meet
And trespasses will cease.
Written by Mena Hameed
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Matthew 20:31-34

From Sunday evening’s sermon – 1 Samuel 16:14-23

David the Shepherd, Singer, Warrior, King.
His life spent for God
whether wilderness or Court.
His life – as our lives
Human in his ways
But in everything
His name spelt Love
His mind chose Trust
His heart was God’s


From Sunday morning’s sermon – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

From Sunday evening’s sermon – 1 Samuel 29:1-30:6

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 4:32-37

From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 4:23-31

The great ebb and flow,
The great patchwork of God’s design.
His sovereign Work and Grace.
The prayer meeting, the market place,
the healing and preaching,
the persecution and power.
And I know…
All my life You have been Faithful
All my life You have been
So so good…
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the Goodness of God.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
(Italics: Goodness of God, written by Jenn Johnson, Jason Ingram, Ben Fielding, Ed Cash and Brian Johnson)
From Sunday evening’s sermon – 1 Samuel 21:10-15

when brokenhearted, afraid, crushed and confused?
God’s heart is to redeem.
Incline your ear to Him-
Painted and written by Esther Matthews

Painted by Esther Matthews
Arundel Fields

as the wind blows by
Like waves on the shore,
the grass ripples and rolls.
Every field knows its Maker.
Every twist of the breeze
Every tumble and turn of the trees and the fields
Every blade of the corn
knows it’s LORD.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 4:13-22

Shut Him up –
Lock Him away? anything to
stop the circulation,
silence the conversation,
control the information.
But Life comes from Resurrection
Good news is Him-Connection
Pack Christ up and tuck Him away?
No man ever can.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
Here I Stand
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 4:1-12

Painted by Esther Matthews
The Gate of the Year
Written by Elizabeth Edwards and performed by Elizabeth and her choir (recorded live during a service) – click below to listen…
Elizabeth writes:
I wrote this piece a few years ago, but feel it is relevant today. The text is the first verse from a longer poem called ‘God Knows’ by Minnie Louise Haskins. You can read the full poem here:
Lyrics:
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
From Sunday evening’s sermon – 1 Samuel 18

Painted by Esther Matthews
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 3:11-26

The man was healed – he wouldn’t let go.
The crowd could see this was no hoax.
Why are you surprised? The disciples ask.
There’s but One Name, so repent and trust.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – 1 Samuel 17:33-58

Saul’s tunic hung on David’s uniqueness.
Strange fitting armour on David’s raw faith.
So David strips it off, stands only as himself.
Steps up, again, to prove God’s Worth.
For David had remembered
God’s Help in danger and dismay.
Great acts of Faith are rooted in our past.
Remember God’s Protection
And raise your Ebenezer.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 3:1-10

Don’t keep at Bay… be a Bridge
Don’t Draw away… Draw them in.
With our simple faith and
With His Superpower anointing…
Reach out to a suffering world and
Embrace the hurting
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayed in German, Telugu, Portuguese, Cantonese, British Sign Language and Yoruba
“God’s Anointing”

Click on the named links for an explanation of the vision and then the interpretation of the vision expressed through the tapestry.
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 2

Cut to the heart
Cleansed in repentance
Baptised in Christ’s Name
Held in God’s Spirit
As promised.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Matthew 6

Hear the drum roll in Your ear
The call to all
In peace, in battle
“Remember”
He owns the Kingdom
He has the Power
His is the Glory
“Amen”
Painted and written by Esther Matthews

Drawn by a church member
They write: Following on from the preach on Sunday, I was reminded of how the power of life and death are contained in the tongue. I imagined Peter’s words giving life to so many, raising them from death.

