The Free Gift of Grace
Psalm 84:11 rightly places the source of Grace as God: For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will God withhold from them that walk uprightly. Grace is a free gift. It cannot
All posts by Rev. Vera I. Bourne
Our Contribution to Suffering
Suffering is always associated with pain, and what a God-given blessing pain can be at times. Pain is always the “alert” signal that something is not as it should be in our bodies, relationships, spiritual journeys or emotions. For those whose nerve endings fail to
I Have a Plan for You
We move into the new millennium just as we make any quantum step into the unknown, secure in our knowledge of God’s abiding and encompassing presence. In the midst of the unanswered questions and uncertainties our spirits thrill to hear God’s words, “I know the
Renewing Our Strength
It’s really amazing the energy and fervour with which our community is attacked for our faith. What is more amazing is that, after all these years, we still hear these strident voices. Usually we manage to shut out particular frequencies to which we are subjected
Two Christmas Stories
A Gift For Jesus Mary gave him her womb for nine months, then her love for thirty-three years. Joseph gave him his name, Jesus bar Joseph. The Magi brought him gifts — gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh for one who
Forgiveness: The Visible Outpouring of Unconditional Love
The journey toward our healing starts with unconditional love and forgiveness – unconditional love and forgiveness we offer first to ourselves. These two are so closely interwoven that it is impossible to conceive of unconditional love without forgiveness and vice versa. As God loves utterly
Love and the Lepers
The back cover of my Living New Testament reads: Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, Never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not
Faith: A Matter of Survival
For the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person, life has never been particularly easy. We live in societies in which ignorance, and a subsequent fear of those who are different, have led to destructive myths about who we are and what our lifestyles involve. We
Outrageous Love: Following the Example of Mary of Bethany
The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. (John 12:3b) Outrageous that such a waste of resources should be allowed, let alone encouraged. Outrageous that a household member, a woman from a respectable family, should pour out ointment over the feet of a
The Power of Prayer: God at the Coalface
Prayer is interaction – communication – with God, and for most of our lives the results of prayer are not spectacular. Though we may have experienced miracles of intercession, of healing and of provision, these are not the spiritual fare on which we dine daily.