Lyrical Riffs

That place inside, The inner depths, That gap, that vacant lot, We do our best to fill it, To satisfy those longings. Unfortunately, We often put in there Things which … Read on →

Life ambushes us, Treats us harshly, Disappoints and discourages. You understand that. You know how it works, What can happen, What can hurt us. You were ambushed too, Conflict, disaster, … Read on →

The word became flesh And keeps moving into the neighbourhood, Occasionally with a crack of thunder, Or a Damascus Road flash of light, But more often in a smile shared, … Read on →

You put salt on our lips, To make us thirsty for you. You did it, do it, again and again… Through the friendship of others, The unexpected reminders, The warmth … Read on →

What kind of man is this?That he should keep on coming to the doorOf my heart, mind, consciousness,Through the long nights and the jagged days.Me in my confirmed and set … Read on →

‘You can be honest with me, no need to pretend. I know you’re a bit of a fake. A bit of a fraud. Because I know human beings. I know … Read on →

Keep going with the strength you have. Not with the strength you see others have, Not with the strength you think you should have, But because I am with you. … Read on →

You know these dark days, Have been there, Not being one who has held back, Or kept your distance. The sad days, the empty days, The fearful nights, the lonely … Read on →

In a world of chase, fuss and bustle, Fret and debilitating worry, One man offers another way, Offers an alternative as he washes feet. In a world of go-getting and … Read on →

When others sap our energy, You are our refuge and our strength, When life seems nothing but closed doors, You are our refuge and our strength. When the world keeps … Read on →

Funny how often I talk about you in the third person, He. His. Him. When you’re always in the room. As if you were somehow somewhere else. Busy. Unable to … Read on →

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 →