Devotions

Dear Friends, Welcome. ​This space exists for one reason: ​love — ​the love of God poured out in Jesus Christ, ​the love we are called to extend ​to one another, ​and to the world. ​There are many voices clamouring for our attention. Here, you will find the rhythm of one heart seeking to follow the way of Love. My ministry does not happen behind heavy church doors or within rigid institutional walls. It happens in the quiet, ordinary spaces of life where we learn to walk together at an unhurried pace. This is a faith rooted not in tradition for its own sake, but in the living, active, self-giving love at the heart of the Gospel. ​Three truths have become my anchors: ​The Living Word Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Apart from Him, the true God cannot be fully known. In Jesus, we see the face of a God who is Love, and whose Gospel is the path of Peace. ​The Gift of Grace I believe salvation is found by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Grace is a t...

​ Adapted into Easy English from "What Is Nonresistance?" by Tom Lock. Originally published at nonresistance.org and shared freely for all. ​Where the Word Comes From ​The word "nonresistance" comes directly from the Bible. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says: ​"Do not fight back against someone who does evil to you. If someone hits you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. If someone takes your coat, give them your jacket as well. Love your enemies. Pray for people who hurt you." ​What Nonresistance Means ​Nonresistance is more than just avoiding fights. It is more than staying calm when someone is cruel to you. ​Nonresistance means: ​ Refusing to hurt someone back when they hurt you. ​ Trying to do good to all people, in every situation. ​ Working toward forgiveness , kindness, and love—always. ​ Staying away from all violence, all wars, and all hate. ​ Remember: Nonresistance is not about doing nothing. I...

Welcome to Above All Love . This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. ​This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't need to have your theology sorted to be here. You don't need to feel worthy, or confident, or certain of your standing before God. ​You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this — carrying whatever you carry, however long you've been carrying it. ​If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. ​Hymn ​We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. ​Not the labours of my hands Can fulfil thy law's demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears for ever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone. ​— Augustus Toplady, Rock of Ages ​Prayer ​Gracious God, ​Thank you that you do not ask us to earn what we could n...

Welcome Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be certain, or hopeful, or even very present today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. Hymn We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Just as I am, without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. — Charlotte Elliott Prayer Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to deserve welcome before you offer it. Thank you that your arms are already open before we have finished our...

WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Breathe on me, Breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what thou dost love, And do what thou wouldst do. — Edwin Hatch PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to be well before you notice us. Thank you that in the middle of our years — in the middle of our waiting, our weariness, our half-lived lives — you are not absent. Revive us today, not in some distant future, but her...

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6 The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold the Author of Life. Every fear, every failure, every Friday you have ever lived — He has conquered it all. The empty tomb is not the end of the story. For those who follow Him, it is only ever the beginning. He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so shall we. CÀISG SHONA DHUT / HAPPY EASTER "A-nis thog Dia an Tighearna agus togaidh e cuideachd sinne le a chumhachd / And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power..." (1st Corinthians 6:14)

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10 The disciples did not know it was Saturday. They only knew their world had ended on Friday. They sat in grief too deep for words, with no idea that Sunday was coming. Sometimes we live in Saturday seasons — when the promise seems buried, the prayer unanswered, the tomb sealed shut. But God has never once been defeated by a Saturday. He is still working in the silence. Hold on. Image from Christians Unite

"Do you understand what I have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done." — John 13:12,15 On the night He was betrayed, He did not reach for a sword — He reached for a towel. He washed the feet of the man who would deny Him, the man who would betray Him, and every one who would abandon Him before dawn. Then He broke the bread and poured the cup and said, remember Me. The greatest in the Kingdom is the one on their knees. Have we picked up the towel? Image from  Christians Unite

"She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial." — Mark 14:8 Scripture is largely silent about this day — and perhaps that is the point. Not every holy moment announces itself. Somewhere in the quiet, a woman broke open her most precious possession and poured it over His feet. The disciples called it waste. Jesus called it worship. Some of the most significant things we will ever do for God will go unnoticed by everyone except Him. Do not despise the quiet offerings. Image from  Christians Unite

