revdrejt1832

“and never be the same”

Over many years, John Bell has been a friend and colleague in ministry. Many will know John as a wonderful poet and in particular as a great hymn writer and encourager of congregational song. Many years ago while I served my first church in the city of Edinburgh I was also a chaplain at aContinue reading ““and never be the same””

Welcome back the Trees!

Thursday April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day! How sad that we have to be reminded that it is all around us, above and below, to the left and to the right, and we are called to live in harmony with the earth which sustains us, nourishes us and delights us! Yes, the earth isContinue reading “Welcome back the Trees!”

“Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?”

As the light at the end of the tunnel draws closer, and begins to chase away all the surrounding darkness, we can each breathe a little more hopeful! At last, we can begin to step out beyond the walls of our homes and the paths of our neighborhood. It’s not so much a returning butContinue reading ““Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?””

Through the Ear of a Raindrop

Poetry at its best needs to be both seen as words upon a page and also read aloud so the shape of the words can be seen and the sounds of the words can be heard. Poetry wakens our senses, stirs our imagination, stretches our minds, and moves us into moments of pondering and playingContinue reading “Through the Ear of a Raindrop”

A Cup of Tea

Many of my days begin and end with a cup of tea, and in between a few other cups of tea. In Scotland, as a minister, drinking tea was an occupational essential. Of the many “tea” stories I could tell, I will settle on two. I recall the phone call 38 years ago as ifContinue reading “A Cup of Tea”

Famous

For me, hardly a day goes by without the sounds and lyrics of Van Morrison. Unlike Bob Dylan, Morrison will not likely receive a nomination for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Dylan received this award in 2016 and the Swedish Academy noted why “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Continue reading “Famous”

“The meaning is in the waiting.”

Whilst taking a vacation in Cornwall a few years ago I visited The Church of St. Enodoc. Primarily it was known to me as the burial place of the poet Sir John Betjeman. However the history of the church is intriguing. A church in the middle of a golf course, it just doesn’t get anyContinue reading ““The meaning is in the waiting.””

Breath

The novel, Breath by Tim Winton is set on the west coast of Australia and tells the story of two boys coming of age and of their competitive obsession with diving and surfing. The New Yorker described it as “both a hymn to the beauty of flying on water and a sober assessment of theContinue reading “Breath”

Borders

The word “borders” can stir up many different feelings. Growing up in N. Ireland the Border was something you did not cross and in my teenage years it was heavily patrolled! At primary school a border was what you ruled on both sides of the page and kept your writing within. As I played racquetContinue reading “Borders”

On Eagles’ Wings

One of the most majestic of birds, if not the most majestic, is the Golden Eagle. Here, in nearby Bernheim Forest, Kentucky, a pair of golden eagles have been tagged and traced over the past 5 years. Athena and Harper have been returning from Manitoba, Canada, to winter in Bernheim. Just this past week theyContinue reading “On Eagles’ Wings”