Drawn by a church member
They write: In response to the Great Realisation we heard on Sunday, I imagined the earth being able to breathe and the things that God has been doing through us, below the surface, during this time of lockdown. I imagined the roots of a sapling which have become established and the things we have to look forward to as we return to normal life.
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Psalm 16

Is God enough?
We all have rhythm, our own liturgy to life
God in our fun – and also in our humdrum?
Is He enough or are we tempted to cross the boundaries He has gifted?
We find stability when
We find God is here.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Matthew 6:13

We are drawn to sin
We know our weakened heart
LORD – Never turn us over to
our stubborn inclinations.
LORD – Strengthen us to not fail in
our hour of temptations.
Forgiven when we do.
It’s a rocky road of obedience…
But, Sandals are provided.
Find the gemstones of God’s Grace as you Walk that Way.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews

Painted by Jo Overington
“He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.”
– Psalm 23:2 –
(The Passion Translation)
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Acts 1

“I AM” in the waiting.
A significant pause
A significant time.
It’s not about eagerness
programs,
endeavour.
But the Gift
Of the Power
of His Spirit
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Matthew 6:12, Matthew 18, Colossians 1

An everlasting ocean.
Forgiveness so vast.
Boundless,
Measureless spoons of Grace.
Yet we measure ours out
with but a teaspoon?
Painted and written by Esther Matthews

Photos taken by Philip Colinese

Who do you worship?
He formed the dust and breathed in Life
And watches to see where you will turn.
Who will you worship
while you have breath?
Who has your heart, who pulls your strings and leads you dancing in their ways?
The dust of life is made to praise His Spirit,
Not the enemy’s days.
Not sandcastles at sunset tide,
That look so grand
But come crashing down
as time moves by.
Not building with a mist,
catching a vapour in your hand
That slips and taunts and promises more but alludes your grasp
and bypasses your own good.
But Spirit strung
And Spirit sung
Where Spirit source
gives certain Hope.
Who do you worship?
The clock is wound.
And all creation urges you
To place your life
into His Hands.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday morning’s sermon – John 21:15

He sent the letter.
He wrote with blood.
His Love fills pages.
His Faithfulness the Kiss –
that seals the post.
They’ll keep on coming, daily –
sent and sealed.
Tear open His letter,
thrive on His desire for you.
Wait for His words,
pour over His passion.
Be besotted.
Be rebirthed.
Be beloved.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
Jesus’ Hands of Love

Painted by Therese Redman
Therese writes: I painted the background in 2011! I had a sense of wanting to convey the love of God. The colours were to represent love shining through the darkness. Initially I thought I would try and paint the hands of God in the middle holding a child, but during a sermon a few years ago when singing a song which says this is love, his nail scarred hands, I felt I should paint Jesus’ hands in the middle. My sense, and this has come many times since, is that Jesus’ hands are nail scarred to take all the pain, the rubbish things, the burdens for us!

Painted by a Janice Cheale
Janice writes: I had read the verse about “Oh for the wings of a dove so I could fly away and find rest” (Psalm 55:6) some days ago, and I felt that many of us would have felt like that at times, so I felt I would paint it.
After a couple of days I felt that the Lord was saying, “I don’t want you to “fly away” but to come to Me”. In Matthew 11:28-30, it says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…” So I added this to the picture.

Rooster – by Ed Rusha (1987)
A church member writes: The image above is not my own but a stencil by the artist Ed Rusha entitled Rooster (1987). I was reminded of this image following the sermon last Sunday. In thinking about Jesus being the same today, tomorrow and forever, I was prompted to think about new beginnings and I had this picture of a rooster crowing. In the Bible, the rooster is usually associated with Peter who denied knowing Jesus three times following his arrest. I’m sure Peter would have had a very visceral reaction to hearing the rooster crowing thereafter. However, for me the rooster has other associations. I see it more as a symbol of hope.
Just like Peter was given a fresh start, going onto become a powerful advocate for the early church, I believe the crowing rooster suggests the dawning of a new day and a new thing that God wishes to do in us.
Your Love for Me – a testimony from Gabi Stocks
Last Saturday I was feeling much better after the second cycle of my cancer treatment. I had a dream the night before that I was dancing to God for all the blessings that He is pouring out on me during this hard time! God turned my cry into happiness! It’s my first testimony!
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
Psalm 30:11-12
Gabi also writes: If you wish to talk to me about faith and cancer treatment, please, I’m here for you. You can contact me via the Church Office. I’m happy to answer any questions and share my story.