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." — Matthew 22:37-38 All day the religious leaders came at Him — with trick questions, political traps, theological puzzles. And all day He answered with a wisdom that silenced every challenger. Then He turned it all into one breathtaking simplicity: love God, love people. Everything else hangs on this. In a world drowning in complexity, He hands us a compass. Are we still following it? Image from  Christians Unite

"My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." — Matthew 21:13 Jesus walked into the temple and turned over the tables — not in a tantrum, but in a declaration. Holiness matters. Worship cannot be reduced to commerce, and God's presence cannot be auctioned to the highest bidder. He still walks into the temples of our hearts today, looking for what we have allowed to crowd out the sacred. What tables need turning in us? Image from Christians Unite

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey." — Zechariah 9:9 The crowds spread their cloaks and waved their palm branches, expecting a conquering warrior on a warhorse. Instead, heaven's King rode in on a borrowed donkey — not with a sword drawn, but with arms open wide. This was no political revolution dressed in armor; it was a divine rescue mission wrapped in humility. The same hands that flung stars into the sky held no weapon, sought no palace, commanded no legion. He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Every expectation the world had of power and greatness, He quietly, deliberately turned inside out. No crown, no throne, no army — just a donkey and a King who came to give His life for the world. He still turns the world upside down. Will you? *Image via Instagram: @saltandlightwords Two w...

​It is so easy to get lost in the immediate terrain—the steep hills we’re currently climbing or the fog of a difficult week—that we forget to look back at the horizon. But there is profound power in the simple act of stopping to notice the distance already covered. What a distance that might be!  ​When we strip away the noise and focus on the truth of the journey, we are often met with a beautiful, humbling realisation that we need to:  Take a moment and look at how far God has brought us. ​The Evidence of Grace ​In the New Testament, the apostle Paul captures this sentiment perfectly in 1 Corinthians 15:10 : ​ "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain." ​Turn around and look at the trail behind you. You are a survivor of seasons that felt like they would break you. So am I. If the Lord has been watching over you your current standing isn't an accident. In fact there are no accidents. His sustained divine support is eve...

The Red Letter Challenge ​"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" — Matthew 5:46-47 ​The Brotherhood We Fear: A Logical Challenge to Modern Faith ​In the 1995 film Cry, the Beloved Country , James Jarvis (played by Richard Harris ) reads a letter written by his late son. The words provide a sharp logical challenge to anyone who claims to follow a faith of love. ​The quote says: ​"The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it. We believe in justice, but we are afraid of it. When posterity comes to judge us, will we be consigned to the pages of history as tyrants, or as men who had the courage to be free?" ​Historical Parallels: A Logic Check ​History shows that this "dilemma" follows a predictab...

​Dear friends, as we are in this season of waiting, I invite you to join me in reflecting on the gentle power of the Prince of Peace and the quiet Light that guides us still. ​ "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." — John 1:5 ​A Simple Advent Message ​Dear friends, ​As we light our candles during Advent, we think about a special kind of power. We are waiting for a King who was born in a quiet stable. He did not come with soldiers or weapons. He came as a small, gentle baby. This is the Spirit that cannot fight. ​In 1660, George Fox and his friends told the world a great truth. They said that because they followed Jesus, they could no longer use "outward weapons" or go to war. They chose to be like "innocent lambs." Even when people were mean to them or put them in prison, they stayed peaceful. ​Today, the world is still full of noise and fighting. It is easy to feel worried about the "plots and f...

Reading: Acts 3:1-10 Peter heals a beggar who can’t walk Peter has changed. "One day Peter and John..." John (the beloved) has brought the restored Peter who had so strongly denied Jesus along. There is a sense of being relational and intentional.  Peter has changed. "It was three o’clock in the afternoon. It was the time for prayer." They intentionally went to pray. They didn't give up praying but intentionally prayed at a given time. They went to a public place, not the privacy of the upper room but the temple. Peter has changed. "Then Peter took him by the right hand and helped him up." Peter is not drawing swords or being wildly outspoken. But, humbly and gently ministering to those in need. He is not a man of the sword but a man of prayer.  Peter has changed. (Quotes from NIRV).