Previous Reflections

Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Romans 8:39 CEV

King of creation,
Glorious Lord,
Came to this earth,
As prophets foretold,

He came to us
humble and weak,
With a message of hope,
To all he should meet.

He came to forgive,
To heal and restore,
To speak of heaven,
And a future assured.

He told us of
a perfect place,
Secured for us,
Through mercy and grace.

He said the way
Is to follow him,
The way of life,
In exchange for sin.

But they beat him up,
And raised him high,
Rejected and outcast,
Left, on a cross to die.

Jesus gave his life, on Calvary.
Took our sins in his body,
Nailed to a tree.
An act of love,
for all eternity.

We know that death
Was not the end,
God raised him to life,
Jesus, our Saviour and friend.

Jesus now reigns
In heaven above,
At God’s right hand,
Interceding for us.

We praise you, Jesus,
Christ our King,
With our life and love,
Our everything.

Gracious God, as we approach advent next week, when preparations for Christmas begin, we take a moment to reflect on the timeless love of Jesus and to praise and worship you.

May we know and share the eternal hope that we have in Jesus, Christ the King, the Way, the Truth and the Life, that all may come to worship Him this season. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

“.. I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Jer 31:3 NIV

Love, but love
Is your nature,
Your face,
Abounding in mercy,
Resplendent in grace,
All mighty,
Ever present,
Holy and just,
Jesus, our Saviour,
In your name we trust.

Loving God, we praise you for who you are and take a moment to reflect on what it really means to be unconditionally loved and accepted by you….

Loving God we thank you for your love and blessings throughout our lives.  May we open our hearts more fully to you in response to your love for us.  May we know Jesus our Saviour as our closest friend, our greatest ally, our wisest counsel, the One who will always cheer us on, never reject us, never let us go and the One who loves us more than life itself.  Loving God, we praise you for your wonderful love.

Ruth Rushworth

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh every morning.
Lamentations 3:23 NLT

The dawn breaks
through the darkness;
The horizon glows
in glorious colour;
We wait, we watch,
breathless in anticipation;
As the blazing sun
overpowers the shadows,
Bringing light,
spreading warmth,
burning love.

God of Creation, Lord of life, in the quietness of this moment we come before you with praise. We praise you for this day and every new day. We praise you for the colours of dawn, mid-day and sunset. We praise you for your constant and faithful love. We praise you for your mighty strength. We praise you for your grace and mercy, always freely available to us through Jesus our Saviour.

Gracious God, in the quietness of this moment, we come before you with thanksgiving. We thank you for our lives and for all you have given us; for all we appreciate and for all we take for granted. We speak to you about anything on our heart and bring it into the light of your burning love and mercy….

Loving God, we commit our day to you and thank you for all the opportunities open to us.  Be with us by the power of your Holy Spirit, as we engage in conversations, make decisions and go about our daily lives. May we seek your face always, and know we are surrounded by the light of your loving presence, for Jesus sake. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

..it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
Matt 13:32 NRSV

Loving God, we take a moment to still our bodies, quieten our minds and relax before you….  We praise you for the beauty of nature around us and we thank you that you sustain us throughout all the seasons of our lives…  As we reflect on the bible verse and picture, we ask that you might speak into our hearts today….

Connected; leaves, branches, trunk;

Roots burrowed deep into fertile soil;
Open to sunlight, wind and rain;
Displaying vivid, vibrant colours
Against a backdrop of clear blue sky,

For all the world to see.

Interrupting thoughts and dreams,
Drawing attention, calling to all
To gaze in wonder and delight 
At its beauty and mighty strength;
Standing tall and strong amidst the people,
Providing shade and shelter.

A place to sit and reflect.
A place of peace and quiet.
A place of laughter and fun.
A place to eat and drink.
A place welcoming all.

Loving God may we sink our roots deep into the well of your gracious love for us; may we display the fullness, the grace and love of Jesus in our relationships. 
By the power of your Holy Spirit, may we be united in a love and service that attracts others to Jesus to come, find shelter, shade and new life in the kingdom of God.

Ruth Rushworth

“But I will sing of your strength,
In the morning I will sing of your love;
For you are my fortress,
My refuge in times of trouble.
You are my strength;
I sing praise to you;
You, God, are my fortress,
My God on whom I can rely.”

Psalm 59 16-17 NIV

Gracious God, you are our God and we praise you.  We praise you for your words of truth in the Bible.  We praise you for your strong and steadfast love and care.  We praise you for your help and protection.  We praise you for your faithfulness and nearness.  We praise you, our God and our Saviour, for your love in Jesus.

Loving God, as we go through this day, remind us of your loving presence with us.  May we sing our praise to you with hearts of gratitude for your loving kindness to us, for Jesus and for all you have graciously given us. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 NIV

Unfathomable love
Covers the skies.
All powerful love
Brightens our lives.
Ever present love
Holds us close.
Faithful love
In thee we trust.

Oh God of power,
Love and might,
Bless our lives
With heavenly light,
That we may spread
the eternal flame,
To the glory of Jesus,
Forever praise his name.