Click here for a downloadable copy of this picture for you to colour in or write down all the names of those you are praying for during this time.
If you are unable to print at home, contact the Church Office and we’ll send a copy to you.
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Hebrews 4:14-16

In the sand…
Life is not a single print
A static picture in the sand.
It’s full & changing, challenging, exotic.
Rings of His
Encompassing Arms around us.
Like the growth rings of a tree,
constant companion to my times on earth –
the years of growth
and the years of drought.
Sympathising with my pain,
bearing me through my sin and shame –
Gathering up my life
and propelling me to glory.
So when you pray,
your voice is not deafened
by the roar of life’s waves.
Your tiniest whisper
is carried on His winds and
He will stretch down and walk with you –
Princely prints aligned
in the sand.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Exodus 19:4, Matthew 6:10

In one generation,
God can take us,
slaves to freedom,
and Sabbath Rest back
to His Creation.
His Kingdom Come –
stirred, not shaken.
His Purposes –
always accomplished.
On eagle’s wings He’ll carry us,
to be His Kingdom –
treasured possession,
So pray
“Thy Kingdom Come”
and follow the Servant King
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
Written and performed by Elizabeth Edwards – click below to listen…
Lyrics:
Yeshua, Salvation, will you call your walls,
and your gates will you call Praise.
No more will the sun be your daylight,
nor will moonlight shine on you;
But the Lord Adonai will be your light forever.
(Isaiah 60:18-19)
From Sunday morning’s sermon – Romans 1:16-17

Why be ashamed?
Of Him Who gives me LIFE.
A bursting life
of technicolour.
He stretches down from on High
He scoops up the dust He Created
And
from His Touch
The Fullest LIFE ensues.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Matthew 6:9

Shut up!
We are talking a lot,
We are talking too much.
Look up!
Remember God Is, Always,
feel His Awesome Weight
And,
take off your sandals.
Rise up!
Remind the world that
God is Holy.
Sing out the weight of His Worthiness.
Own up…
that God is God
And you are not.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
Written and performed by Jill Hoffmann – click below to listen…
Accompanying Jill’s song, click here for some reflections from Psalm 121.
Morning Has Broken – sung by Michele de Casanove
‘I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.’
– Psalm 104:33 –
Heavenly Father, please draw us near to you today so that we may see you and your creation in a new way. Let us find fresh hope for today and the future by remembering all the wondrous work of Your Hands. Amen.

Drawn by a church member
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
– John 15:5 –

Psalm 91
An invitation to come under the Lord’s wing, especially when we feel besieged by threats at the moment.
In response to Sunday morning’s sermon from John 20:10-31

Drawn by a church member
‘I had been thinking about this idea of intimacy in that Jesus was choosing to reveal himself to a small group of close friends, who had been hiding away, but also that he would allow them to see his wounds. In the case of Thomas he was not only able to see the holes in his hands, but to place his finger into Jesus’s side. When drawing this picture, I imagined Jesus revealing his hands to the disciples in a darkened room. It felt to me to be a very quiet and intimate gesture. It seemed to echo elements of Jesus’s public ministry which were also distinctly understated.’

PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM!
FOR EACH TREE AND FLOWER,
HE’S PLANNED AND MADE!
Great to see these sunny days in the garden, and marvel at His creation, big and small, even in lockdown.
Photos from Yvonne Donoghue
Hope
Hope is a fragile thing
In this broken world
A thin thread to hold on to
With slipping fingers
Darkness overwhelms hope
Despair its companion
Dragging us down in to
Depths of depression
Hope is a gift of life
Found in a person
Who reaches down to us
and lifts us up again
Open our eyes to see you
Offering understanding
Overflowing love and peace
Omnipresent Joy
Written by Ruth Salisbury
Do not be afraid for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name you are mine.
When you go through deep waters I will be with you…
For you are precious to me … and I love you.
Isaiah 43:1-2, 4
Romans 15:13
Amazing Grace – played by Marcus White
From Sunday evening’s sermon – Matthew 6:5-13

It’s words from Jesus
and no other
that can Speak
and Work.
They can Love
and Live.
Jesus gives us His Words.
They weigh.
They flow.
They are a gift.
So come on in.
Shut the door
Use My Words
From My Heart.
Painted and written by Esther Matthews
Written and performed by Elizabeth Edwards – click below to listen…
Lyrics: For behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of time (Matt. 28:20). I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). He who testifieth these things saith “Surely I come quickly”. Alleluia, even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20).

