Alas (lyrics of a song to the tune Greensleeves)Pentecost 14; Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-19a; Luke 15:1-10Alas, O God, we do you wrongto cast you off discourteously,for you have loved our world so long,delighting in our company.Mend, mend our disgraceful ways,vain displays of fame and wealth.Bend, bend our reluctant kneesto touch the hurtContinue reading “Alas”
Author Archives: barbmessneroutlookcom
Shanay in Sunshine
We are grieving the deathof our little cat Shanay.It seems as ifthe sun won’t shinewithout her invoking its presenceas she gazes at the skyfrom the chair by the glass door.How she luxuriated in its warmthwhen the sunshine obliged her:praise and gratitude personified!How can I readwith the same delightpropped up on the couchwithout the tread ofContinue reading “Shanay in Sunshine”
Places of Honour
Places of HonourPentecost 12; Luke 14:1, 7-14Jesus was invited to a sabbath mealat the home of a leader of the Pharisees,and he noted how some people chosethe places nearest their hostas though they were entitledto be seen to be importantbecause of prestige or pedigree.Then he told them a parablethat exposed the absurdityof displays of superiority.HeContinue reading “Places of Honour”
A Spirit that Cripples
A Spirit that CripplesPentecost 11; Luke 13:10-17She still came there for worship although so bowed down:“Bound by Satan!” they whispered through eighteen long years,Her bent back was a symbol of burdens she bore, the rules which gave women no voice for their tears.Her staunch faith was not vanquished by what pulled her down,though she’d givenContinue reading “A Spirit that Cripples”
Fire and Division
Fire and DivisionPentecost 10; Luke 12:49-59He came to bring fire to the Earth,fire that cleanses and refines,fire that warms and enlivens.He wished it was already kindledwhile he could shelter the flame,guide it to make light, bake bread,separate pure metal from dross.Then he felt the dark and coldclosing in on him, and he knewthe spark wouldContinue reading “Fire and Division”
My Treasures
My TreasuresPentecost 9; Luke 12:32-40Jesus says:“Where your treasure is,there your heart will be also.”Where now are my treasuresthat draw my heart like magnets?I treasure the scribblingof words on a page,trying to touch a truth,then sharing those words with others.I find treasure in stories,read, heard and told,stories lived and imagined,shaped and revisitedby words old and new.SuchContinue reading “My Treasures”
Take Care
Take Care(can be sung to the tune Sally Gardens, Irish traditional, used in the Iona song Inspired by Love and Anger in Heaven Shall Not Wait (Iona Community 1987) pp.124,125, also Together in Song (HarperCollinsReligious no.674) Pentecost 8; Luke 12:13-21Take care! Be on your guard, friends,against all forms of greed!Why try to claim possessionsfar moreContinue reading “Take Care”
Ask, Search, Knock
Ask, Search, KnockPentecost 7; Luke 11:1-13Ask and it will be given you!While I was still a child,I was drawn to words, music and performance,so, as a young woman,I asked to be a singer,and that was given to me, but there’s another saying:Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.The door to singing openedContinue reading “Ask, Search, Knock”
For Those Who Sometimes Feel like Martha
For Those Who Sometimes Feel like MarthaPentecost 6; Luke 10:38-42He said that Mary chose the better partbut not because she sat to contemplate.She’d acted on the promptings of her heartdespite the voices that would remonstrate.But Martha felt she had no power of choice,constrained by what they said was woman’s role.At least with Jesus she couldContinue reading “For Those Who Sometimes Feel like Martha”
A Tale to Open Ears
A Tale to Open Ears (written during NAIDOC week which celebrates indigenous history, culture and achievement)Pentecost 5; Luke 10:25-37We may not share their long historic spite;now “good” Samaritan’s a common term,but Jesus’ listeners thought the opposite.Religious difference spurred each side’s disdain.“Samaritans praise God on mountain top,the Jews in temple at Jerusalem,”said woman of Samaria atContinue reading “A Tale to Open Ears”
Barb, poet priest 