Lyrical Riffs

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 →

The darkness can never overcome it, This light, this love stronger than death, Shines on in the shadows and the emptiness. More resilient than doubts and despair, Pressure and put-downs. … Read on →

Thank you Lord that we can be honest with you, That we don’t have to wear the masks we feel we must wear in life. Thank you that nothing will … Read on →

We like to think we know, Like to claim we have it all worked out, Tidy, measured, quantified, sorted. But the invitation is to follow, to make a start. Not … Read on →

Hosea, that old, old prophet, made a promise way back, And Jesus knew it from his scraggy, ragged wilderness days. The tender voice of God. Tugging, sustaining, wooing, shaking, calming, … Read on →

Lord, we long to be strong, To be impressive and powerful, To be the greatest, the best, The last one standing. We forget that, in bloodied weakness, In stark contrast … Read on →

Someone in the crowd, So many times we feel the noise is just too loud, Life’s pressures and the clamouring of sound, Drown out the one voice who can make … Read on →

Those places that we love, Those glimpses ever sweet, The travelling which warms our hearts, The best food we can eat. Signs of You. Signs of Another World. The calming … Read on →

Joseph met his brothers, in Egyptian clothes and hair, After years of separation they could not see him there. He took the chance to trick them, set some traps along … Read on →

The Revolution will not be about fists and fury, The Revolution will not be about bullying and bullets, The Revolution will not be about hate and hurting others, The Revolution … Read on →

In a world-changing week, Unafraid of humility and kindness, The king rides in, looking small and vulnerable, Coming so close, to see us and know us. In a world-changing week, … Read on →

You Matter. Though circumstances may rail against you, Though people may press you into a corner, You Matter. Though life squares up to you with the gloves off, Though success … Read on →

More than just words on a page, Or prayers in a service. More than notions of belief, Or rules and theology. More than a hopeful solution, Or a different world-view. … Read on →

So tiring at times, So wearing, To hold those reins, Grip so tightly, Doing our best to keep hold Of so many loose ends. So difficult to let go, So … Read on →

I watch the casually drifting clouds, Making their gentle way across the blotting paper sky, No rush hour for them, No pressured race to get from A to B, No … Read on →

We fear, We trust, We laugh, We play, We cry, We worry, We work, We spend, We doubt, We believe, We sing, We question, We agree, We argue, We’re frustrated, … Read on →

The Greatest Story of Love, Of courage and kindness, Purpose and meaning. The Greatest Story of Love, Accessible to all, Available free of charge. The Greatest Story of Love, Of … Read on →

The mother nudges her young to the ledge, They both look out and over the edge, Eases the child just a little more, It’s a long way down, but there’s … Read on →

Lord, you changed that day, Transfigured those moments, Brought glory to that mountain top, Right into the lives of those everyday disciples. Lord, as we continue though this day, This … Read on →

The first language of God is silence. Not success, Or victory, Or popularity, Or power. The first language of God is silence. Not a clamouring, Or a shouting, A vying … Read on →

To know you in all circumstances Not necessarily as an escape or a panacea Or perhaps as an excuse or explanation But as a God who has promised to be … Read on →

In the first waking moments as we enter this world, You are there. In our growing and discovering, You are there. In our learning and questioning, arguing and boundary pushing, … Read on →

Lord, we approach with bare feet, Vulnerable, humble, liberated. Letting go of so much that might get in the way. Aware of our own frailty, our humanity, Sensing the heat … Read on →

Our Christmas journeys may be Stressful and difficult and demanding, Whether trekking to a far destination Or simply making it through the season, Taking tough steps among the glitter and … Read on →

A spoken word, a tongue of fire, A burning bush, a rock, An anchor, a still small voice, A wrestling figure, a living word, A fourth figure in a furnace, … Read on →

Sometimes those blunders and regrets Can settle in the quiet corners of our being, Becoming dark creatures That bare their teeth from time to time, Frightening and subduing us. We … Read on →

Is an Hallelujah any less If we’re murmuring or mumbling? Is an Amen any less If the words come stumbling? Though it’s hard to say, My Lord, Though the praise … Read on →

If it had been me There on that dark Friday, With the words ‘Father forgive them…’ Hanging in the air, I might have been tempted to add, ‘Well… apart from … Read on →

At first the world was flooded With the colours of rainbow, Rampant, Uncontrollable, Exhilarating, Then a kind of red-grey Muddied the picture, The colour of deceit and death. Then a … Read on →

As the sun disappears behind another night sky, We wonder. As the clouds swallow the light and steal it away, We wonder. As the darkness closes in, stealing evidence of … Read on →

Entertainment can’t save us, Shopping can’t save us, The adverts can’t save us, Movies can’t save us, Fashion can’t save us, Sport can’t save us, Box sets can’t save us, … Read on →

Our lives are this strange mixture – Glory and grit, Seeing and believing, Questioning and doubting, Loving and hating, Getting it right, getting it wrong, Regretting and remembering, Trusting and … Read on →

We carry our burdens, Our friends, enemies, achievements and failures, Celebrations, frustrations and disappointments; The steps we have taken, the ground we walk on, The dust under our nails, the … Read on →

I’m the nudge inside your conscience, The anger you feel at injustice. I’m the whisper in the night, The push to keep on going, The call to take another step. … Read on →

Don’t stop believing… Though you don’t have all the answers, Though you sometimes think you do. Don’t stop believing… Though you feel like giving up, Though you want to take … Read on →