MY FRIEND

My friend is a Christian
Though you wouldn't know
From some company he keeps
Or from his favourite jokes

My friend is a Christian
But he isn't quite sure
Just how it all happened
Its a bit of a blur

My friend is a Christian
But I don't quite see
The difference it makes
To his daily routine

My friend is a Christian
In all the right places
But when he's not there
He wears different faces

My friend is a Christian
It seems a good life
He loves God on Sunday
And does what he likes

My friend is a Christian
Of that I am sure
He's learnt Bible verses
And makes lengthy prayers

My friend is a Christian
His Bible is huge
He's there every Sunday
At church in a suit

My friend is a Christian
To doubt is unfair
You see he's the pastor
Of my local church

HARD OR EASY?

It's easy to point a finger
At those who can't control
Their urge to feed a habit
That doesn't fit our mould
It's easy to see the bad side
The pain which others feel
When obsession crosses boundaries
Causing hurts which never heal
It's easy to set the limits
Of what should and shouldn't be
And to cast a scornful glance at those
Who , unlike us , aren't free
It's easy to find an answer
When we are not involved
To patronise and criticise
What someone else must solve
But it's hard to be a listener
And not always give advice
Just to be a ready shoulder
On which to have a cry
And it's hard to go on loving
When love is not returned
When all the efforts that you make
To help , are simply spurned
It's never hard nor easy
To help a shattered life
So ask the Lord for wisdom
And take Him as your guide

HUMILITY

Hidden by a new found confidence
An inflated self belief
Trampled under a rising ego
It lies buried beneath
Covered by the clothes of class consciousness
Designer labels aspire
Imprisoned by diamonds and pearls
Bought out by the wealth we acquire
Believing the things others tell us
Reality fades far behind
The truth is now less important
Than having a self centred mind
It's easy to be absent minded
To forget where we left it alone
Our best friends won't even tell us
We're too proud to admit that we're wrong
It's hard to admit we're not humble
It's hard to be humble too
To live the life of a servant
Breaks all the modern day rules
It needs divine intervention
To strip us down to the core
To take away all of the padding
And return us to what we once were

WORDS

Through the Atonement
We are meant to be
At one with our Maker

Through our Redeemer
We are deemed to be
Reborn in the Saviour

Through His Salvation
We can say Salvete
To the Creator of all nations

THE LEAVING OF DECEMBER 1999

I closed my eyes and so soon it was gone
Like some fair-weather friend whom I remember fond
But for no special reason other than I met it on the way
To another year, the next century and a new day

A quiet moment to reflect upon tonight
A new entry in the diary we call life
Closing the door but never forgetting
The memories that always lie behind - in waiting

The ravages of war, the crimes of injustice
Man's desire to rule the world, or just a small part of it
They sit uneasily beside our attempts at reconciliation
As we display respect for every class, creed and nation

The times I recall are outnumbered by the days misplaced
A hazy overview where all but essential detail has been erased
To be exchanged for mountains of factual knowledge acquired
About days and years before my first breath had expired

And so the celebrations begin again
Hailing a new dawn - a new millennium
Promising to learn from two thousand years of mistakes
And making the world a better if somewhat smaller place

And tomorrow that is where I shall hope to be
At the crossroads where millennium meets century
Looking back on all my successes, failures and moments of indecision
Marking time and focusing on my twenty first century vision

And what will He have made of all this ceremonial commemoration
The One on whom we base our faith and time, but not always our adoration
A thousand years is like the passing of a single day in His eyes
And thus He easily remembers the intimate detail of all our lives

And what will He have made of all my years of existence
The times I waited on Him or wasted on some selfish commitment
To have wandered in the wilderness when I could see the oasis
To have drunk from His cup but filled it from other places

So strikes the midnight bell in some silhouetted church tower
Signalling a millennium celebration as we drink the last drops of December
And in the heavens where time is still an embryo
God left His throne to come to earth only a couple of days ago

WILL

My will
Leaving a note
All that I am
To some other folk

They will
Likely contest
Somebody's name
Who should have got less

Pigs will
Probably fly
Before some people
Open their eyes

You will
Not wait so long
Maybe tomorrow
Which may never come

Free will
What we possess
A free gift
Costing too much

God's will
A plan for your life
Too bad
That you remain blind

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is:
Singing carols around the tree in the village
Buying the turkey for the dinner
Plum pudding and Brussel sprouts
Getting up at 4 o'clock to open presents
Going to parties
A nice open fire
Getting presents from your friends
Pushing through queues in town
Brightly decorated shop windows
Visiting grannies and grandas
Seeing cousins, uncles and aunties
Eating too much food
Snowflake patterns on the window
When the electricity goes off
Drinking hot chocolate
Clay pigeon shooting or the big hunt
Putting on a nativity play at school
Santa coming on his sleigh
Christmas crackers and decorating the house
Lights and music in the town
Counting the Christmas trees in the houses along the road
Getting off school

Christmas is:
Spending time with your family
Being kind to each other
Remembering those who have less than ourselves
Visiting the elderly and those who are ill
A time of loneliness or sadness
Remembering long lost friends

Christmas is:
Church bells ringing
Reminding us of why we have Christmas
When the shepherds found the baby
And rejoiced with Mary and Joseph
In the stable

Christmas is:
Joy, peace and love
Thinking about angels
A time to celebrate
The birth of our Saviour
And never forget
What Christmas is