Sweeter than Honey - Psalm 19

For those who haven’t seen the book yet, here’s an extract from 

Dwelling in the Psalms

Who cannot fail to bow down in wonder at the beauty of God’s world? It speaks of the glory of God more powerfully than any words can. His radiant beauty and intricate care shine forth from every aspect of creation. His love in the details is apparent wherever we look. And that same One who birthed all this into being breathed his life-giving words into Scripture. When we feed on those words and allow them to sink into our soul we will recognise them as sweeter than honey, purer than purest gold; another facet of God’s perfect plan.

God of the swirling cosmos,

thank you

for the countless ways

in which you speak to me.

 Help me

to stand in awe

before your natural world;

feed me with its beauty,

stun me with its artistry,

help me to recognise your hand

in every tiny detail.

 Give me an appreciation

of the unimaginable love

woven into creation

and the love

breathed into your Word.

 Deepen my desire

to know you more

and to live

as you designed me to.

 Amen

For more reflections and prayers like this, 

together with contemporary interpretations of each psalm, 

"Dwelling in the Psalms" can be purchased through Amazon, my online shop and all good Christian bookshops.

This lovely book makes the ancient psalms more accessible. 

Verses from each psalm are interpreted, reflected upon and a prayer offered. 

If you have found some psalms difficult to fully understand,

then this is the book for you.

Barbara Dodd

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An Epiphany Through Music

How to put into words an experience that was beyond words?  That’s my dilemma today.

My whole heart is to help people find healing, whatever that means for them. This longing has shaped my ministry for over twenty years and led to the development of retreats and resources to enable that. 

There are many different pathways to healing and last week I was privileged to experience the very special ministry of the musicians of Epiphany, on their ‘The Space’ retreat at Launde Abbey.  I experienced first-hand the transformative power of music to take us deeply into the healing presence of God, anointing inner wounds that are hard to access through words alone. 

Unique to the ministry of Epiphany is their creation of ‘sound portraits’.  These gifted and deeply prayerful musicians, guided by impressions given them through the Spirit, play spontaneous improvised music over an individual, creating a ‘portrait’ in sound of what they believe God wants to say to that person.

The immersive experience leads the listener to a powerful and profoundly personal healing encounter.  We find ourselves standing on holy ground.  And it is truly transformative.

epiphany

1. a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, 

or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you

2. a powerful religious experience

definition from the Cambridge Dictionary

On both counts above, my recent retreat experience was indeed an epiphany for me. I felt immensely loved, gently healed, deeply known, and powerfully guided towards the next step in my journey with God.

The group of people who call themselves Epiphany are classically trained musicians at the highest level but also, more importantly, followers of Jesus at the deepest level.  Retreats are only a small part of what they do. They generously take their beautiful ministry into a wide variety of secular settings too, reaching out to others with God’s healing love. 

Do check them out and support or invite them.  And join them on a retreat if you are able; I guarantee it will be special.

You can find them later this year at Scargill House and Ashburnham Place.

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"Healing Life's Wounds" Oasis Day

In need of a spiritual oasis?

Interested in my new book, 'Healing Life's Wounds'?

Like to gently explore it in the company of others   ...   from your own home?

Then this is for you ...

An Oasis Day

Tuesday February 10th (10.30am - 3pm)

Healing Life's Wounds

a Zoom event

hosted by

Revd Martin Davies and Spiritual Director Jane Franklin

"Oasis Days"

offer quiet reflection for people who would like to re-charge their spiritual batteries.

Each event is a mixture of prayer, reflection, input from the speakers, and some silence :

a retreat day in the comfort of your own home.

All are welcome.

To join in with this event, 

email Jane Franklin - janefranklinretreats@gmail.com

who will gladly send you an invitation.

I am deeply indebted to Martin and Jane for leading this day whilst I continue to be on sabbatical.

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150 holy mornings

'Dwelling in the Psalms', is a contemporary interpretation for our times; a modern reflection on the ancient texts, pin-pointing their relevance for today.

This is how it came about ...

150 days.
150 psalms.
150 holy mornings.
150 wrestles for understanding.
150 searches for inspiration.
150 insights.
150 prayers.

Recovery from surgery provided the space.
              Intention became discipline.
                              Ancient texts revealed their wisdom.
                                             Struggle morphed into a love affair.
                                                               Challenge became joy.

