The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you
And give you peace.

Numbers 6: 24-26 ESV

May we be filled with the love of Jesus.
The love that strengthens, the love that brings purpose, the love that brings peace, the love that brings joy, eternal hope and promise, the love that is greater than knowledge. The love that creates, brings life and sustains us. 

The love we simply receive as a gift from God through Jesus. Because God is love. 

Gracious God thank you for Jesus. As we read these words help us open our hearts to your  love. As we read these words we lift before You for anyone in need of your loving touch and presence. Help us to share your love and kindness with others, for Jesus sake. May your love radiate throughout our world. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Reflection written during the Quiet Time in church on Tuesday evening.

The Lord watches over you –
The Lord watches over your coming and going
Both now and evermore.

Ps 121 v 5 & 8

We sit, in the peace of church,
Looking through the glass partition
To the illuminated cross …

Through the glass we see
reflections of busy lives,
Commuters walking to and from the station,
Cars passing, runners jogging,
Children riding bikes.

We see images, snippets of life,
All visible under the watchful eye
And the open arms of the cross.

Each precious life watched over
By the God of love,
The God of life,
The God of hope.

We sit in the silence and pray …
Come Lord Jesus,
Come, watch over us,
Come, bless our community
With your never ending love.

Loving God, thank you for watching over us now and always. Open our ears to listen, our eyes to see and our hearts to respond to the needs of those around us. We pray for anyone in need of the assurance of your love and presence with them today. In Jesus name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

… God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 
Romans 5:5 NIV

Gracious God, Jesus promised a helper, a counsellor, a comforter and a guide; the Holy Spirit who will always be with us. We thank You for this beautiful gift and  reflect on the elements we associate with your Spirit –

Fire – thank you for the fire that energises, lights and warms our hearts

Water – thank you for the water that cleanses, refreshes, restores and sustains our bodies and souls

Wind – thank you for the wind that breathes life, change and transformation into our lives.

We also reflect on the image of a dove, descending, and bringing love, compassion, reconciliation and peace.

Gracious God of all goodness, life, love, energy, purpose, creativity, peace and joy, thank you for the natural  gifts you have given us and for the gift of your Spirit, freely given to all through Jesus. May your love and life transform our hearts and our world, for Jesus sake. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
1 Peter 5:7 

Gracious God, following on Mental Health Awareness week, we reflect on the words of Methodist Deacon Eunice Attwood : –

Loving and compassionate God,In the ebb and flow of our mental health, Breathe peace into anxious minds.
Pour strength into weary hearts.
Let hope rise in the lonely silences.

May we listen with openness,
Love beyond measure,

Guide us, loving God, to remove barriers,
Replacing stigma with compassion,
Nurturing a world where mental health is cherished,
Where every heart finds shelter in grace.

For your love endures,
A light for our path, a presence in every breath

Amen.

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in his dear Son!

Eph 1:6 GNT

Grace is sufficient,
Grace is enough,
When the day is easy,
Or the going is tough.

Grace cannot be earned,
Bought or sold,
But is given freely, 
From a heart of gold.

Grace is love, 
Kindness and care,
A concern for others,
And their best welfare.

Grace forgives,
The hurts we face,
Bringing peace and freedom,
From past mistakes. 

Grace brings promise,
Hope and peace,
Of love without end,
And life that will not cease.

Grace flows freely,
Through Jesus God’s Son,
By the power of the Spirit,
Now and in times to come.

Gracious God, as we reflect, we relax our bodies, quieten our minds and breathe deeply of your grace and your peace ……

As we breathe, we thank you for your free-flowing grace that is ours in Jesus …

As we breathe, we thank you for the grace we have received from others …

As we breathe, help us to open our arms and hearts and extend your grace to others …

We bring the prayers of our breath to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Jesus appears to two friends 
walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus
Luke 24: 13-25

We walked along the dusty road
Confusion in the air,
Puzzling over recent events –
The tomb is empty, Jesus isn’t there!

Jesus was left on the cross to die,
Nails pierced his hands and feet,
Blood and water gushed from his side,
He said it is finished, complete!

