“…anyone in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”

2 Cor 5:17 ESV

Creator God, we praise you that you are a God of new beginnings, a God of fresh starts, a God who wipes the slate clean and looks on us with love, tenderness and compassion.  A God who loves us unconditionally, just as we are, but also sees everything we can become. A God who clothes us in the righteousness of Jesus when we simply turn to Him. A God who is always ready to receive us, to listen, to guide and bless us.

Loving, gracious God, we praise and worship You for who You are.  We come to You today with an open and receptive heart……We come with our prayers for others and ourselves…… We come in the name of Jesus, who gave his all, so that we may have new life through him.

Ruth Rushworth

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises on you.

Isaiah 60:1 NIV

Gracious God,
Lord of all,
King of kings,
I thee adore.

Hold me close
To your beating heart,
Your love, your strength
To me impart.

Hold me close
To your perfect ways,
That I may follow
With joy and praise.

Gracious God,
Lord of all,
King of kings,
I thee adore.

Loving God, we praise you that you are goodness, love and light. We praise you for Jesus, the light of your love, with us today through the power of your Holy Spirit.

Thank you that you love us equally, personally, uniquely and perfectly, with a love too great to be measured and with a love that has no end.

Gracious God, at the start of this New Year, as we simply sit quietly with you, may we open ourselves to you, that we may absorb the light of your love.  As we reflect on whatever is on our minds and in our hearts, we ask that you would lead us forward in love, trust and praise, for the sake of Jesus, our Saviour. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Saviour.  He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.

Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

We breathe in your presence,
We breathe in your peace,
We are still before you,
We find out niche,
That space where we
Can listen and speak,
To you, loving God,
As we nestle at your feet.

Loving God, we praise you that you are among us by your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you take great delight in us and rejoice in us with gladness. Thank you that you calm our fears, so great is your love for us.

This season, whether we are alone, or with others, and in all our circumstances, may we be held in the peace, the joy, the hope and the love of Jesus our Saviour – Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

For unto us a child is born…And his name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6, NKJV

We wait.
In the dark.
Unknowing.
Unseeing.
Unsure.
We trust.

The the light comes,
Encircling
Beauty
Brightness
Clarity
Peace.

Holding our attention,
Fixing our gaze
In breathless wonder
On love.
The love that came,
The love that dwelt among us,
The love that is,
The love that will come again.

The angels rejoice,
The heavens sing praise,
To Jesus, our Saviour,
The Ancient of Days,
God most high
Came from above,
To redeem our world
With grace, peace and love.

Hallelujah! let us sing,
Hallelujah! let us praise,
To Jesus our Saviour,
Our voices we raise.

Hallelujah! let us sing,
Hallelujah! let us praise,
Jesus our Saviour,
All of our days.

Gracious God, in the busyness of the day and the quietness of the night, we reflect on love; on the love that was born to both quiet worship and adoration in a stable, and to great rejoicing in the heavens.

God of love, mercy and peace, we thank you for Jesus. May we welcome Him into our hearts and lives afresh this Christmas.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

For Christ himself has brought peace to us.
Eph 2:14 NLT

Loving God,  we look at the trees, beautifully decorated, laden with light and colour.  They lift our spirits in these dark winter days and remind us of the approaching celebrations of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

We lift our eyes to the cross, overlooking the snowy scene; it’s brightness overshadowing the light and colour, the arms of the cross fully extended to embrace it.

As we reflect on the scene, we praise you, gracious God, for the unsurpassed love of Jesus.  Everything was created through him and for him.  He is before and above all things and in Jesus, life has meaning and is held together.*  He is our peace, our hope our joy, our great reward.

Loving God, we praise you, we thank you for the gift of Jesus.  May the joy of this beautiful gift of life and love be lodged forever in our hearts. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

* Based on  Col 1: 16-17

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Thoughts on the verses from Proverbs: –

Walk this way,
Step out with me.
Hold my hand,
You’re safe, you’ll see.

Follow my way,
The path I tread,
It’s the way to life,
And the means to spread
A message of hope,
A note of love,
A word of encouragement,
Sent from above.

Let me take you,
Let me lead,
Let me provide,
For all you need.

Trust in me,
with all your heart,
I will show you,
how to play your part.

So do not worry, do not fear,
The Lord, your God is always near.
He loves you with a perfect love.
He will make your pathway straight
And lead you through the open gate….

Gracious God, as we reflect on the verses from the book of Proverbs, may we sense You speaking into our own situations, into our hearts and minds.

Loving God, as we step out today, may we remember to place our hands in yours, to trust You with our thoughts and our feelings. May we allow You to guide us in the right ways, for your love is steadfast, faithful and sure. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:5 NLT

The light,
dances in the sky,
Sings praise
To God most high.

The light,
Shines above,
Warms our hearts,
Radiates love.

The light,
Speaks of
the eternal flame,
The light of the world,
Jesus, is his name.

