I am Owned

I am Owned

(“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19)

Companion of all I am, my questions and vague answers,
my soft lawn and burning sand; sojourn here where dancers
sometimes brighten the day, and; where blisters enhance the limpI’ve carried from the first day I insisted on allowing You to stay.

You are stubborn, pulling me like magnetic migrants to rubble and storms;
You are gentle, showing me the tears that fall for urbans and farms;
You are stronger, still I must follow, you do not drive or strike me;
You are fiery, breaking the ice jams, burning my first plans and my psyche

Until I own that I am owned. I browse no longer, the window shopping is over,
I am overtaken by love, pulled by black hole wind that insists I fly without trying,
learning the sky and earth, moon and sun, soul and neighbor, all deserve the
best behavior

From a mere visitor upon the Holy One’s Sacred tour.

Wrapped up in Christ

Wrapped up in Christ

John the Baptist: “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16

How much thought do you give to your wardrobe each day? If you are like my 20 year old daughter, you choose what you wear carefully, with an eye toward good color coordination and fashion. Or, you may have a job that requires some protective wear such as gloves or a hardhat. Maybe you are an executive and wear a suit and tie to the office. Or, along with me, you might say you have no fashion at all. You just wear what is clean; or at least a shirt and pants that have only been worn once.

"If You Forgive"

“He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” John 20:22,23

I can only try to imagine what it must have been like to be one of Jesus’ disciples after the resurrection. I really have nothing to compare it to; I have no one who has died and come back to life. I have not even been fooled; thought someone was dead, then found out later that they were alive. April 1 is only three months away, though. That would be the greatest prank ever.

When the Wind

When the Wind

(“Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying.” Acts 2:2)

The sand stretches its aggregate collection across
the desert where horizon greets bluing sky: quietly.
The desert has its own silence that waits for the next burst
to rearrange dunes southern and scoot stones in the other direction.

Heat rises from the accommodating desert floor, stored overnight
while the air froze motionless and skies expanded curtainless
for eyes to take in the old-fashioned light of stars perhaps
flickering their last quiet millennium.

No one observes the processes that take longer than the
lifespan of a man,
but the evidence left behind suggests more life in bands
of history jammed in practice-cake layers.

The flash floods widen the floor and deep,
the accelerated water feeds the sleepy saguaro
and wakes the watching Gilas for one more life-giving
drink.

Waiting is a better virtue than making,
praying is a better chart than late complaints.
When the wind arrives, give wing;
When the fire descends, then sing;
when the Spirit fills, then everything is burning
(bushes and hearts and thrones and plans)
until the desert blooms with grace like Eden
again.

I Like Birthdays

“And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:27

I like birthdays. On my next one I’ll turn 58. I’ve thought more and more about then end of my life and what I have or have not accomplished. But I like birthdays. It is my day. I get my favorite meal or dessert, my kids call me and friends who have known me forever tease me gently. When we were all in our 30s the teasing was a bit harsher, but we know now the tender feelings that accompany the downhill side of our lives.

Spirit-Filled Work

“And (the Lord) has filled him (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God in skill, intelligence and knowledge to execute all craftwork.” Exodus 35:31

God called and enabled Bezalel, as well as others, to construct the Tabernacle which would represent God’s dwelling among His people as they wandered through the wilderness. I suspect, in God’s mind, this was the most important building project ever. The Tabernacle was not erected to honor a human king, as the pyramids, or a local deity. It was meant to be a meeting place for the Lord of All and His people. Everything about its construction, and every item in it all represented something about God’s character and how to approach Him.