When the stars come out.

 

On BBC TV this evening, we were watching all the excitement on Stargazing live taking place over 3 evenings.

An interesting new series Stargazing Live started last night on BBC , running for three nights in a row. Professor Brian Cox hosts live stargazing, featuring various observatories around the world, and no doubt running the full scale from 'you can do this in your own back garden' to 'epic images courtesy of the world's biggest telescopes'.

A clear sky in the UK is like finding a treasure!

What was so striking were the upward-turned faces of astronomers, professors,enthusiasts,  photographers, amateur nerds, oohing and aaahing:  “that’s incredible!” “Never fails to take the breath away.”  “Utterly gorgeous”

and we wished they said something to this effect: 
Psalm 8

¹ LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
   in the heavens.
³ When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?

Also….do those thoughts go through our own heads and hearts when the stars come out?

Have WE, while retaining the amazement and awe at creation, moved on to amazement at this Creator’s mindfulness of us and His care for us?

Or am I still tripped up by Satan’s lie to Eve in the garden:  "He doesn’t really care about you".  There's the width and height and depth of His love for us in Jesus to explore in the Word, in conversations with Christians, etc. And as Jesus' love and suffering and ressurection take our breaths away, so our motivation grows to love Him and others, to repent and change - etc.

• Colossal  Jupiter with its storm-bands takes 12 earth years to do one orbit around the sun.
• The planet itself spins like crazy. 
•  There’s no solid surface on Jupiter and is orbited by 63 moons. 
• The inner moon constantly erupts.

By the way, we looked out of our window a couple of times, but all we could see were clouds and a black sky!  That’s another story for faith and unseen things.  Just above those “flimsy” clouds are whole galaxies!

In the presence of a genius

There’s something hugely inspiring to be in the presence of a genius.  This is seldom possible in real time and real life.  I’m thinking of standing in front of a Rembrandt masterpiece, or a bridge spanning a gorge, or listening to Tjaikovsky 1812 overture – etc. etc.
Gordon and I were talking about this in the car and then marvelled at the invitation by the God of the universe into His presence in prayer.  Now THAT’s what it means to be in the presence of a Genius.
And if this Genius is yours and you are His – you are the apple of His eye!
Let’s run into His presence in Jesus’ Name!

Rembrandt – The return of the prodigal son.

London by winter-night on bicycles New Year 2011

We’ve got the loveliest London-cycling memories and on New Year 2011 we added another – once again different.   This time we were in the saddle in a London at night.  The pavements looked polished after the rain, the city lights and icons reflected and twinkled in the shine.  Though the air was crisp and we had to wear gloves and layers, it was not unbearable.  Just very exciting!  The last three pictures portray the first dare of the new year!

And lastly:  The Hubby with an eye for a gap!

This is the gap!

And he's through and if it was a rugby game Gordon would have scored!

Friendship and cycling in London on New Year 2011

Our very first UK friends, Ruth and Nishi, phoned on New Year’s Eve:  “How about cycling in London tomorrow?”   Yes!
After our hugely blessed midnight service at All Souls and Ruth and Nishi’s hugely blessed church party, none of us visualised a sunrise meeting.  So mid-morning Gordon and I cycled in the rain from home to Hatfield station. 


Bikes on train – bikes off train at Kings Cross.  On bikes to Angel station – the meeting point.  Yay, we’re together!

Not long after the hello-hugs, we’re cycling along the Regents Canal and graffiti and the odd empty champagne bottle – dodging walkers, joggers, other cyclists and dogs. 

At the ominous Tower of London, carefree ice-skaters aren’t thinking of heads getting the chop.   We clink mini wine bottles on a blessed New Year for one another, eat smoked salmon in the cold winter air.  Then we stand next to our bikes, surrounded by tourists in coats and scarves, the Thames just over there  - we hold hands, close our eyes and pray and bless  the Lord of the New Year and our lives.
Then we take shelter in a coffee-house and drink tea and lattés and eat Ruth’s home-made Christmas cake.   And talking and talking and talking like friends talk ….
All too soon, we say our goodbyes and cycle back to our respective stations through “London at night” – with joy in our hearts.

Starting 2011 with blessings and Big Ben Chimes

Gordon and I were going to be quietly and contentedly at home…..but then it all changed, except for contentment.    It would have been just fine to be at our cosy little home on a bleak winter’s night.  It wasn't to be.  Our 2011 reflections on the new year took place, worshipping at midnight in London with hundreds and hundreds of believers and the next day cycling with friends in the same world city.  Not that location, nor activity matters – as always it’s the heart that sets the pace.

“Why don’t we go to the All Souls midnight service?”  And so, after family calls, a car trip from Hatfield to the London’s West End, we find the very last parking – bravo to Gordon’s driving!

Perched on our usual pew on the balcony, even from that vantage point, we have to look UP to the tip of the festively decorated Christmas Tree.
To the strings of a guitar and the background rhythm of the drums, we lift our good and mediocre voices and worship the King all glorious above and gratefully sing his power and love – less than an hour of the last year is left. 

We children of dust, feeble and frail, in our King, our Maker, our Defender our Redeemer and Friend we trust, for He never fails.  His mercies, how tender, how firm to the end!

As the year closes, in the presence of hundreds of international believers we confess our sins and look to His pardon for every attitude and act that defies His Kingly rule.

At 12 sharp, the 12 chimes of Big Ben, just up the road from where we are, are relayed.  Donnnnnnnnnnng  - Donnnnnnggggg – it is 2011!!!  Kisses and hugs and blessings and wishes – what a buzz!!   

Then to the tune of Auld Lang Sine – hundreds of voices and one guitar blend as we lift up our hearts to the Jesus who by His power hold all things together and together we sing:
“We worship God in harmony with hearts in full accord; we share one spirit, hope and faith, one Father and one Lord!”

As the service ended, Gordon and I end this post with a blessing to our far-away children and grandchildren, to our far-away family and friends and to any reader of this blog:

For 2011 and the rest of the year and the rest of our life-spans,

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you from this day, 1 January 2011, and forever more.