Lyrical Riffs

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 …

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 …

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 …

‘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, …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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; …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

‘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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …