Light – The Bakery

True Unity: a poem

That we might be One

A prayer in poetry for the followers of Jesus; His Body on earth - His Church 

Lord Jesus, in a world that’s dark, we need Your perfect Light
Great challenges we face today - such enemies we fight 
We need to see the truth, dear Lord, for Truth is who You are
Our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, eternal Morning Star 

This world is dead without You, Lord, for Life is who You are
The people need to see You here; not distant or afar 
So, Jesus, will You come to us? - though we are many parts
And, by Your Spirit, make us One; uniting different hearts 

We want our hearts to beat as One, in rhythm with Your own 
To live the way that speaks of You, our King now on His Throne
For once You walked upon this earth; and You became our guide 
The Way is who You are, dear Lord, You called us to Your side 

Jesus, You taught us how to live; You died to make us whole 
It cost You everything You had: Your Body, Spirit, Soul 
Jesus - our Way, our Truth, our Life - we want to love You, too
To be Your Body here on earth - to be as One in You

For You have prayed for us, dear Lord, that we would all be One 
One in the Kingdom of our God; in Father, Spirit, Son 
For we reveal Your Body now, while here on earth we dwell 
And, with One voice, we want to speak the Truth You want to tell 

This world is waiting for Your Truth, it needs to know Your Love 
The Love that brought our God to earth from His own realm above
For, as we live in Oneness, Lord, this world will know Your story 
We shall display the Truth of You, and show God’s Heart of Glory!  

Doxology 

All glory to the Father, all glory to the Son 
All glory to the Spirit, while endless ages run 
For God is Love and He is One: in Holiness and Glory 
And we exalt His Majesty; the Author of Life’s story

Key Scriptures:
‭‭
Lord Jesus, in a world that’s dark, we need Your perfect Light
Great challenges we face today - such enemies we fight
Isaiah 59:9 & 11-15 

“So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.”
‭‭We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. 
For our offences are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offences are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 
So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey…..


For You have prayed for us, dear Lord: John 17:20-23 

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.17.22-23.NIVUK

A Short Reflection

The Source of Unity

What good news it is that Jesus makes us His own brothers and sisters, when we are born again by His own Spirit!

We also become part of His own Body here on earth, because He is now seated in Heavenly places with His Father. There is One Body of Christ with many different parts across all the nations of this world.

This poem does not detract from that good news. It reflects the deep desire which Jesus expressed in His prayer, that His followers on earth- those who live and believe in Him – will be one with the same Unity that exists between Himself and His Father.

Jesus wants us to be seen to be one so that the world will believe in the one true God. That’s the enduring theme of His prayer before He died on the Cross.

Oneness is a compelling quality, when different people believe in – and so are united by – the very same thing. This has spiritual power.

Darkness and Light

I was led to the verses in Isaiah – the Old Testament prophet – because they speak of the darkness in our world today.

We live in very dark times on earth. Truth now is often relative and not absolute at all. Justice is skewed and not impartial. Righteousness is a concept that is not even understood.

Unlike those mentioned by Isaiah, who were conscious of their offences against God, many people today have no concept of sinning and turning their backs on Him. We are fighting spiritual enemies, empowered by people who do not know or worship the One true God.

Many people in this world exist without believing in the God of Love. Sadly, they have become His enemies and reject His ways.

But we have His Light and Jesus wants them to see it. To see Him – the Way, the Truth and the Life – reflected in us.

Kate Stanway: November 11th 2025

January Day

A reflection on the way we look at things and convey our feelings about them.

It would be easy to look out from my sitting room on a grey day in January and see everything as grey! But, as the artist can see, light changes and brings many different shades of colour. The sky is full of different layers of light and patterns. Trees and shrubs and grassy fields and gardens have so many different textures and layers. I suppose you could call this “ a tone poem”.

I wish I could paint. It’s such a gift 
To look at clouds - a tree - a hill
Then squeeze and mix those colour tubes 
And brush white paper with such skill 

Yet I can use the shape of words
To bring a little scene to life 
So, sitting here and looking out
I’m reaching for my palette knife

The clouds are dense and mostly grey
But light is breaking out above
The hill beyond, creating wisps 
That fly along like little doves 

The hill is green, but it’s not bright 
Dulled by the greyness of the sky
Outlines of trees and bushes dark 
Create a mournful winter sigh 

Patches of white that still remain
From many days of frost and snow
Streak highlights into sloping fields 
Down to the valley road below 

And in my mid view there are trees
Dark skeletons against the clouds 
A patch of light behind them shows
Thick trunk in dark green ivy shroud 

The foreground is my garden view
A brighter green of bush and lawn
The grey of winter lavender 
The brown and copper of the thorn 

If I could paint a picture now 
I’d reach for yellow, blue and grey 
And green and black and white and brown
To bring the colours of this day. 

And so I hope you see by words 
The picture of my outside scene 
A January day, in grey
Yet still the many shades of green…

January 2025

Dear friends, it’s been a while since I’ve published a poem or reflection on here. I do hope that your January in this New Year has begun well.

I’m not very fond of the winter months. I prefer light and warmth to darkness and cold. But I draw comfort from the fact that days are getting longer again.

I do pray that there will be a lot more true Light in 2025. And I bless each one of you and your families to have new revelations of God’s goodness in the days ahead.

With love, Kate

Ladies’ Garden Party at Grace Church, Fredericksburg VA – April 2024

A special thanks to the Ladies at Grace Church – and especially to organisers Michelle and Letha – for preparing a wonderful Garden Party on 27th April 2024.
I was privileged to be part of it.
When Miriam and Doris and I arrived to help with some preparation on the morning, we were the first to arrive and the Worship Center was in darkness. It was a “let there be Light!” moment as Miriam found the light switch.
What we then saw was really beautiful!
As Miriam drove me home later she said, why don’t you write a poem?!
I hesitated ……but then said I would certainly think about it. Writing poems to order can be hard!
But this Sunday afternoon 28th I’ve had a go. Here’s the finished poem. Once again a huge thank you to those who put in such hard work and creativity to make the Ladies’ Garden Party a day to remember!

Garden Party – Grace Church – A Poem

We gathered in the morning, when it was cool and grey
But as we looked into the dark, we saw a bright array
For through an arch of flowers - as we switched on the light Appeared an indoor garden - unfolding to our sight

The hall inside had been transformed, into a special place 
Small trees stood high above us, and flowers filled the space 
And on the white clothed tables, more floral notes were seen 
Such beautiful arrangements, in colours white and green

We went into the kitchens, and started to prepare
The banquet of delicious food, that later we would share 
It was a place of busyness, but with such happy chatter 
The sounds of preparation - the clinking and the clatter!

And then the giant plates of food, the salads and the sweets 
The endless trays of tasty things, that we had come to eat! Arranged upon ceramic leaves - an elephantine ear
Created for this garden feast - through its preceding year

Then - at the very centre, of this delicious mountain
The sound of trickling water, from a stupendous fountain 
With flowers all around it, and flowers at its base
We feasted on God’s goodness, and celebrated Grace

And later we remembered, the gardens in God’s Word
The places where our God was seen, the places He was heard
In Eden’s pristine beauty, where in the cool of night
His Presence walked with man and wife, in undiminished Light

Jesus prayed in a garden, the night before He died
Then by His tomb, dear Mary saw - a “gardener”- and cried 
And we await a garden, with everlasting Light
Beside a crystal river, where there is no more night

And in that final garden, where Eden is restored
God’s people will behold His face, as their eternal Lord 
Beside a crystal river, His Tree of Life will grow
Its fruit and leaves will evermore, bring His own healing flow

So thank you for the garden, where we could celebrate 
And thank you for the beauty, that those on earth create 
High praises to our Father, His Spirit and His Son
We shall forever thank Him, our Mighty Three in One!