Lyrical Riffs

I am on your side, And I call you my friend. I am with you, and for you, Not against you. Nothing can separate you from me. Whatever life may … Read on →

The Joy of the Lord is our strength. Passed on in a smile, a kind word, a text, a call. In the midst of our fears and fretting. Sometimes framed … Read on →

We walk these strange and familiar Streets of faith and hope, Roads strewn with the debris of The false hopes and discarded burdens Of those who have walked before us. … Read on →

Don’t give up! Be determined and confident, Throw yourselves into all you do for him, Confident that nothing you do for him Is a waste of time or effort. You … Read on →

He’s come to turn those tables,Swap old dead ways for fresh hope,To shake up the stale,Breathe life into what is fading away.To readjust our focus,Shine a light onto out misconceptions,To … Read on →

He knows it, Has walked those steps, The uncertainty, The questions, The wondering, The shadows and shades Of pain and unexpected Challenges. He knows these things. Has walked those steps … Read on →

The gift and the tyranny, At the self-same moment, It may be the one thing That restores order, Brings peace, Effects precious sanity, And yet, At the same time, It … Read on →

To be a part of Something Bigger: Something endless, Eternal, World-changing, Healing, Hopeful, Mighty, Awesome And incredible. To be a part of something bigger: Something beyond ourselves Something impossible, Miraculous, … Read on →

Wild animals were there, but angels came and helped him. Where are the wild animals? Where are the angels? In your today and your tomorrow. The fearful things and the … Read on →

It could be so much easier, Taking another way, Exerting power to sidestep the problems, Turning these stones into bread. Dodging life’s troubles and issues, Seeking satisfaction rather than kindness, … Read on →

Where will it take us today? This #lovejoypeacepatiencegoodnesskindnessfaithfulnessgentlenessself-control This fruit growing within, Alongside all the cantankerous selfish bits, Alongside the weariness and the grumpiness and the groaning what-ifs. What fruit … Read on →

The Holy Spirit drove him out into the desert, Away from the noise and distractions, Away from the clamour and the fame. The Holy Spirit drove him out into the … Read on →

We can bring it all: Our doubts, our questions, Our fears and shouting, Our dry-mouthed muttering, Our whispers and murmurs, Our wondering and wandering, Our dreaming and distractions, Our mistakes … Read on →

We want to be strong But find ourselves weak, Want to be right When so often wrong, Want to be smart When idiocy reigns, Want to be the best As … Read on →

With your strength you strengthened me, With your patience you helped me hang on, With your hope you kept me going, With your faithfulness you helped me believe. With your … Read on →

And God blessed time, That Sabbath day. Not a space, Or a place, But minutes, seconds, hours, Pauses. Gaps in the madness, In the work and distraction, In the pressures … Read on →

Mary met you face to Face, voice to Voice, name to Name, In that garden of Resurrection. Now it’s as if we catch Subtle glimpses of you, Divine shadows, Sketchy … Read on →

You’re our anchor in life’s storm, Calm amidst the bluster, Good news amongst the fake, Truth in the rumours. Hope in all the headlines, Sweetness in the cynicism, Wisdom in … Read on →

Right here, right now, Known or unknown, Sensed or not, Alongside us In the dark and the light, The day and the night, Above and below, Behind and ahead, In … Read on →

‘Son of all time, now where have you been?’ ‘Touring life’s corridors – and here’s what I‘ve seen…’ Hearts of compassion tearing down hate, Calm quiet rebels storming the gates, … Read on →

The clocks tick down and We stand on the verge, Eye our resolutions With our foot on the doorstep. Thinner, nicer, fitter, better, Kinder, funnier, tidier, better prepared, Greener, happier, … Read on →

Your song is eternal. Not brash or abrasive, Not self-seeking or proving a point, Not a passing fad or fleeting trend. Your song is stronger, gentler, Kinder, more courageous, Inclusive … Read on →