Loving God, we praise you for the wonder and beauty of your creation.  We thank you for the reminder us of your loving presence with us.  We praise you that, no matter how things seem, the light of your love can never be extinguished.  Loving God, as we sit with you and talk with you, we draw our strength from you….

We bring before you the difficult situations and problems around the world and closer to home….. We praise you that no situation or person is beyond the reaches of your redemptive, healing love.

May the light of the inspiration, guidance and love of Jesus to shine brightly in our lives, that peace, justice and love would be in the hearts and minds of all peoples. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:9 NLT

Why do we come,
Why do we seek,
Why do we kneel
At Jesus’ feet?

He was borne in a stable
Cold and bare.
Can the King of Kings
truly reside there?

What does He offer,
What does He ask,
This Lord of the future
The present the past?

Simply to come,
To listen, to receive,
To invite Him into our lives,
To believe
That Jesus is God’s own son,
Who gave His life for everyone;
To bring us to God above,
To know His peace, His joy, His love.

He didn’t say it would be easy.
He didn’t say it would be hard.
He simply said to follow Him
And what He places in our heart.

Gracious God, thank you for Jesus, for His amazing love and all that means to us…..
As we continue our journey towards the celebrations of Christmas time and the birth of your son Jesus, we take a moment to reflect on our own journey with you…..

Loving God, draw us closer to you this Christmas.  May the light of your guiding, assuring love shine ever brighter in our hearts. May we share the love and the compassion of Jesus with others, as your Holy Spirit shows us.  May we trust that the briefest prayer and the smallest act of kindness makes a difference in your kingdom of love. Loving, gracious God, we praise you. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1 NLT

Gracious God, we praise and thank you for your goodness and your faithful love. We take time to be still, to look at and reflect on this photo –

We look at the mountains standing still, tall and strong in the background and reflect that you provide us with shelter, protection,  strength and love….. (Psalm 91)

We look at the blue sky, breaking through the clouds, illuminating the mountain slopes and trees in an array of autumn colours. We reflect that Jesus is the light of the world, the light and life of men and overcomes the darkness….(John 1: 4-5)

We look at the clear, fresh mountain water, gushing down the mountainside and thank you for fresh water and pray for those who do not have access to clean water.  We reflect that Jesus satisfies our thirst and we come to Him for a never ending supply of living water ……(John 4: 13)

We look at the bridge and at the pathways. We thank you that Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, who leads us on the right pathways….. (Psalm 23)

We look at the trees, the undergrowth and the lake beyond and we thank you for the birds of the air, the fish in the waters and every living creature.  We thank you that you are the creator and sustainer of life…..(Genesis 1)

As we look at the picture as a whole, we thank you for the pleasure and relaxation to be found in nature and the family and friends who have enjoyed it with us. We thank you that it reveals your goodness and it is a place where we may feel closer to you…..

We take time for our own reflections thoughts and prayers…..

Gracious God, may we know you love us and are with us throughout this day.  May we remember to take time to talk to you.  May we see others, this world and ourselves through the eyes of your good and enduring love for us in Jesus. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

He carries his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11 NIV

Loving God, we consider these words written by Isaiah and echoed by Jesus, who said “I am the good Shepherd ..they.. will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10: 14/16)

Loving God, we praise you that your plan of salvation, in place since the beginning of time, and foretold by Isaiah long before Jesus was born, was willingly and perfectly carried out by Jesus. We praise and thank you for your heart of love for us.

As we listen to words of preparation for Christmas, to songs and carols, both old and new, may we hear your voice speaking into our lives today. May we be willing to respond to the eternal voice of love that reaches out to each and every one of us;  the voice that leads us on; the voice that speaks of a love and a peace to be found in and through Jesus.  Loving God, unite us by your Holy Spirit as we prepare, share and celebrate, that others may be embraced and enfolded to your heart.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

He gives me new strength.  He guides me in the right paths as he has promised.
Ps 23:3 GNT

When the path seems faint
Stay close to the light.
A glimmer of hope
Puts fear to flight.
The Lord of all
Knows the way,
Guides us gently,
Day by day.

The Saviour of the world,
Jesus, is here,
His love conquers
All that we fear.
His grace forgives
Our every wrong,
His strength empowers
And leads us on.

Gracious God,
Help us to trust
In your loving kindness
And faithfulness.
You are in control,
You never change,
Our Saviour Jesus
Lives to reign.

Gracious God, we praise you. We thank you that you are faithful and true in all of your promises and all of your ways. When fear creeps in and things seem uncertain help us to lift our eyes away from circumstances and turn to Jesus, our helper, our hope and our strength.

Thank you gracious God that you hear and answer our prayers. Strengthen our hearts and our faith that we may place our complete trust in your goodness and love. When we travel on difficult paths, may we trust that you direct our steps, may we know your presence with us and your peace that passes understanding. Amen

Ruth Rushworth