Our world... God's world

In this final episode of this series of poems and short stories from my book 'Stardust' (ISBN 978-0-9550100-9-5), I have chosen another rainbow story.

Are you seeking a rainbow - some kind of promise, some sort of hope for the future - your future and/or the planet Earth? Here is a tale told in the traditional style of a wise old storyteller.

This episode features my poem, 'Darkness to dawn'. It talks of true love - what it means to give and receive love in a dark world.

All these readings are from 'Stardust', my collection of short stories and poems. 'Stardust' is available to order online or from any good bookshop, or by emailing . Proceeds from sales of all my books go to help street children in South Sudan.

This is a lockdown story from 2020. A nine-year-old deaf girl, Lucy, is confined to her high-rise flat with her single parent mother. They are not well enough off to own a computer and her isolation is almost complete until Lucy discovers another little girl in the facing block.

As we enter into February in the UK, the darkest days are behind us. The sun rises higher in the sky and the spring bulbs shoot up, even flower. It reminds us that life is resilient. I celebrate this in this short poem entitled 'A February Walk'.

All the poems and stories in this series are from my book 'Stardust' (ISBN 9780955010095)

One of the wonderful teachings of the Bible is that God knows us all by name. Each of us is precious to him. He deeply loves us and longs for us to love him. He call us by name.

This story recalls the time when Mary Magdelene meets the Risen Jesus outside his tomb.

Why have we come to be? This poem begins with the story in Genesis and then moves into exploring the wonderful spirit of creation in all of us. We are created through, for love.

All the poems and stories of this series are to be found in 'Stardust' by Trevor Stubbs

What does it mean to love unconditionally? We're not talking about romantic love but the sort that Jesus talks about in the New Testament. Should we care for people whoever they are and whatever they do? Does God?

This story is a parable. Does God's love have its limits? If it did, might we also be excluded?

We are beginning 2024 with our news full of war and violence. There doesn't seem to be any sign of these conflicts coming to an end. Should we lose all hope?

I hope this poem helps. It is simply entitled, 'Peace!'.

One of the wise men tells of the role the wise wives played in the visit of the Magi to baby Jesus.

A poem about the joy that comes from the wonderful truth that lies beneath the tinsel and turkey.

Trevor works for the Church of England as a 'pioneer minister'. He has no church responsibilities - just a role to work in the community to share the mission of Christ as opportunity allows using his imagination, a team of other Christians and the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit.

Virginie is a mother in her early forties with two daughters living in the same house that belonged to her husband's grandmother. She has a full time job teaching children aged six. They belong to a Roman Catholic congregation in Thiais, a suburb in the south of Paris.

Robin is the Episcopal Church rector of Napa, a town in a wine-growing region in North California, an area which has been subject to the climate change. In recent years they have suffered from extreme heat, drought and fires, which was followed this year by torrential rainfall in which more rain fell in one twenty-four period than the expected yearly amount.

Andy is a recently retired vicar of Middleton in South Leeds where he served for thirteen years. He is Leeds born and has spent all his life serving, ministering and volunteering in the city, mostly in the least prosperous areas. His favourite pursuits are reading, walking and relating to people.

In this episode, Suzan, explains the contrast between living in South Sudan where she was born and Virginia in the USA. Suzy is married to an American and they have a three year-year-old son. Suzy talks about the insights she has gained from living an international life.

Joan Campbell is a Christian author and blogger living in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has written a major fantasy trilogy that reflects the presence of God and two books of short stories based around individual players in the Scriptures reflecting on how things appear to them from their point of view. Find out more from her website: https://joancampbell.co.za

Joan is a member of Media Associates International (MAI), an international association of Christian authors and publishers.

Sarah is a young mother with two small children working for YWAM (Youth with a Mission). She is a former international envoy for the Mothers' Union based in London.

Sarah explores the presence of God in the darkness of sickness and depression. Her prayer is that those in darkness may find the way to trade pain for joy.

Before ordination, Ron Hart was a physics teacher and then a social worker. Ron is a member of Sharing of Ministries Abroad (SOMA) who has made a number of trips to South Sudan in recent years.

Hannah is an independent consultant for small businesses and non-profit enterprises in the second most densely populated place on Earth.

A retired secondary school teacher of English, Mary Cookson has lived in East Harptree in the Mendip Hills south of Bristol for forty years. She speaks of her love of books and the exciting developments in the life of the village church as the congregation reaches out to people both within and outside their community.

Penny is 63 and for the last several years has lived with a double lung transplant. Although the operation has been a great success, the side effects of the anti-rejection drugs have taken their toll. 

Penny talks of the centrality of God in her world, the role meditation plays in her life and the way she listens to and prays with fellow sufferers, including those of other faiths.

Pip Lovell is a youth worker in the parish team in Keynsham and a chaplain to the Wellsway Academy in the town.

She grew up in Essex and attended university in Wales.

She married husband, Nick, in June 2021.

David Copley is the Director of Global Partnerships and Mission Personnel for the Episcopal Church based in Manhattan. He lives in the Upper Hudson Valley.

The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion (the descendant of the C of E and the Scottish Episcopal Church) in the United States and associated provinces.

Launching on Saturday, 11th September, 2021 at 6 am UTC

The series of sermons has now come to end.

A new venture of interviews with a wide variety of inspiring Christians will be uploaded from around the beginning of September.

I will post updates on social media (Twitter - @TrevorNStubbs, Facebook - /revtrev.stubbs) or my website https://www.trevorstubbs.co.uk. You can also ask for an email notification via the website https://trevorstubbs.co.uk/contact.

May God bless you and your world!

Drawn into the Dance of God.

Reading: Ephesians 2:14-19

Extrovert or introvert - the Holy Spirit is for all of us.

Reading: Acts 2:1-24

Wait on God to be made whole, complete.

Reading: Acts 1:15-26

Jesus is caught up into the heavenly places and crowned with glory; He has created the way for all who live in him.

Reading: Acts 1:1-14

Christ is risen! We are, likewise, called to be alive, open and unconstrained.

Reading: Acts 10:44-48

Today's key words are 'Prevent' & 'Grace'.

Reading: Acts 8:26-40

Christ is the Good Shepherd

Reading: John 10:11-18

Reading: Luke 24:36-48

In the days when Luke's Gospel was written towards the end of the first century AD, the young church are "resurrection people" - a persecuted people who lived on the edge of life in this world with their hearts set on the next.

Reading: John 20:19-31

The gift of true peace.

Christ is risen! Fact or fantasy? Can it really be true?

Are we prepared to stand up and be counted?

God is our intimate friend.

Jesus enters his city, Jerusalem, to claim it for the Lord.

Reading: Mark 11:1-11

Jesus draws everyone to himself through the Cross.

Reading: John 12:20-33

Growing in Faith

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Growing in understanding.

Read: Mark 8:21-38

I refer to two books: "Living His Story" by Hannah Steele and "Bright Lies" by AA Abbott.

Temptation - shortcutting God's way.

Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

Ashes of repentance - turning and changing by God's grace.

Readings: 2 Corinthians 5:20- 6:10 and 12:9 & 10

Glory!

Give us grace to perceive Christ's glory that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory.

Reading: Mark 9:2-9

Where is the centre of the universe?

Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

Together is God's way.

Reading: John 17

All is revealed beneath the fig tree. God knows us by name and we are his.

Reading: John 1:43-51

New year - new covenant.

Reading: Revelation 21:1-7

Alnilam - Super blue giant half a million times brighter than the sun. Imagine!

God in unexpected places.

Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12