Bob Warwicker's blog

Another sparkling frosty morning, like the one earlier in the week, and quite comfortable without a coat. It feels as if all creation is singing quietly.

“I will not leave you orphaned…” (John 14:18). That slender promise carried the early Christians through all kinds of trouble, persecution, danger and conflict. It can be hard to seize hold of – sometimes we keep it in mind only as a prayer.

Creator God, we praise and thank you
for the changing beauty of nature,
for quiet, cold mornings,
buffeting winds,
refreshing rain.

God-in-Christ, we thank and praise you
for you great love,
perceived through a curtain of tears,
in the echo of a promise,
in the rush of joy
and abundant life.

God the Spirit, we praise and thank you,
Holy Entrepreneur,
seeing opportunities,
making chance meetings,
bringing us together with one another
and with you.

Wonderful God,
we worship you,
now and always.

A bit further this morning, starting just after six. I got as far as Tinsel School Wood and logged three more prayers for the Prayers for Places webpage. It was cloudy with a chilly northeaster at first, but it looks better outside, now I am inside. There were more dog-walkers than I expected first thing, doing the circuit of Bottoms.

It seems the knack of a successful leader is to find somebody to blame when things go wrong – because there are always mistakes, even in the best-regulated set-ups.

I believe it’s God who gives us natural resources. I also believe it’s God who gives us the abilities and energy to make use of those resources, and the abilities to educate one another in these things. So…

We thank you God, for..
water,
electricity,
gas,
sewerage,
the post,
bin collections,
telephones,
broadband,
and for the people who work to provide them.

A clear frosty morning today, with the beginnings of clouds drifting in from the direction of Liverpool Bay. Lawns were sparkly and our car was crusty. It won’t last very long: the sun has already been up for an hour or two, and will climb high into the sky.

From the Lectionary, (1 Peter 3:13-14a) “Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.”
The writer seems to be thinking on his feet. Nobody will harm you, but even if they do…
What is it to suffer for doing right? Is it to be a whistleblower? Is it to go to your vital work loyally, even if you are underprotected? Is it simply to be honest in walks of life where honesty doesn’t pay? Is it to do civil disobedience, or to take up arms when there’s no alternative? Is it to keep faith? Maybe there are people out there who have their own experiences to share.
And there’s the reverse, what is it to profit by doing wrong, to succeed by lying, or by being careless of other people’s needs, or by leaving justice behind in the rearview mirror of your turbocharged egotism?

God strengthen us
to do what is right,
because it’s hard sometimes,
confusing, and against the grain.
Let our minds be like the mind of Christ.
And may he be with us always,
a friend, a guide, a supporter, a helper.

Looking at the Lectionary, we see that Paul doesn’t push away the beliefs of the Athenians like he would a rotten fish. Instead, he listens to what they have to say, and uses their understanding to frame his explanation of the good news of Jesus Christ.
Acts 17:29 … “Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.” Sometimes it seems to me we go one step further even than they did, not saying God is like gold, but gold is God. We prioritise the making of money over people’s lives, especially when those who do the actual work of making wealth (and risking their lives) are not the ones who harvest most of it. We could support people’s incomes – the queues at the food bank are the measure of our society. Some people are already forced to risk their lives because they have no other source of income than the work they do.

It was breezy up towards Torside, and a small shower came across, with what the weather forecasters’ style book calls ‘a wintry mix’. This is not something you’d’ve got in the old-time Woolworths on a chilly day, but rain and sleet and graupel on this occasion.

We pray for all those
who are reeling from
double blow of the virus
and an unfair society.
Give them what they need
and what they deserve.

A vigorous breeze was blowing from the northeast down the lee slope of the hills. There were little bits of drizzle falling from a mostly clear sky, causing an understated rainbow over the silver-green hills. It reminded me of what used to happen in Huddersfield sometimes, with the wind from the west, when I guess clouds would have formed on the windward side of the hills, dissipating on their way down again, but leaving behind little pockets of drizzle still making their slow way groundwards.

Anyway, very much not like yesterday.

Another sunny day outside, some little patches of altocumulus, one or two showing maybe signs of a bit of vertical development. Nice for a walk to the food shop, masked up because of going in the shop. I wonder what the nudgemeisters who run our government think about the idea of altruism as motivation. If it figures at all, they should ask us to wear masks to protect others. I guess the problem is there aren’t enough. Asking people to improvise something may feel like making us second class citizens. Another problem is the mask itself may become a source of contamination, specially if it needs constant adjustment (but I can’t believe that’s worse than directing a stream of festering droplets at your fellow shoppers).

Anyway, these months have been hard for some.

Merciful God, we pray for people
who are finding it hard,
in sickness and in grief,
drinking to stave off the boredom,
trapped indoors with demanding children
or violent husbands.
Give them hope, we pray.

From the Lectionary… Peter 2:7 … “To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,…”. Well, how about that? It turns out that migrant workers are quite important after all, ‘essential’, you might say, and have been foremost in making sacrifices for the health of the rest of us. And the Jesus way, too, which has been accepted, rejected, and accepted in name only throughout history, might turn out to be more important than we think. After centuries of capitalism, it turns out that people need people after all. And, I venture to suggest, people need God too.

I started too late, so a short walk today, on the streets. Plenty of space to walk round people though. Our local chippy was open yesterday for pre-ordered takeways, and I went and got some delicious stuff (too many chips though – we’re having the rest today). Think I managed the protocol more or less OK too.

Generous God…
Everything is yours,
given us in love,
fish, bananas, old pyjamas,
mutton, beef and trout.
…apologies to Python

I hate to say this, God,
but if you have given us everything,
and the talents and energies to make stuff,
why did you also make viruses?
It’s tedious to rehearse our unpreparedness,
our selfishness.
And I know you are with us,
and Christ suffers alongside all
who suffer pain and grief.
But why have viruses in the first place?
Can I welcome them as a necessary part of a huge,
amazing and discoverable Creation?
Not yet, I think, gracious God.

A puffing walk up the road to the T-junction with the back road, which is in the lapwing zone. And sure enough, there were some, doing their thing. That was cheering.

One good thing to come out of this pandemic is that we can learn our lessons, ready for the next time. And there will be a next time.

I saw an aeroplane today.

God of love,
stand with this suffering world
in solidarity and hope.

An early morning walk, and at quarter to seven, the reservoirs were a beautiful flat calm. In half an hour, the wind had stirred and there were waves. Amazing that the seemingly weak sun was enough to cause some air somewhere to warm and rise a fraction and start the mixing down of momentum from the middle layers of the atmosphere. Anyway, the consequence was the lovely play of wave reflections on the trees – see here on YouTube.

I stayed out too long, and by eightish there were lots of dog walkers around, enjoying the sun, which they’re entitled to do.

I don’t really like war metaphors for what is going on at the moment, especially since for most of us, ‘doing our bit’ consists of sitting on our a***s at home. It’s frustrating. There’s nothing stopping me going out and doing something, but I’m not sure what that is. It’s also part of being retired. Anyway, I’m still quite engaged working on my ‘Prayers for Places’ website.

Just now, as I was standing here with a cup of coffee in my hand and a reverie in my head, I was stirred into attention by the sound of coffee hitting the keyboard. No harm done, fortunately – but a warning to be more careful.

Holy Breeze, stir us,
Spirit of God, move us
to love and to do.

Goodbyes are hard. The remorseless certainty of the departing train, the miles and years that will separate someone from the person they love, endless portrayals on film and TV – they remind us that goodbyes are hard. And now the threat of contagion adds to the enforced separations of life.

Jesus tries to reassure his disciples. The reasons he gives can’t have made much sense at the time. Maybe the only reason they found their way into John’s (the strangest) gospel is that the writer, some time afterwards, thought they’d make more sense to a post-resurrection generation of Christians. It doesn’t all make sense to me, yet I am strangely reassured by these words. The basic metaphor is domestic, hospitable. The God of all creation is making the beds, ready to welcome us human beings. “Preparing a place” is the everyday currency of holy love.

These are nervous times. Read the gospel and see if it helps…

A quick walk this morning to our local Tesco, which at half past six was free of deliveries and almost free of customers – a good time to go. Most of the list was ticked off. Because shopping, I wore the face mask that Janet kindly made. It’s so neat, I fear that some people might think it was bought in competition with front line care, health, transport workers. Maybe I need one as flowery as a welder’s hat – or maybe not. It’s been another nice day so far.

God of love, when we are fearful, on edge,
give us peace.
And in our self-absorption, may we not forget
people in need,
those whose lives have been turned upside-down
by the virus,
those who have given everything
to care for and heal others.
We pray also for those whose livelihoods
and food source
have been threatened by locusts in East Africa.

We pray for your peace,
for your justice in the world
and in our hearts.