Hope and Chains

Hope and Chains

(“For this reason I’ve asked to see you and speak to you. In fact, it is for the hope of Israel that I’m wearing this chain.” Acts 28:20)

The list of events, the chain of sentences, an opening,
a booking, the words of innocence spoken were written
in graffiti light across the darkened alleys.

The scarves in the wind, the breeze on the river,
a stanza, the snippets of authenticity hovered like
angelic confetti just above sea level.

The poems we read, the lyrics in our heads, a Friday late,
a classroom, the paragraphs of novices settled like
incense, prayer, and flickering candlelight.

Shackled wrists paint of freedom,

imprisoned pain composes joy,
hushed tongues announce the praise,
and broken legs dance the spring of
fawns and does in the woodlands new.

The Christ we know, the Word uncreated, an opening,
a looking, the Truth and Innocence spoken and earthen;
dust and heaven in quiet hope come morning,
come evening,
come maskless without dreaming;

The Christ we know, the Word our love
like crystal rivers comes streaming.

The Summer Was Bright

The Summer Was Bright

(for my friend K.R. on the 10th anniversary of the death of her son)

(“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.’” Revelation 21:3)

The summer was bright and full of the sky,
The day was quiet, dogs barked and robins reply,
Another long afternoon in the northern plains,
A summer without questions or answers or why,
A morning without answers to the evenings pain.

Where have you gone, my sweet young son,
Why did you leave so suddenly?
What were you thinking, my darling one,
when you waved goodbye silently?

Why did the trees, my eyes still weep,
drop all their leaves so suddenly?
What was the meaning, my sweet young son,
when you left us so violently?

Where are the years, the ones you missed,
why did you leave me to count them?
Who would you marry, the wedding’s kiss,
What smile for your bride, the prayer’s amen?

Where are the dreams, my sweet young son,
Did you leave them reluctantly?
Why do you sit on the porch with me
when I know that you’re gone, gone so long.

The summer was bright and full of sky,
The day was quiet, dogs barked and robins replied,
Another long afternoon in the northern plains,
A summer without questions or answer or why,
A morning without answer to the evenings pain.

It was a day, just like today, like every other summer,
Ten years or twenty, the sun and moon remain,
And I would give my heart, my soul, anything,
To have you home again.
Then comes the day, unlike today, like every perfect summer,
ten years or thousands, the faith and hope remain,
That I will see you, my heart my soul, sweet young son,
Forever home again.

As For God...

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30

A friend stopped by the church today to work on some remodeling we are doing in the fellowship hall. He needed to access the crawlspace under our building and was looking for the key. A few days earlier he stopped by, looking for the key to the storage shed as well. It was not in our key “box” where we keep them as neat and labeled as possible. I called out to him, “Rodney, that key is on my desk.”

The Lord is Righteous

The Lord is Righteous

(“For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. The upright will see His face.” Psalm 11:7)

“Righteousness” is not a word we use very often in everyday language. Even as followers of Jesus we may have a vague notion of righteousness. We know it has something to do with being good, and being fair. Because it is heard more often in religious conversation than informal talk, it can take on an other-wordly sense, and we think little about what it means in 21^st century day to day life.

Re(Count)

Re(Count)

(“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1)

That’s right; you put the secret in both the ears
of a child. You discounted the worth of one more person,
the words heard by children who think mysteries should be
parties and balloons and funnery,
never dark sentences to disguise the peeling paint from our own
limited color selections.

But, whatever you may have done,
whatever I may have heard,
whatever you may have said,
whatever name I have slurred,
whatever we both have pled,

The cat’s out of the bag, squirming in a young child’s brain.

That’s right; we’ve all let the nasty nouns fall on other parades,
filled fortune cookies with empty ticker tape,
put children on the front lines to tell our tales
(who doubts the innocence, therefore the judgment)
of a child.

Yet, for our wars and (mud, of thee I sing), Fine-ally,
our God of knowledge full, can spell the words we’ve left
partly voweled upon gravel flowers. Yet, for our spin and
(sin, fair and snake dance) our God of timeless location,
can stop the disc mid-song, expose the onion layers we
hoped protected our (I swear its true) stories. Hugs and
sorry-s don’t retrieve the airwaves danced yesterday on
ears unmentioned.

But pieces in a box, players around a table, we
(all, like both Cain and Abel) have little to offer to
the One who Wholly is what we (holy are not).
My wins and losses and reporting thereof, never match
(Oh Praise and peace) the Truth that always speaks
(and does)
wonderful words of love.

God's Credibility in Chaos

“I know that you can do anything. No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do.” Job 42:2

I suppose this is exactly the place where most followers of Jesus want to arrive. In fact, we give mental assent to the truth Job expresses: “Because God is God, I know that He can do anything. And, because He can do anything, nothing can stop His plans from going forward.” It all sounds so simple, so logical, so reasonable.

Rejoice; the Almighty Reigns

“Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty, has become king.  Let us rejoice, be happy, and give him glory.” Revelation 9:6b, 7a

There have been more interpretations of the Book of Revelation than the number of church denominations throughout history. Whatever I write today will have as many detractors as those who say “Amen!” Whether we view the entire book as a tome of future events, an extended metaphor about Christ and the Church, or some combination of the two, there is blessing attached to its reading. “I’m coming soon! Blessed is the one who follows the words of the prophecy in this book.” Revelation 22:7