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March 2019 Writing

Healing

My eye was dim like my heart, mind and body. Then the man with the sparkle in his eyes set them on me. The eyes and words penetrated into who I was.
Then the electric words did a bone scan on me. The nuclear energy infused every bone cell until I bounced on my feet. Thirty eight years of doom were dissolved in his words.
How beautiful are my feet that now bring good news!

© Rodney Dow
Kingdom Arts March 2019

Just One.

Look at me. Do not pass by.
I sit here year after year, hoping, praying but no one sees or hears.
I am invisible, but still I wait.
What did I do to be left helpless, ignored and lonely?
What do I have to do to be made whole?
Perhaps one day someone will stop and … and… I don’t know what, so I wait.
Another year and still I sit here, thirty eight years now.
Wait! Someone is talking to me.
He wants to hear my story. He listens.
I expect him to carry on by but he is telling me to stand up, roll away my mat and walk.

He has a way about him
I feel his strength and faith in me.
I will try to do what he says.
Do I have the strength and trust in him?
What is the worst thing to happen, people will still walk by and I will still wait.
But it happens, I can stand
Try gingerly on one foot then the other.
I am walking!
I look to thank him but he is gone.

Just one person noticed me, listened to me had faith in me.
Just one
I will try to be that one for someone else, because it only takes one.

©Pam Summers
Kingdom Arts March 2018

 The Man at the Pool

The seed in the desert
When will rain fall
Or dew drops start growth

The homeless all lost
Cold shivering damp
Will warmth revive the hopelessness

The beaten wife
Humiliated bruised unloved
Can refuge restore

The shunted child
From home to home
Who will give hope

He was by the pool
Thirty eight years
All belief gone

Jesus came by
The right touch and word
The man walked

Do we sit and wait
Tomorrow will do
The effort too great

Problems paralysing one
Voices sickened
Buried grief

But Jesus was there
He gave the man a chance
A fire was lit

He believed he tried
Supported by Jesus
Washed with the Holy water

We too can make that walk
Never alone
Upheld by Jesus throughout life

© Helen Mc Nicholl
Kingdom Arts March 2019


Waiting by the pool

Years I lay there by the sheep gate pool waiting to be healed.
In the beginning I had such belief and determination to be healed and that sustained me.
I tried so many times to get to the water when it fomented.
Years of failure followed as I lay there; no one to help me.
Sadness overwhelmed me; bitterness grew in my heart, in despair I turned away from God.
Years of self-neglect as courage and strength ebbed slowly as if with each stirring of the pool all hope was washed away, until the stranger spoke.
“Do you want to be made well?”
Did I? No one had asked me that before
Oh to be restored!
Feelings of profound despair, rejection, self-loathing were gone.
“Stand up”
His compassion filled me with such a surge of well-being; I knew I could!
“Take up your mat and walk”
My new life had begun.

© Barbara Rolison
Kingdom Arts March 2019

Waiting

I have been waiting in this waiting room of life for so long and I think it is making me sicker, angry frustrated and helpless.
I am waiting, hoping, listening to the water, bubbling, stirring, washing over others.
Not me though, never me.
Can’t move
Paralysed by fear, failure, mistakes, guilt, regrets, rejection………self-pity
Year after year, wasted years just lying here
Others given up on me, no one to help me reach this water of life
Thirty eight years of waiting…. for what? for whom?
Who sees me when they look at me what do they see?
I am overlooked, without healing I am doomed to stay here
I started with faith, but the long years eroded that and I am stuck in negative thoughts chaining me down.
The water stirs and within another chance for hope the waiting is taking my life
When you see me and speak directly to my soul
What are you waiting so long for?
All I can say is the familiar rhythm of words that have grown through the years.
No one to help me, someone else gets there before me, never me, I am paralysed.
True statements but in front of him they now sound weak, like me.
Have I become too comfortable in my excuses?
Have I stopped believing?
Doesn’t he understand waiting is so hard?
“Stand up take up your mat and walk.”
I hear the words and begin to make my excuses.
“Get up, Get up, Get UP”
And I feel the river of life stir in my limbs and I move.
Thirty eight years and I begin to move! The waiting is over.
His words are the water of life flowing over me.

© Shefali Hollis
Kingdom Arts March 2019

March 2019 Gathering

12th March 2019

The Pool at Bethesda
John 5:2-9

Alex welcomed new people and after an introduction to the theme, the morning began with the reading from St John’s gospel recounting the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, following the theme of living water. A reflection on the reading was followed by a time of joyful worship with songs and prayers.

Continuing from the previous month, there was a table set up with fabric and stitching to depict ribbons of water for a waterfall in tones of blue, with beading, stiches and plenty of sparkle.

The “quilt of nations” is a work in progress which will continue to completion and has taken shape with squares of material very thoughtfully collected together to represent countries of the world and machine stitched.

The free art table allowed expression through printing with a roller, described aptly as ‘The Messy Table’ as ink flowed and words and hands were included in the designs. Many colourful pieces were printed.

David’s challenge to construct a portico and hands hovering over the pool was most successful and much enjoyed.

At the writing table the group thoughtfully imagined the feelings of the man in the bible reading and his plight over thirty eight years. The results are on the website and well worth a read.

The morning ended with a sharing session when individuals described their work. We then joined together for a lunch of bread and cheese with soup prepared by Jan followed by grapes and a delicious selection of cake. Thank you all once more for a wonderful session!

Our next meeting is on Tuesday April 9th
when the theme of water continues, we hope to see you then.


For this month’s pictures, see the Gallery

For this month’s words, see Creative Writing

 

February 2019 Writing

Living Water

Your first sip of water after an operation
Or giving birth
Or running a Marathon

Bathing a new-born baby
Having come from water the bath is a happy place for a baby

Backache getting into a warm bath of water
Perhaps with colour scented bubbles?

