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

I ponder all you’ve done, Lord..
It’s here in your presence, …
where I learn more of your ways.
For holiness is revealed in everything you do.

Ps 77:12 TPT

Gracious God, we come to you today. We praise you and thank you that you are here with us. Help us to calm and still any restlessness in our body, any rushing thoughts or anxiety in our mind.  Help us to resist any desire to “get on” and to give this time over to you and talk with you……

Loving God, we praise you for Jesus and your love and presence in our lives. We offer this day to you, whether it’s busy, with every minute accounted for, or quiet. We ask you to guide us through it, to show us when to speak, when to be silent; to lead us to people, places and situations where you would have us go. May we be your eyes and ears, your hands and feet, your strength, your comfort and your blessing.

Gracious God, through the inspiration of Jesus and the guidance of your Holy Spirit, we invite you to accompany us on our journey through life today.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Romans 8:39 CEV

King of creation,
Glorious Lord,
Came to this earth,
As prophets foretold,

He came to us
humble and weak,
With a message of hope,
To all he should meet.

He came to forgive,
To heal and restore,
To speak of heaven,
And a future assured.

He told us of
a perfect place,
Secured for us,
Through mercy and grace.

He said the way
Is to follow him,
The way of life,
In exchange for sin.

But they beat him up,
And raised him high,
Rejected and outcast,
Left, on a cross to die.

Jesus gave his life, on Calvary.
Took our sins in his body,
Nailed to a tree.
An act of love,
for all eternity.

We know that death
Was not the end,
God raised him to life,
Jesus, our Saviour and friend.

Jesus now reigns
In heaven above,
At God’s right hand,
Interceding for us.

We praise you, Jesus,
Christ our King,
With our life and love,
Our everything.

Gracious God, as we approach advent next week, when preparations for Christmas begin, we take a moment to reflect on the timeless love of Jesus and to praise and worship you.

May we know and share the eternal hope that we have in Jesus, Christ the King, the Way, the Truth and the Life, that all may come to worship Him this season. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

“.. I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Jer 31:3 NIV

Love, but love
Is your nature,
Your face,
Abounding in mercy,
Resplendent in grace,
All mighty,
Ever present,
Holy and just,
Jesus, our Saviour,
In your name we trust.

Loving God, we praise you for who you are and take a moment to reflect on what it really means to be unconditionally loved and accepted by you….

Loving God we thank you for your love and blessings throughout our lives.  May we open our hearts more fully to you in response to your love for us.  May we know Jesus our Saviour as our closest friend, our greatest ally, our wisest counsel, the One who will always cheer us on, never reject us, never let us go and the One who loves us more than life itself.  Loving God, we praise you for your wonderful love.

Ruth Rushworth

..it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
Matt 13:32 NRSV

Loving God, we take a moment to still our bodies, quieten our minds and relax before you….  We praise you for the beauty of nature around us and we thank you that you sustain us throughout all the seasons of our lives…  As we reflect on the bible verse and picture, we ask that you might speak into our hearts today….

Connected; leaves, branches, trunk;

Roots burrowed deep into fertile soil;
Open to sunlight, wind and rain;
Displaying vivid, vibrant colours
Against a backdrop of clear blue sky,

For all the world to see.

Interrupting thoughts and dreams,
Drawing attention, calling to all
To gaze in wonder and delight 
At its beauty and mighty strength;
Standing tall and strong amidst the people,
Providing shade and shelter.

A place to sit and reflect.
A place of peace and quiet.
A place of laughter and fun.
A place to eat and drink.
A place welcoming all.

Loving God may we sink our roots deep into the well of your gracious love for us; may we display the fullness, the grace and love of Jesus in our relationships. 
By the power of your Holy Spirit, may we be united in a love and service that attracts others to Jesus to come, find shelter, shade and new life in the kingdom of God.

Ruth Rushworth

“But I will sing of your strength,
In the morning I will sing of your love;
For you are my fortress,
My refuge in times of trouble.
You are my strength;
I sing praise to you;
You, God, are my fortress,
My God on whom I can rely.”

Psalm 59 16-17 NIV

Gracious God, you are our God and we praise you.  We praise you for your words of truth in the Bible.  We praise you for your strong and steadfast love and care.  We praise you for your help and protection.  We praise you for your faithfulness and nearness.  We praise you, our God and our Saviour, for your love in Jesus.

Loving God, as we go through this day, remind us of your loving presence with us.  May we sing our praise to you with hearts of gratitude for your loving kindness to us, for Jesus and for all you have graciously given us. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 NIV

Unfathomable love
Covers the skies.
All powerful love
Brightens our lives.
Ever present love
Holds us close.
Faithful love
In thee we trust.

Oh God of power,
Love and might,
Bless our lives
With heavenly light,
That we may spread
the eternal flame,
To the glory of Jesus,
Forever praise his name.

God of love, God of light, we praise you and reflect on your wonderful love for us…
As the nights draw in, we thank you that the brightness of your love cannot be dimmed, nor diminished.  Your love embraces, surrounds and sustains us. Nothing can separate us from you. We pray –
For anyone who experiences a low mood during the darker autumn and winter months…
For those who are worried about providing food, light, heating, warm clothes and a roof over their head…
For anyone with health concerns of any kind…
For those who do not feel accepted and welcome…
For all working and praying to alleviate suffering and improve the health and circumstances of others…
Merciful God, may we be aware of the needs of those around us and may the ever-present light of Jesus shine brightly in our lives. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth