Do you remember the song: “What if God was one of us?”

It asked the very simple question, if “God” was “one of us” what would you expect of Him? How would you react if you knew that “He” worked in the city, caught public transport to and from the office, went for walks in the park and ate regularly with his friends in his favourite cafe. Imagine if God worked “part-time” in your office, or served behind the counter of the local butcher shop. As I write, an electrician is replacing some lights in our house. What if he was God? Would that change our concepts? Would that change our spirituality?

“If God was one of us” what would he be like?

Would we notice Him?

It is amazing that this song was written and it’s questions asked, when Christmas is still celebrated every year. Does this mean that the impact of the true message of Bethlehem has been totally lost on us.

God was “one of us”. He was a stranger walking home along suburban streets every day passing simple folk, just like you and me, as they all made their way to and from work. He was part of the “everydayness” of life. He was bumped into, he was sat beside, he was heard, he was interrupted, he was questioned and he was answered. He laughed at other peoples jokes, he told stories, he sang and danced, he lived with us, a “normal” man in a “normal” world. He had a mother and a father, sisters and brothers, aunties and uncles, friends and enemies. In between the miracles and the teachings was a life that was just like any other.

How strange.

"What am I optimistic about?"

I am optimistic about the reality of grace. Grace that gently grows hope in
the midst of our hopelessness. Grace is bigger than our religions, our
cultures of faith, our services and our sermons. For me, grace was only
fully understood when the spotlight was out and my hope had gone. To find
myself having grown from that place, full of wonderment and amazement, is my
constant source of inspiration. Yes, the lights do go out. Yes, there are
struggles and times where I loose all sense of hope, but, somehow, there is
an awareness of grace that goes beyond me and my situations and I find
myself held by faithfulness, a faithfulness that graces me, a grace that is
faithful.

quiet my soul,
peace, my heart,
still my thoughts
pause and rest.
gentle lies the light
on the truth that is seen
wait and be patient
take time to be free.
walk, footsteps softly
hold, don't restrain
love with abundance
speak mercy and grace.
quiet my soul
peace my heart
hear heaven's rhythm,
sing angel's song.

may the day find you with eyes open
like a child let loose to play.

quiet my soul
peace my heart.

You open my eyes You help me to see
You open my eyes to see your love
For I have seen
So many times before
You open my blinded eyes once more.

You open my ears
You help me to hear
You open my ears to hear your words
Sweet words of peace,
Mercy and grace
You open my ears to hear once more.

And you find me
In the darkness
You hold me through the night
You meet me with your mercy
and love

Healing my heart
Restoring my soul
You give me hope to live once more

To know your grace
To see your love
To know your faithfulness once more
For I have know
So many times before
Open this heart of mine once more.

And you find me
in the darkness
You hold me through the night
You meet me with your mercy
and love.

Soften this heart
so empty and cold
Soften this heart to love once more.

You caught my heart
'til every song, I wrote for you
every melody
it simply seemed that way
I think it strange
for in my struggles, as you know,
there are questionings
that challenge all I say.

But I am overwhelmed
and overcome
it's buried deep within me
and I can never turn away
from this inspiration

A simple word
that took me years to understand
changes all I am
and all I hope to be
The darkest night
the sad and painful memories
where we run and hide
love is waiting there.

For I am overwhelmed
and overcome
it's buried deep within me
and I can never turn away
from this inspiration.

Such endless love
for grace has captured all I am
and I can never turn
from this inspiration.

One transcendent moment,
an awakening
an awareness
a beauty
that is far beyond normal reality.
a gift
that is given
without reason,
rhyme or song.
where heaven
stoops
and embraces
our fears
and our failures
with
mercy,
forgiveness,
grace
and love.

and the glorious revelation?
we have nothing to offer,
nothing to sing
nothing to say.
with empty hands
and hollow hearts
we have only one
part to play.

we receive.

I am anxious,
I am nervous
I am scared
and afraid.
I've tried climbing
all the ladders
I tried to sing, I tried to pray.
I am full
of endeavours
but all my best has failed
when I am falling
love is holding me
I am found
and I am safe

sometimes I wandered
in the darkness
sometimes been blinded
on the way
sometimes I'm stronger
sometimes I'm week
sometimes my faith
fades far away,
and I'm empty of endeavour
and there's nothing left to say
while I'm turning
love is seeking me
I am found
and I am safe.

why oh why
sighs my broken heart
I've failed before I try
whenever wandering to and fro'
I hear redemptions cry.

In the midst of my doubtings
in my struggles, in my pain
for I am held
when I am fearful
and I am safe
for I am found.

You have come
you have come to all.
whether we see you
or even know you name
you came
yes
you came.

and you love
you love us all
whether we know
this eternal burning flame
you love
yes
you love.

and I am overwhelmed
by the depth of grace
this battered and this bruised
heaven's holy face.
and so it was the nails
and the crown of thorns
showed us all you came
to show us all you love.

can we see
yes can we see?
this love for you
is this love for me

there are memories
gentle wakeful dreams
they fill my senses
with their peace.

I look behind me
quiet, water-stilled memories
I sigh and remember.

there was healing
on these island shores.
healing that was tied to her rocks
and her sands
and her morning-light.

My mind drifts forward,
past today with it's fears
and anxieties
and I search for another place,
another pleasant place
of lapping and lulling.

I pray,
I hope
sometimes
I even
wish

there is a home for me
perhaps
my heart is there now.

Relentlessly,
You search me out.
Tirelessly
you show your heart.
and the grace
that overflows
that forgives
love only knows
I'm found
above and below
just me.
How could this be
more than amazed
how could I know
yes I am afraid
yes this life
to destroy
so I run
and recoil
what is this
I have seen
in you.

And somehow I see
I don't really know
when I was scared to search
these thoughts founds me

I pray
the glimmer of light,
rays that are more than bright
may invade your night.

I pray
the peace of still waters
may flow 'round your troubled sea
so gentle, in hope abide.

Did Jesus come
to establish
"Christianity"?

Accepting doubts and fears
in nakedness of faith
where fear relies on love
and doubt longs for the truth

Is faith too strict for faithlessness
to question and enquire
perhaps some facts are fallacies
to free our fearful mind
is God defined
by what we believe
so he cannot say a word
to show us more
than we ask or think
is this just too absurd?

Are there words to know
for my struggles long to hear
a voice of gentle truth
to soothe my restless mind.

we persist with this pretence
playing games of security
rules forever unchallenged lie
our questions now denied

My thoughts no longer blind,
searching for the truth
I wish test the unknown seas
some truth perhaps to find