The Lion and The Lamb….??
Both? At one and the same time??
Some need to hear His roar …..
Others need to bleat and be heard.
He, Who is all things to all people:
Strong and Gentle
Mighty and Meek
Powerful and Vulnerable:
The Lion and The Lamb.
Some can stand strong with Him
Others must lie weakly alongside Him
Hear now the Lion’s victory roar
Hear now the Lamb’s mercy cry
You, Who are all things for all people,
We praise You
We bless You
We long to see You
Come , Lord Jesus, come
Derek Wensley
A picture from a church member during Midday Prayer:
When we were praying I had picture of a fallen tree across a path in woods, the tree’s roots were exposed, but from them were growing new shoots. That day on the news update, I was really surprised to hear them talking about new shoots. The next day, while still thinking about the picture, I googled new shoots in the Bible and found this verse:
“At least there is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.”
Job 14:7
Meditation for all who may feel anxious or alone…
It is useful to notice that the antidote for fear is gratitude – so lets look at what we can be grateful for together.
Take a moment to let God look at you. Breathe in God’s love.
Place your hand on your heart and begin to notice the warmth of your hand and ask Jesus to be present there too. As you notice the warmth of His presence and of your hand ask Jesus to help you bring to mind what you feel most grateful for.
Recall that moment, the sounds or smells or textures that surrounded you. Remember what the weather was like and enjoy the gratitude you feel again. Breathe in its life and imagine what it might be like to breathe out your anxieties that Jesus can take away from you. Breathe for a few moments, noticing on the in breath what you are grateful for and on the out breath what you want to give over to God.
As you are noticing what you are grateful for and the presence of God then also allow the thought to grow that in this moment – you are not alone. In his presence you are able to enjoy His companionship. As you enjoy His companionship – ask for His help tomorrow.
May the blessings and peace of God surround you, keep you and uphold you!

via The Academy of Art, Creativity & Consciousness
The Rebirth
As the lockdown continued
And days became weeks, then months,
Earth rolled from winter into spring.
The crystalline clarity of the sky
Was one of the first signs of the rebirth.
In the field this morning, no one else about,
A startled deer ran off into the woods
Unused to human company.
At first, dull traffic still continued
On the roads, but gradually
Weeds sprang through cracks, and tarmac
Gave way to nature’s thrusting pulse.
Somewhere above us satellites detected
Clean air over China. In Venice
Dolphins played in the Grand Canal.
Rain forests of Indonesia and America
Started the fightback against the palm groves.
And people began to change. Distracted from distraction,
Slowly we became aware of one another.
The ill and lonely came to our attention
And thoughts turned from ourselves to those around.
Acts of kindness replaced supermarket wars,
Life slowed, and we began to breathe again.
Peter Wilkinson
Speak to your soul – Come to the waters
Isaiah 55
Here are four action points from Sunday morning’s message on 22nd March:
Listen more than you speak
“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5.2).
How often do we just plough on with good ideas, when we haven’t stopped to listen to God? Step out of the traffic – the twitter feeds, the WhatsApp messages, the emails.
Jesus says, ‘Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest…Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG).
Allow the Holy Spirit to bring God’s Word to life in you
It’s been said: The Word and no Spirit, we dry up. The Spirit and no Word, we blow up.
We need both God’s Word and God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings the Word to life for us.
God’s Word is a living Word. There’s not a word in the bible about COVID 19…or herd immunity or any of the other words that may find their way into the Oxford dictionary by 2021. But God’s Spirit brings to life God’s Word at a particular cultural moment.
So before you read the bible each, pray ‘Come, Holy Spirit. Breathe on me. Bring God’s Word to life for me.’
Speak to your soul
The soul integrates the mind, the will and the body – it connects them. God created us for wholeness: for connection between these different aspects of ourselves and for connection with him. When my soul is connected to God and His life-giving Word, my soul finds wholeness; when I live distracted from distraction by distraction, my soul feels fractured. James 1.8 says ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways’ – the word in Greek for double-minded is literally ‘split souled’ or ‘your fractured soul.’
Let’s speak to our souls at this anxious time, when not only physical but also mental health, is at risk. We could become more frenetic, more hooked to our devices and more distracted than ever, or we could ‘Come to the waters.’ Jesus is holding out an invitation at this time – and whatever happens due to the Coronavirus, God will bring wholeness to our souls during this time.
Store up God’s Word
Instead of hoarding pasta or toilet roll, let’s store up God’s Word during this time.
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
After God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt and before they entered the promised land, he said this to them: “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut 11:18-20).
This is how we fight our battles. Store up God’s Word, feed on it, and allow it to transform you. We live out of the words we live under.
‘Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
Isaiah 55:2-3