For a child is born to us, So small, so frail, so vulnerable, No fanfares or global advertising campaigns, A quiet, subtle slipping into the world, A new-born friend in … Read on →

When God appeared, they expected a warrior, An angel of light, and a king. Not a suffering servant, rejected and scorned – No one expected him. A fodder trough, a … Read on →

The people who walk in darkness Have seen a great light. So many of us need that light, Glimpse it then lose sight again. Need it to get through, To … Read on →

Thank you that we can worship you As we are, No need for pretence, Don’t have to be good or look good Or have all the answers. No need to … Read on →

For those who find life hard, For those who find faith hard, Those who don’t feel strong, Those who don’t feel powerful, Those not sorted out, Those for whom life … Read on →

One group, one people, one body, one hope. The struggling, the questioning, The strong, the stable. Those who know where they are going, And those who don’t, Those who have … Read on →

In the laughter and the longing You are there, In the deserts and the parties You are there, In the questions and the searching, In the knowing and the unknowing … Read on →

The voice cries out, The voice of one calling in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ Though our preparation may be small, Our steps … Read on →

I want to change the world if only I could, Want to make things better as I feel I should, Want to line things up the way that they should … Read on →

Imagine a land with no borders, A place with no clenched fists, A country where raised voices are a distant memory, An open space bereft of slamming doors, A forever … Read on →

Treasure in dark places, Hidden, not from us, but hidden for us. Treasure To find, to savour, to pass on. Secreted in the darkness waiting for us, Longing for our … Read on →

Be still. Stop and listen. For a moment… even… for 30 seconds, for 20, 15, 10, 5… Step aside from the rushing of your mind; the scrambling of your day; … Read on →

Dying to know us. Dying to reach us. Dying to nourish us. Dying for a new life. Dying for something better. Dying for something real. Dying for something genuine. Dying … Read on →

Hashtags They call out Copy me Like me Follow me Notice me. Hashtags Badges of hope. We all wear them To be liked To be noticed To be part of … Read on →

When no one else knew, When no one else saw, When no one else bothered, You cared. When no one else had time, When no one else had strength, When … Read on →

Thank you, Lord, that you understand, That you have lived this life, Known sweat, tears, frustration and sadness, Known wonder, laughter, satisfaction and joy. You are not a God who … Read on →

This world moves us And shakes us, Frustrates and makes us Angry, livid sometimes… The misjustice, the crimes, Giving us such indigestible questions, A kind of soulful indigestion. How much … Read on →

When we look up at the night sky And see the breath-taking work of your hands, We wonder – what are people that you should care for us? When we … Read on →

Unfailing truth and love have met together, Righteousness and peace can be seen embracing, Truth springs up from the earth, And justice smiles down from heaven. Like long lost lovers … Read on →

Love is bigger than anything That might stand in its way; A Roman cross, A death penalty, An angry mob, A wall of prejudice, Years of sadness, A wave of … Read on →

Dear all, I love you, I really do, please take some time out and come and see me. Step out of the traffic for a while. I can see how … Read on →

This hand, an unknown woman, reaching up, A lunge, a grab for the very edge of a cloak, Healing, hope, desperation for a dying life. A hand going down in … Read on →

He won’t fix all your problems, Though he may fix some. He won’t heal all your ills, Though he may heal some. He won’t make everything easy, Though some things … Read on →

This week I will no doubt trip up. Several times. Fall on my face and look a fool. I’ll put my feet in my mouth no doubt, Step in something … Read on →

‘I am with you always.’ For some it means putting one foot in front of another For some it means getting through the nights For some it means adventure For … Read on →

Behold I stand at the door and knock, Waiting, longing, Through the days and nights, Hoping, willing, The door to open, Or perhaps the window nearby, Just a crack, just … Read on →

In him we live and move and have our being. In him we wake and sleep, work and rest, In him we eat and drink, give and take, In him … Read on →