Today in the church we celebrate Trinity Sunday, a day to mark the glorious mystery of the God who is Three-in-One (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I love this Celtic prayer:
I am bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
In friendship and affection.
Through Your own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
Love towards God,
The affection of God,
The smile of God,
The wisdom of God,
The grace of God,
The fear of God,
And the will of God
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
Each shade and light,
Each day and night,
Each time in kindness,
Give us Your Spirit.
Carmina Gadelica I, pp. 2-3, as found in David Adam, The Path of Life: Meditations on prayers from the Celtic tradition (London: SPCK, 2009), pp. 23.
On this feast of Pentecost, I’m pondering love—the greatest of the gifts of the Spirit. Join me as we gaze on a little stream near Lee Bay in north Devon and pray through 1 Corinthians 13. Feel free to pause the recording as you encounter our living, loving God.
I confess, I never thought I’d be living in Britain for nearly longer than my native USA… I haven’t surpassed that mark yet, but only just!
Finding myself in Britain has been a surprise. Some challenges, many joys, some surprises – such as the 10th anniversary edition of my first book!
My publisher asked some good questions about why this book, such as:
As you have looked back on the original book to revise it for this edition, how did you feel? Were there things that surprised you / had changed about yourself since you wrote the original?
To be honest, it was hard looking back! I think for a lot of us, the past ten years have been challenging, with the pandemic, cost of living crisis, and more global changes of people becoming more suspicious and fractious. Our own family has had its fair share of travails, so I sought also to remember how God has brought us through those times, and how he never abandoned us while we were in them. I continue to find myself in Britain!
Rob with his lovely colleague Elin Kelly, signing books at Spring Harvest, 2004
Today marks 20 years since the death of Rob Lacey – the performer, author of the word on the street, and all around great guy. I mark the occasion sharing the article I wrote after his death in the then Christian publishing trade magazine, Christian Marketplace:
I’ll always remember May Day, not for ribbons and maypoles but because it’s the day that Rob Lacey died following his ten-year off-and-on battle with cancer. I’m joined by people all over the world who are mourning the earthly loss of this amazing performing artist and author who was a deeply loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.
I first met Rob in 1999 when I had just started at HarperCollins and he came seeking a publisher for his idea related to Romans in a cockney slang. That didn’t sound like a winner, but after discussion we came to the idea of Rob ‘translating’ the best bits of the Bible into the language of the street. And so the street bible, which was later named the word on the street, was born. Or at least it would have been if Rob had traveled the usual publishing road.
Just as we commissioned Rob to write the book in March 2000 came the dreaded diagnosis of a recurrence of cancer (he had been treated for cancer of the bladder in 1996 and had been given the all clear). Even with the C word hanging over him, he threw himself into the monumental task, starting with Job for inspiration. For the next sixteen months he wrote while battling the horrible disease, enduring radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But in December 2001 the doctors told Rob’s family that they had better say their goodbyes.
Our God is full of surprises, and over the next year and a half he brought Rob back from the brink of death and cleared his body of cancer. We rejoiced and celebrated the amazing news. Rob was healed! Alleluia! The medics were stunned, even calling it a miracle. One who had nearly died had been brought back to life. His wife would have a husband; his son would have a father; and the world would have an amazing communicator to tell of God’s love and grace.
Rob went on to finish the word on the street, which was published by Zondervan just in time for Spring Harvest 2003. Following hisperformances there it was an instant hit. People wrote in saying that it was ‘out of this world’, ‘awesome’ and ‘fantastic’. The Bible was coming alive for those who had read it too much and for those who had never encountered it. To God be the glory.
Fast forward to late 2005. My job with Zondervan had just been eliminated, but the upside was that I now had the time to edit Rob’s new book The Liberator, a fantastic harmony of Matthew, Mark and Luke in his street language. And then the joyous news that Rob and Sandra were expecting their second child – wow and hooray! But then Rob’s email with the gut-wrenching news that the cancer was back. We all were shattered. Oh Lord, why?
For anyone in our business, and especially for me as his editor, Rob was a dream author. Creative, funny – and his books sold by the boatload. Even when he was frustrated he was still gracious. He was always funny, and I would hoot with laughter during our phone calls, whether we were discussing swear words, his latest show, or the phrasing of Jesus’ commands. We were both chuffed to be paid to write and edit the Bible – how cool is that?
But of course Rob was so much more than an author, what some might think as a commodity who puts together a product to be packaged, marketed and sold. He was a flesh-and-blood human being who loved his family and friends, who followed the Creator as he brought forth words of life and grace into the lives of so many.
So as we think about the life of Rob Lacey, perhaps we can take a minute to remember the flesh-and-blood people behind the books, music and films that we create, market and sell. Who are they? What sweat, blood and tears goes into the making of their projects? And as we think about the fragility of life, maybe we can take a moment to value the people we work with and those whom we love.
Rob, in your words, halle-blinkin’-lujah anyway. We miss you desperately. We ache for and with Sandra and your children. We’re down here in a world of cancers and decay, but you have a new body that will never wear out. No doubt you are using it relentlessly to entertain Jesus and the angels. How we wish we could be watching that heavenly performance. You’re living out Psalm 30:11:
You turned my tears to cheers, My moping, through coping and on into dancing. You made me take off my funeral gear, And suddenly vibrant colours appear. (the word on the street)
During this Easter season, I welcome you to join in imaginatively with Jesus in the upper room. There, after Jesus had died, the disciples hid in fear. But Jesus — the Risen Christ — appeared to them and gave them the Holy Spirit, breathing on them and sending them out to share his love.
Join me with this imaginative prayer practice of entering the story from John 20:19–22. The images come from St Jerome’s cave in Bethlehem.
Feel free to pause the video at any point as you ponder and reflect with God.
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In the Easter season, we should be drinking bubbly and shouting alleluias! So says Tom Wright in his book Surprised by Hope, and I agree.
I talked with the lovely Lydia Bennet yesterday on Premier Christian Radio about the art and discipline of celebration – of living a resurrection life. Have a listen!
And, I get to have a monthly slot on Daytime with Lydia, so do let me know what sorts of subjects and prayer exercises you’d like us to explore….
How thrilled am I to have my dear childhood friend Kristen Rubow coming to England in May to co-lead a retreat on embodied prayer. Here’s a bit about her:
Kristen is a mind and movement coach, based in Colorado. She used to be a professional harpist, which helped her understand more deeply how God awakens our senses. She developed her studio 15 years ago, with her movement curriculum on neuroplasticity, and now encourages people to use movement to develop connection within themselves, creating a stronger sense of self and wholeness.
While based in the gorgeous surroundings of Lee Abbey in Devon, we’ll use physical movement in prayer to clarify and connect what’s going on in our hearts and heads through the body. We encounter God as we pray, including with our creation in Genesis. We can attach to God through stories in the Old Testament, and receive Jesus’ love through the gospels.
It’s so amazing how neuroscience is now telling us what God has always known – as embodied beings we encounter God through our through our soul, spirit, mind and body.
All are welcome, and we’ll work gently within the limitations of our individual bodies. Come and worship the Lord in spirit, soul, mind and body!
As one of those tasked with caring for Oswald and Biddy Chambers’ books and resources, I love sharing from their wisdom.
Here is my adaptation of “The Relinquished Life,” from My Utmost for His Highest, the wonderful new modern classic edition recently published that shares the goodness and authenticity of their message in today’s language.
How is God’s Spirit calling you to surrender? What will you gain in doing so? (Spoiler alert – everything.)
Feel free to pause the video at any point as you ponder and reflect with God.
Join me in this prayer from the Church of England as we begin with Lent, the 40 days of prayer, fasting, and giving as we prepare for Easter.
Holy God, our lives are laid open before you: rescue us from the chaos of sin and through the death of your Son bring us healing and make us whole in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Artwork by Leo Boucher; used with permission; all rights reserved.