                               It was a privilege to write it. 

                               I pray you'll find it healing to pray with it.

It's on Special Offer in this post-Christmas season:

                             just £9.95 from my website.

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A New Prayer Practice?

This season of the year, between Christmas and Easter is a great time to begin to pray your way through the Psalms.

It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said, 

"The more deeply we grow into the psalms and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich will our prayer become.”

This has been my own experience as I prayed my way through all 150 psalms.  The result is my book, "Dwelling in the Psalms".  How often do you pray the psalms "as your own"?  Not always easy, is it?  How often do the words of them feel relevant to your own individual situation; right now, today?  What would it be like to write them as if they'd come from your heart; as if they echoed your experience, gave words to your struggles?

Giving my own contemporary voice to the ancient texts enabled me to really make the psalms my own.  And, if you haven't come across the book yet, maybe my thoughts can help you do the same.  

But don't take my word for it.  Here's what others say -

A book to ponder and savour, perfect for personal devotions.

Sheridan Voysey

A wonderful book.

Pat Marsh's poetic gift is extraordinary and not a word is wasted.

Penny Bird

“Dwelling in the Psalms” 

150 modern interpretations,  each with an accompanying devotional and related prayer.

Now available at the knock-down price of £9.95 

from my website.

Why not treat yourself and power up your prayer life?

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The Pain of the Season

 

Phew! Are you glad to be on the other side of the festive season? How was it for you?

Christmas is a season like no other. It has a way of magnifying our hidden wounds, but we grit our teeth and somehow get through the season whilst hiding from others the pain in our inner world. And then in the cold, dark days of January, when the cultural atmosphere of gaiety subsides, we can suddenly feel very flat.

I am one of the first to emphasise the joyous aspects of Christ’s birth. But for many of us, Christmas can be a difficult time. The worries, griefs and hurts we carry become painfully heightened when messages of laughter and joy, and happy family gatherings fill the air and surround us at every turn. It can be all a bit much, especially when we’re not at our sparkling best. There can seem to be no escape from the unspoken pressure to be happy. And when that’s not our reality we can feel very low.

We all carry those worries, griefs and hurts; pain from our past that we’ve not fully looked at, and whose effects linger within us and affect us in unhelpful ways. We don’t feel our best and life feel’s a struggle.

If any of this resonates with you, then Healing Life’s Wounds is for you. It’s a simple, easy to read guide that can help you towards feeling calmer and lighter in your spirit. Don’t take my word for it, this is what an award-winning author said:

One the most enlightening books around healing 

that I have read.

Sheila Jacobs

If the book hasn’t found it’s way into your hands yet it’s available here, or you can find the e-book version on Amazon.

Take a look, and live into a happier February, because no one wants to live life feeling low …

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Celebrating .. at the turning of the year

New Year's resolutions.  They're a very cultural concept.  And I'm all in favour of them.  Let's face it; most of the resolutions we make are in some way about self-improvement and that can only be good, both for ourselves and our world. And maybe we need this annual point of reflection to give our lives a new focus; a kick-start into a better way of living. But don't you find it interesting that we use this arbitrary single moment on the earth's journey round the sun to mark the time when we collectively think about how we'd like to change? 

This is also the time of year, I find, when I meet so many people who speak of Christmas with words like, "all over for another year".  And whilst I understand that as a response to letting go of the additional stresses that the season can bring (and sometimes I use that phrase myself), at another level it saddens me.

Haven't we just missed the point of Christmas if we say that? The underlying story of all our Christmas celebrations is that baby in the manger.  And though that event also happened at a particular once-in-history moment in the dance of the planets in the cosmos and in the earth's traverse around the sun, its consequences live on.  As that baby grew to be a man, He revealed the full extent of God's remarkable gift; that through his Spirit, we too have been given the means to birth Him in our lives. 

Emmanuel: God is with us.  God abides in us.  Now that's a cause for celebration!

So whether our Christmas has been lively or lonely, stressful or peaceful, painful or joyous; let's remember that each and every day is an opportunity for a new beginning - and that the Spirit of Emmanuel resides within us, inhabiting us with His love and His grace, and fully able to empower us for whatever lies ahead.  God is the God of new starts; so every day can be a New Year's Day with God. 

I wish you all a deeply blessed, Spirit enabled year in 2026. 

 

May you know the reality of the presence of Emmanuel in your life.

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