Going to the loo
A luxury!

Thank you Lord

© Janet Hastings

Living water?

I am dry.
In the wilderness of loss and grief
Finding life hard to swallow, let alone water
The streams of life have dried up from within.
You say drink; you offer and invite me to come

Living water you say
Can it reach the areas in me that have dried
That have become like waste places
Can Hope be restored?
The insides of me echo a barrenness and I feel a light smouldering and in danger of going out.

Living water you say
It has the sound of many seas that once flowed but have now ebbed and not returned.
Is this living water greater than our Sacred River Ganges?
Mother Ganga, that gives life to all who step into her waters and drink of its source
Once flowing pure from the mouth of the Himalayas and now polluted.

Is your living water from a stream that is pure?
Untainted.
Will it touch the pools of sadness and turn them into blessings which others can drink?
Will I live again?
Different, changed but alive.

Show me how to drink.

© Shefalie  Kingdom Arts February 2019

Water

The source of our flowing rivers, with small bubbling beginnings
Beneath our scorched challenging deserts, refreshing cool canals of water
Our deep needful frightening wells needing containers and pulling force
Water to replenish our human forms
Some having plenty, others crying out in need

Lord you know our needs
Fill us with your spiritual water
However small our beginnings
Or hard or frightening our lives
Needing no bucket or pulley
Washing our inner beings clean
Receiving our souls with joy
Giving hope and power to our praise
Bathed in everlasting faith

© Helen McNicholl

February 2019 Gathering

12th February 2019

“The Samaritan woman at the well”
John 4:3-42

Following an introduction and welcome from Alex, the morning began with the reading from St John’s gospel recounting the conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and introduced the theme of living water. Vibrant and joyful singing followed then prayers led us to consider the activities linked to living water.

There was a table set up with fabric and stitching to depict ribbons of water for a waterfall in tones of blue, with beading, stiches and plenty of artistic interpretation.

A new activity a “quilt of nations” is beginning to take shape with squares of material very thoughtfully collected together by Vikki to represent countries of the world and machine stitched. This is a work in progress which will continue.

The free art table allowed expression through drawing, sketching and paint on the theme of water or the well.

David’s challenge to construct a well was enthusiastically received and the results are great.

At the writing table the group had thoughtful and heartfelt ideas and were inspired to put them onto paper.

The morning ended with a session when thought and work were shared.
This was followed by a soup lunch prepared in the newly completed kitchen with bread and cheese followed by grapes and a delicious selection of cake.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday March 12th
when the theme of water continues,
we hope to see you then.


For this month’s pictures, see the Gallery

For this month’s words, see Creative Writing

 

January 2019 Writing

Baptism

Baptism
A new life
Changing habits
Sins forgiven
New life
Cleanse away the old life

Water
Washes me clean
Jesus brings the water of life
Flowing freely for all

Candle
Baptismal candle
Light of the world
Pure clear light
Jesus the light

© a writing group member


Our Salvation

He came to us
Within the animals warm shelter
Surrounded by deep love
Adored by humble shepherds
And forecasting noblemen
Gifts, He absorbed within his being
In waiting to pour upon us
He grew in understanding and readiness
Readiness to be both man and spirit
With the cleansing invigorating water
Flowing from John’s hands
And the blessing of reassurance from God
May we lift our hands in thankfulness
For this outpouring love
And continual resurrections
To feel that flow of blessed water
And life-giving Holy Spirit
Through all our journeys
In this life and the next.

© Helen McNicholl


Rebirthing

Oh Lord you sent your Dove and in descending
In a flash of understanding
You revealed the Holy Spirit
And gently touched my soul
I was reborn

©Barbara Rolison


Water and Creation

A guiding star leads the way
To the cradle in the stall
There a new born baby lay
Created with water
Born of water
Growing to manhood
Then baptised with water
God proclaiming to the world “my beloved son”
Filled with the Holy Spirit
Water of life wash over me
Sparkle thro’ my being
Cleanse me and create me anew
Watch the water fall over my face
Catching the rainbows beams
Water dancing in a myriad of colours
Water so necessary in creation

God’s Holy Son
Leads our way
Into prayer thro’ the waters of the river of life
To dream, to praise, to give thanks to be filled with the Holy Spirit in our turn
Called into “being” by water
Called to be caretakers of the waters of our world
Called to embrace the life giving powers of water
Called to be swept into life in the middle of the river of life
Called into worship of our creator

© Jenny English


 

January 2019 Gathering

8th January 2019

“The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan”
Mark 1:1-11

Greetings of Happy New Year filled the air as we assembled this morning.
Wonderfully harmonious music and voices accompanied our introductory song, “Come down O Love divine”. The reading was from Mark’s gospel invoking the Holy Spirit brought as if by a dove.

More melodious songs and then the introduction by David New of iconography, traditional and modern, depicting the Holy Spirit at the Baptism of Christ. This was our inspiration.

It was translated into art using fabric and stitching to depict ribbons of water in tones of blue with beading.

The clay table invited us to experiment and there were interesting results.

The charcoal drawing stimulated some artistic representations of the dove and the Holy Spirit.

Mosaic tiles were on offer at the “challenging” table and there were attempts to rise to the challenge of making a dove or flames using small squares and a great deal of imagination and skill.

The writing table had to be extended as our group had amazing ideas and were eager to put them onto paper.

The morning ended with a plenary session when resulting works were shared.  This was followed by a unique lunch held in the church with bread, cheese and pickle and followed by fruit and cake. (The kitchen is being replaced and soup will resume next month).

Our next meeting is on Tuesday February 12th
when the theme of water continues,
we hope to see you then.


For this month’s pictures, see the Gallery

For this month’s words, see Creative Writing