Lockdown
Sing.
Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM
13 March 2020

Matthew 21:1-11
Sunday 6th April – Morning Service

Jeremiah 32
As we worshipped together on live stream, I saw light piercing darkness. The darkness seemed to be like deep space. I drew the world, squashed inside this darkness.… but, as people in the world chose to praise and glorify God, shards of light seemed to shot out from them, into the darkness. All these shards joined tougher to make beams of light. Even as lines and cracks seemed to appear across the world I realised the beams had created a cross reaching across the world.
I believe these pictures together reflect our journey as people walking in to the darkness of the world at the moment. We may feel like we are just one voice, but together we hold on to the power and glory of the the light of Christ and his wonderful news of life and hope in the Easter story.
Sunday 29th March – Morning Service

Isaiah 55
(This picture reads from right to left)
I began without colour…. a person praying in a lonely place. Surrounded by burnt ashes…. maybe a burnt nest. It felt very sad.
Then I heard Karen read the end of the passage ….“you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace and the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you”…. and my heart literally filled with joy. (This was a song I had sang only weeks before. It and been a moment of real unity and joy in worship). I felt the overwhelming need to bring colour back into the picture. To paint the trees singing with joy, bursting with new life and hope. God has not left us.
Sunday 22nd March – Morning Service

1 Corinthians 3
(This picture reads from left to right)
I began by scribbling colours that felt angry, chaotic and out of control. I felt this somehow symbolised the world and the turmoil of quarrels, brokenness and disregard for God’s presence in everything.
Then there was a distinct stop….almost as if a line had been drawn down the page… ‘enough’.
On the other side of the paper I painted soft gentle greens and blues. May be this showed God’s world as it is meant to be?….
I then felt a need to stop using colour. As Ian preached about the temple (v10-17) I began to draw this. I saw it filling with people of all shapes and sizes – bringing with them different burdens. Ian spoke about peoples work being shown for what it is… revealed through fire (v13-14) I began to draw the roof of the temple burning with flames rising into the sky. As I drew this, I saw birds appearing in the smoke that were flying together into the restful sky. They looked at peace.
Such a stark contrast to the chaos of the world.
Sunday 8th March – Morning Service

John 1:35-39
As I painted this image it felt unformed, uncertain and unfinished. All I could see was an egg resting in a nest of feathers and God saying ‘stay with me’…. I wondered if over Lent God was asking us to wait..something was forming and growing inside but for now we couldn’t know what it would be or look like.
Sunday 1st March – Morning Service

Matthew 21, Psalm 118, Zechariah 9:9
This is the real thing.
Sunday 5th April – Morning Service

John 16, Psalm 34
And He’ll guide me with His Hand…
Sunday 5th April – Evening Service

Jeremiah 32, Psalm 77:11-15, Psalm 103:14-18
Psalm 88… my closest companion?
DARKNESS
There is more to come.
Sunday 29th March – Morning Service

John 16:20-22
Joy.
Sunday 29th March – Evening Service

Isaiah 55
And the backdrop is always the rainbow.
Sunday 22nd March – Morning Service

Matthew 11:28-31
Yoked alone, or with YAWEH Himself.
Sunday 22nd March – Evening Service

Acts 5:12-25
Colour, Light, Strength.
The flag doesn’t change,
Compassionate Truth without compromise.
Plant your flag in the strongholds of your life.
We stand with our King.
“When the Enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise a standard against him!” (Isaiah 59:19, NKJV)
Sunday 1st March – Morning Service

John 1:35-39
Go from that place. Shalom.
Sunday 1st March – Evening Service

Matthew 6:25

1 Corinthians 3

Luke 5

Psalm 46
But God is not small, He is not scared, He is not surprised.
Don’t lose your heart

1 Corinthians 4
By the Blood.
The way of Jesus is hard
But anything else is dull, and dead.
So, learn to blossom
Where you’re planted.
Confined, to shine.

Luke 6
You can never exhaust His Love for you.
And Only from His