Who Meets Our Needs

“A high priest like (Jesus) meets our need. He is holy, pure and without blame. He isn’t like other people. He does not sin. He is lifted high above the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26

Jesus has been presented as an intercessor between God and man, a “go-between” if you will. But, it usually is taught that, because man is sinful and God is perfect, we need someone to represent us before God. Flammable humans simply cannot endure the Holy Flame. There is a certain truth to that; yet I believe it may be over-emphasized.

Pure Expressions

Pure Expressions

Let my pure expressions be blameless before the
words of those who would discover wrong, rummaging through
the details in the dark or in the light. Let my spotless,
pure in sunshine white, speak better than my silence or
defense of intentions.

And yet, My Perfect Master, I find more to indict myself than
any picker through my life ever discovers. I fear I will never 
come clean enough to admit enough without
eyes popping open.

Oh my friend, where did you find such words to say?
And why, though my sores are nearly healed, do new
tortures show their teeth again? How can I plead innocent
to murder
when I've thought such angry ways to remove
the attacker’s influence completely? Come, walk with me
for an hour, and speak. I will listen to your complaint; I am 
ready to understand why your words 
paint me like dangerous quicksand.

And yet I am not a murderer, but still I am;
an imperfect follower, caught while fixing my wounds
and hoping to take the next challenge well.

So the tears fall again, the heart beats fast again,
and self-defense is foolish. But sadness tosses me
deeper and I will lie on the ground until sun sets tomorrow.

Did anyone see that my bandages finally were off?
And now another arrow to the heart, second hand ammunition;
though the words are untrue, I am never innocent, and feel the
burn of tears, the flush of nerves blooding my face.

I will love how I can; understand I would have stood by you
against every accusation thrown even when the evidence
was known all over town. And, still, I will sit by your pain
as friends do.

My words will be few.

Of Coffee and God's Kingdom

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:5

When we spend all of our time trying to decide who is “in” and who is “out” of heaven, we run a giant risk of interpreting everything in Scripture in that way. So, we turn this passage into a dividing line between who is “saved” and who is not. What if there is the “kingdom of God” means something different than a guaranteed ticket to heaven?

Eat My Words?

The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.” Matthew 15:11

“You are what you say”. That’s a little riff on the popular slogan, “You are what you eat.” Jesus makes no mistake about the powerful effect words have. We often refer to the damage they can do to the hearers. It is widely known that a spouse who is belittled year after year will eventually see themselves exactly as they have been spoken of. A person who was once confident and lively may, after a time, become reclusive and unsure.

Cleaning my Eyeglasses

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Matthew 5:8 [(he Message)

I have worn glasses since eighth grade. The first thing I discovered is the difficulty of keeping rain off the lenses. I’ve always joked that there should be windshield wipers for glasses, just like for automobiles. I’m sure there are some tiny novelty wipers out there, but I’d end up looking like a buffoon wearing them. I guess I’ll put up with rain-stained spectacles.