God of love, God of light, we praise you and reflect on your wonderful love for us…
As the nights draw in, we thank you that the brightness of your love cannot be dimmed, nor diminished.  Your love embraces, surrounds and sustains us. Nothing can separate us from you. We pray –
For anyone who experiences a low mood during the darker autumn and winter months…
For those who are worried about providing food, light, heating, warm clothes and a roof over their head…
For anyone with health concerns of any kind…
For those who do not feel accepted and welcome…
For all working and praying to alleviate suffering and improve the health and circumstances of others…
Merciful God, may we be aware of the needs of those around us and may the ever-present light of Jesus shine brightly in our lives. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

2 Thes 3:16 NIV

In the reflection of love,
The brightness of light,
The strength of the mountains,
Their towered might,
The calm of the sea,
And the fresh morning air,
Is the peace of God,
Beyond all compare.

In the reflection of love
Jesus shines.
His brightness fills
our hearts and minds.
His purity cleanses
Our innermost parts.
His gentleness heals
Our broken hearts.

In the reflection of love,
We live out our days.
Surrendered to God,
In all of our ways.
Blessed beyond measure,
By the Spirit above.
Steady and secure,
In Jesus love.

Gracious God,
Strong and true,
Bless our hearts,
With love for you.
May our lives,
Reflect your light,
Hold your peace,
In our clear sight.

Gracious God, in the quietness of the moment we lift our hearts to you. We ask you to bless this time with you, as we reflect, talk to you and listen to you…..

Loving God, may we follow the leading of your Holy Spirit today. May we reflect your love in all we think, say and do.  We pray for and ask you to bless anyone or any situation on our hearts.  We ask all this in the name of Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Come, let us worship the Lord our maker; for he is our God and we the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Psalm 95: 6-7 NIV

Glorious creation,
Wonderful world.
Sing praise to God,
By whom we are made.

Praise to the Father,
Praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit,
God, three in one.

We lift our hearts high,
In worship and praise,
Singing glory to God,
All of our days.

Infinite wisdom,
Glorious might,
God of creation,
Everlasting light.

Healer, restorer,
Making all things new,
To God of the universe,
Our praise is due.

Praise to the Father,
Praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit,
God, three in one.

Gracious God, out of love you formed a beautiful and perfect world for us to enjoy and care for.  Out of love, you made us in your image to walk closely with you.  Out of love, Jesus came and gave his life to restore us to you  Out of love your Holy Spirit is with us to guide us.  Out of love you tend and care for us every single day.

Gracious God, you are Lord of all, the whole of creation declares your power and your love. We offer you our praise and worship.

God of love, in these challenging days, keep us close to you.  Inspire us to care for our world and environment in new ways.  Encourage us to be your hands, your feet and your voice in your world.  Enable us to share your love, in practical and prayerful ways, that all may know the love, the hope and the assurance of Jesus in their lives. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth’.
Ps 121 NIV

The mountains,
In their glorious majesty,
Speak of your generosity,
Through Jesus your son.

The mountains,
In the shimmering light,
Speak of your presence,
At day, noon and night.

The mountains,
In the quiet solitude,
Speak of your peace,
Far from the multitude.

The mountains,
In the paths they trace,
Speak of your guidance,
Your love and your grace.

The mountains,
In the protection they provide,
Speak of your caring,
Throughout all of our lives.

The mountains,
In the leisure they offer,
Speak of your rest,
In Jesus, our brother.

The mountains,
In their glorious majesty,
Speak of your capacity,
For love into eternity.

Gracious God, we take a moment to bring to mind a place or a scene where we have known the beauty and majesty of your creation and maybe felt the nearness of your presence….

Gracious God, creator of heaven and earth, we praise you for your love and your watch over us all of our lives. We lift our eyes to you, for you know the paths we should take. You will never let us slip and fall. You hold us securely in your hands. We praise you that we always have a way directly to you, loving God,  through Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Be still and know that I am God

Ps 46:10 NIV

Gracious God, we praise you. We come to you and take time to simply relax in the peace of your presence.

As we sit, we quieten our minds and bodies and become aware of the rhythm of our breathing…..

As we breathe in, we think of breathing in the peace of Jesus; the peace that passes understanding….

As we breathe out, we let go of any worries and commit them to Jesus……

We give this time over to you and listen for anything you may say in our hearts…..

In the dawn
In the light
In the darkness
Of the night
Jesus is here

In the clamour,
In the fears,
In the laughter
Joy and tears.
Jesus is here.

In the loving,
In the giving,
In the sharing,
In the caring.
Jesus is here.

In the stillness,
In the peace,
In the place
Where strivings cease,
Jesus is here.

In the calm,
In the quiet,
In the balm
Of your Spirit.
Jesus is here.

Jesus said “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Gracious God, you breathe life and love on us. You forgive when we get it wrong and always seek to draw us back to yourself.

Out of love you gave your life that we might live. Your love is constant, it knows no bounds, it can never be extinguished, it is freely available to everyone.

Living, loving God, we sit quietly in your presence. Breath of love, breath of life, we praise you. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

Lord Jesus,