A Week of Psalms in New York - Psalm 30 at the World Trade Centre

Psalm 30 is the song of thanksgiving of someone who has survived a terrible crisis, the nature of which is ambiguous but clearly perilous; the psalmist states that their foes were rejoicing over them, that they were in the "Pit".

A Week of Psalms in New York - Psalm 52 at the Rockefeller Centre

The Rockefeller Centre - Picture by Inga Sarda-Sorensen

Unlike most other psalms, here the psalmist begins by addressing those who do not follow God - people who "boast...of mischief done against the godly." Those who "love evil more than good." The psalmist warns them that such a deceitful way of life is not life at all - but an existence that is self-deceiving and ultimately self-defeating. Such people are "uprooted" whilst those who are faithful to God will, like the evergreen olive tree, live in the courts of the Lord forever.

A Week of Psalms in New York - Psalm 82 at the United Nations

The United Nations General Assembly, New York

This psalm tells us that we “are gods, children of the Most High.” Jesus used the words of this Psalm to rebut the accusations of blasphemy made against him by the Jewish leadership. If we are all children of the most high, how can it be blasphemous to say Jesus is the Son of God?

A Week of Psalms in New York - Psalm 32 at the Met

Auguste Rodin 'Adam' (Cast 1910) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The psalmist speaks to us of the joy of God’s forgiveness. We are reminded that forgiving is not about forgetting - absolution of our sins is not a way of escaping the consequences of our actions - our sin is embraced or “covered” by the “steadfast love [that] surrounds those who trust in the Lord” - like the father’s embrace of his prodigal son in the famous parable (Luke 15:11–32). Sometimes we all desire such a hug!

Start:Stop-Father, forgive

Craigie Aitchison - Pink Crucifixion 2004 - Methodist Modern Art Collection

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. We begin with two verses from scripture, which can be found on page 95 of the New Testament section of the pew bibles.

Start:Stop-Checkmating God

Start:Stop offers busy commuters the chance to start their day by stopping to reflect for ten minutes. Reflections begin each quarter hour from 7.45am until 9.00am. Thank you to everyone who joined me today at St Stephen Walbrook. My reflection is below.

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. During Lent our reflections are inspired by Dr Jane Williams book The Merciful Humility of God. Today we look back to the Feast of the Annunciation, which was celebrated yesterday, with the help of St Teresa of Avila, who among other things is the patron saint of chess. We begin with a short bible reading which can be found on page 211 of the New Testament section of the bibles.

Start:Stop-Julian of Norwich

Pablo Picasso - Crucifixion (1932)

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. During Lent our reflections are inspired by chapters from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book “The Merciful Humility of God” by Dr Jane Williams. We begin with a bible reading which can be found on page 117 of the New Testament.

The Irreplaceable Human Being - Bonhoeffer in Lent

Bishop Martin Lind gives the Bank Churches Lent Lecture 2019  (Picture: Lutheran Church of Great Britain)

The 2019 Bank Churches Lent Lecture was delivered by Bishop Martin Lind, Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain and an expert in the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), the Lutheran pastor and theologian who resisted the Nazis and was killed in 1945 at the age of 39 in a concentration camp.

Start:Stop-Revealing the Underground Stream

Forgotten Streams by Crista Igelsias

Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. This reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. We begin with a short bible reading which can be found on page 37 of the New Testament.

Reflection on Psalm 96

The Lagoon from the illustrated book Jazz by Henri Matisse, 1947

A haiku based on Psalm 96

Sing our song of love

In concert with all the earth. 

Keep on practising.

Reflection on Psalm 39

The Empty Tomb, Ghislaine Howard, 2000

A life tormented by a restless heart.

Is it burning in anger - or with love?

Which flames will fire my lips to speak?

How long must I endure?