Uncategorized – Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings

The Flow Country

In the far north of Scotland, in the two most northernmost counties, Sutherland and Caithness, there is an abundance of natural beauty. When I lived there close to 40 years ago I took it all for granted and as a barrenness that I had to drive through. Oh silly me! Recently a friend from thoseContinue reading “The Flow Country”

The Leper Window

Carrickfergus is my hometown. The castle, around which the town took its shape, was built in 1177. In 1182, the Anglo Norman, John de Courcy, who had the castle built, turned his attention to the building of a church, which today along with the castle dominate the town’s landscape. Please give yourself a treat andContinue reading “The Leper Window”

For Auld Lang Syne

This is my last post of 2025 and I wish to express thanks to you for reading the posts and for the comments you leave. I am hoping 2026 will be a year in which we can discover new poems and visit old favorites and be inspired by the vision they embrace. We all claimContinue reading “For Auld Lang Syne”

Arrival!

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a hopeful New Year. In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, we read of the journey of the wisemen from the east. When they actually arrived is not known, but we should not be surprised to learn that it may well have been some days or many weeksContinue reading “Arrival!”

The Gospel story is old but it is always new.

It is hard to share an image of that first Nativity. This year I leave an empty square for you to imagine Bethlehem Square in whatever way you choose. I am still haunted by my one and only visit to Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers boarded our bus as we approached the city of Bethlehem to checkContinue reading “The Gospel story is old but it is always new.”

Struggle of Waiting!

We struggle to wait, whether that be in a shopping line, a ticket line, at a bus or train stop, even at a red light! When everything seems so instant waiting for the tea kettle to boil can be a struggle. Advent is a season of preparation and hopeful waiting. Today, I share with youContinue reading “Struggle of Waiting!”

Quiet

Over the past days and months there has been a lot of political noise. so much noise that I yearn for quiet, both within and without. Over the past several days we have had an abundance of snow and yet when snow falls it makes no noise whatsoever. Each snowflake makes its way to theContinue reading “Quiet”

ADVENT

Advent – a time of waiting. We often think it is us who do all the waiting, but perhaps it is God who is waiting for us to come to our proper sense of soul and it is God waiting for our prodigal return. I wonder! On the subject of Advent and Waiting, James K.Continue reading “ADVENT”

Lest we forget!

Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem Recessional in 1897 in celebration of Quenn Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. His words reflect on the transient nature of power and concentrate on the importance of humilty. He reminds us of the impermanence of empire, contrasting the then British Empire with ancient civilisations of Nineveh and Tyre. He calls for divineContinue reading “Lest we forget!”

Rusted bed-springs in the street

A few weeks ago I checked out of the local library A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker 1925-2025. The 980 pages of poems make it too heavy for bedtime reading! I promise I will not be using it as my only source for new poems. As I turned the pages a poem byContinue reading “Rusted bed-springs in the street”