Creation is groaning Laden with weariness Like a prisoner confined to shadows Aching with indefinable loss Haunted by elusive memories Of a distant day of brightness When nothing hungered And Adam’s touch Was free of fear Creation is listening Straining to hear again The laughter of innocence Echoing like a melodic song Summoning every … Continue reading Creation
bread for the bride
Mixing Sacred and Profane
It must have been quite a scene: men running in all directions, frightened sheep bleating, wild-eyed oxen stampeding through the crowds, money scattered on the ground and tables upended. In the middle of it all stood an angry Man wielding a self-made whip, at the same time yelling something about His Father’s house. There was … Continue reading Mixing Sacred and Profane
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The Beautiful Journey
Psalm 23 is surely among the best known, best loved of Bible passages. I would like to invite you now to take a fresh look at this well-loved psalm, possibly from a new perspective, for within it is hidden a prophetic picture of the Bride of Christ. The Psalm reveals the Bride’s beautiful journey in … Continue reading The Beautiful Journey
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Rocking the Boat
There are two ways to view scripture. Either it’s the word of God to humankind infused with the living Spirit of God whose fruit is always abundant life, or it's the dead letter of religious law-keeping, the fruit of which is always condemnation and spiritual death. The first view is rooted in the sure knowledge … Continue reading Rocking the Boat
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The Embrace of God
The Bride now emerging from the wilderness is learning one thing above all others: what it means to lean on the Bridegroom. To “lean on” means to shift our weight entirely to something else, wholly trusting that specific ‘something else’ to hold or carry us safely and securely. We do this every time we sit … Continue reading The Embrace of God
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Watch This Space
“Foolishness” mumbled the soldier Casting lots for the rabbi’s garment “An utter waste of a good man’s life” “Serves him right” spat the Pharisee Nodding to himself self righteously Stroking his beard with smug delight “It cannot be!” uttered the disciple Tears streaming from bloodshot eyes “It wasn’t meant to … Continue reading Watch This Space
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Come Away!
Here on the east coast of Australia Spring has made a welcome arrival. I understand that for most of the world it is now Autumn (or Fall), but we in the southern hemisphere are emerging from our long winter season into the renewal of life that Spring always brings. Spring for me has always been … Continue reading Come Away!
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Becoming Christlike? I Don’t Think So!
In Australia we often say a son or daughter is the "spitting image" of his or her mother or father. Basically it means “to see the child is to see the parent”. Remember Jesus telling Philip that if he had seen Him, he had also seen His Father (John 14:9)? Jesus is the express image … Continue reading Becoming Christlike? I Don’t Think So!
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Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time I used to think I had some answers That was before I knew the Answer had me I used to know all ten commandments That was before You showed me I didn’t even know the first one I used to think others had mapped it all out for me … Continue reading Once Upon a Time
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Trinity
Breath of the Spirit Arms of the Father Kiss of the Son Enfolded: Welcomed without condition Into this ageless community Of perfect love Wrapped tenderly, encompassed Within its three-fold Embrace Enfolded: Wholly accepted In the Beloved Lifted weightlessly Effortlessly Into an undivided atmosphere Of divine kinship Caress of the Spirit Devotion of … Continue reading Trinity
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Bride-Atude Nine: The Faithful Witnesses
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. In China we are imprisoned and tortured; in Egypt we are denied justice; in Nigeria we are regularly gunned down or burned to death; in Myanmar we are used as slaves by the military; … Continue reading Bride-Atude Nine: The Faithful Witnesses
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Bride-Atude Eight: The Light Keepers
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... We have a habit of associating persecution only with ‘non-Christian’ countries and oppressive regimes. Especially in democratic societies we tend automatically to think that persecution belongs to a world we don’t really know. The idea that we may also … Continue reading Bride-Atude Eight: The Light Keepers
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Bride-Atude Seven: The Good Will Ambassadors
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God Somewhere in eternity there is a garden. In that garden humankind was created and co-existed in peace with the Creator. Then catastrophe struck. Man rejected God and the peace between them was shattered. No longer could they peacefully co-exist with God so … Continue reading Bride-Atude Seven: The Good Will Ambassadors
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Bride-Atude Six: The Greatest in the Kingdom
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God A pure heart is an innocent heart. Not innocent in regard to sin, but innocent in regard to having nothing to hide. Hidden agendas and self-centred manipulation of others are unfamiliar to the pure in heart. A pure heart is transparent. A pure heart … Continue reading Bride-Atude Six: The Greatest in the Kingdom
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Bride-Atude Five: The Blood Soaked Mercy Bearers
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy The greatest act of mercy in human history took place on a crude Roman cross at Golgotha when God the Mercy Bearer was denied mercy by those who needed it most. “Go and learn what this means”, said Jesus to the Pharisees: “I desire mercy and … Continue reading Bride-Atude Five: The Blood Soaked Mercy Bearers
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Bride-Atude Four: The Dove Eyed Lovers
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. How do you add water to a river in flood? How do you add righteousness to unlimited righteousness? Answer: you don’t. The point being that in this statement Jesus wasn’t encouraging us to try to increase in righteousness through our own efforts. His … Continue reading Bride-Atude Four: The Dove Eyed Lovers
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Bride-Atude Three: The Mighty Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “God helps those who help themselves” the world screams at us. Success belongs to the aggressive and the assertive. Admiration is for those who go after what they want at any cost. Not surprisingly, success in the Kingdom looks somewhat different. The King of Kings … Continue reading Bride-Atude Three: The Mighty Meek
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Bride-Atude Two: The Passionate Mourners
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. God is irrepressibly drawn to brokeness in the human heart. Jesus was acquainted with grief, meaning He knew sorrow by experience (Is.53:3). One of the most beautiful phrases in the New Testament is “Jesus wept”. When Jesus wept at Bethany it wasn’t because his friend Lazarus … Continue reading Bride-Atude Two: The Passionate Mourners
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Bride-Atude One: The Joyful Poor
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wasn’t blessing poverty here.This poverty of spirit is more accurately translated ‘destitute’. Jesus demonstrated this spiritual destitution by laying aside all the rights and privileges of His divinity in exchange for a life on earth that included a manger, homelessness, and … Continue reading Bride-Atude One: The Joyful Poor
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The Bride-Atudes
She is black, white, brown, caramel, albino and every shade in between. She speaks Swahili, Tamil, English, Italian, Hebrew, Pidgin, Mandarin and a countless number of other languages, past and present. Her eyes are brown, green, blue, black, hazel and any colour that eyes can be. She lives anywhere from shanty towns to royal palaces, … Continue reading The Bride-Atudes
Bread for the Bride 