His body was laid in an empty cave,
With a boulder it was tightly secured,
Who moved it and where did they take him?
This mystery just cannot be endured.

Why are you distraught? a stranger asked,
As we journeyed on our way.
Haven’t you heard about Jesus? we replied,
His body has disappeared this very day.

The stranger walked along with us,
He opened our eyes and ears,
He explained the meaning of scriptures,
He spoke of Jesus, calmed our worries and fears.

The time passed quickly and all to soon,
We arrived at Emmaus our destination,
Come, stay, eat with us we implored,
Your words point the way to salvation.

As we shared bread realisation dawned,
With joy, we recognised Jesus, our Lord,
He had been alongside us all the way,
On that dry and dusty Emmaus road.

Loving God, thank You that you raised Jesus to life on Easter Sunday.  Be with us and walk with us in our times of doubt and confusion. Open our eyes, our ears and our hearts, to fully receive the message of new life, of love, forgiveness, hope, joy and peace.  Jesus is alive and with us today by his Spirit!

Dear Lord, may we know the assurance that Jesus walks alongside us today and every day.  May we walk and talk with each other each, especially in times of difficulty,  with the love, hope and understanding of Jesus.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Trust in the Lord with all your heart….

Proverbs 3:5 NIV

The journey is planned,
The way prepared,
Nothing overlooked,
Every stone unturned.

Our faithful guide
Knows the route,
Packs all we need,
To keep us afoot.

With a lightness of heart
We set out for the day,
Taking God’s love
Every step of the way.

Loving God, we take a few moments to quieten our minds, still our bodies and become aware of our breathing, as we come to spend time with You….

As we look at the photo, we picture ourselves, walking along the pathway, taking in and enjoy the colours, the sights, the sounds and the smells of springtime.

We picture Jesus, walking with us, bringing his presence, his peace, his provision and his guiding hand.  Maybe we walk together in companionable silence, maybe he listens to us, or we listen to him? What would we talk about? What would we ask of Him…..?

Loving God, you know our heart. We do not know what today holds, but we trust it to You.  Keep us on a straight path, as we step out with You.  May we have time to notice and appreciate what is around us, to show love to those we meet and trust in your loving presence and guiding hand this day.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

… God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit …
Romans 5:5 ESV

Gracious God, we take a moment to be still, to quieten our minds, relax our bodies and become aware of the rhythm of our breathing. We praise you, gracious God, for your presence with us.

We praise you for the love of Jesus. We praise you for the breath of your Holy Spirit in us. We praise you for a love that is with us in our joys and sorrows, in our pleasures and in our pains; a love that overcomes; a love that forgives; a love that guides; a love that restores; a love that enables; a love that whispers to us to come – just as we are….

In the beginning,
At the start,
Of each new day
And fresh chapter,
God’s love is in our heart.

In the midst
Of every battle,
At every twist and turn,
Through every joy, hope and promise,
God’s love remains the same.

At rest,
At reflection,
In the coolness of the hour,
God’s love radiates
Eternal peace, grace and power.

Gracious God, we thank you that nothing can separate us from your love. You know our deepest needs.  As we reflect, help us to listen out for your voice in our hearts.  We thank you that you are with us this day and every day.

Ruth Rushworth

 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son …listen to Him.”
Luke 9:35 NIV

Jesus removed the barrier,
Threw open the door,
Heaven and earth,
Are separate no more.

He flooded the world,
With love and light,
The colours of heaven,
Shining bright.

A love of justice,
Of peace of truth,
Acceptance, forgiveness,
Under one roof.

United in Jesus,
Lord, may we share,
His love, his life,
His light and his care.

God of love and light, of mountains and valleys, of sunshine, clouds and rain, we praise You for Jesus, your Son. Thank you that He came to restore our broken relationship with You, and to unite us with You under the roof of your eternal love.

As we prepare for Easter, may your Spirit help us to share your love in our families, communities and world, that all may be united and cared for in your loving family.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Ruth Rushworth