Fragmented

Come into the house and raise your hands,
hearts and voices to the Lord.
Feel good in that sweet, narcotic presence
while into the afterlife go 6000 more.
Drink deeply of living water,
hand cupped in surrender to your God;
drinking deep in voluntary ignorance,
never considering that 42,000 deaths are odd.
So your heart and head are married,
walking together hand in hand?
What if your feet never move toward the lonely poor,
who'll be the goats being damned?

"Lord, Lord we worshipped in artistic perfection.
Away from me! Your feet never moved in the right direction."

Comments

[Normal]

JD,

I'm not necessarily angry to the tipping point, and I wouldn't even ask Asbury or any other institution to officially sponsor something. I'm just saying be even handed with what you're doing or trying to be. I believe that there is an imbalance within the very framework of Western Christianity; Asbury just happens to be a great mirror to reflect that imbalance. Thanks for listening, JD

[jd walt]

so what you're saying normal is you are angry to the tipping point because you consider that seminary sponsored "worship" at asbury i.e. chapel, is really empty of worship because the seminary is not officially sponsoring or encouraging "justice?"

I side with your sensibilities here, though wonder at what the deeper issues may be.

thanks for taking the time to write and to share. these are really strong poems. i really appreciate the "Lazarus and the Rich man" tones there.

[Normal]

Kasey,

You think maybe I should paint a pretty picture of something ugly? It seems that the season metaphor is overused. It seems to me that the idea of transformation is singular; maybe it is that transformation and healing and whatnot occur in the midst of serving others as we realize that to be worship. I do not disregard that there are folks here that are in need of healing; however, if we all stopped to heal when we were in need of it, how would we live out anything? And as far as shouting goes, I suppose that fools are considered fools by the majority; prophets weren't very well listened to either, and I'm pretty sure that they didn't paint pretty pictures of ugly situations. My desire is to see the church turn around from its self indulgent, heal me while I remember you later, attitude. Shed the light on brokenness, illuminate the shame, realize people are hurting, and meet it all in Jesus' name.

[kasey martin]

I'm tempted to agree with you, but I'm also convinced that seminary is very much a season for most people. Some are here to be healed, others to heal, some are here responding in faith to the call on their lives, others are seeking that call. For some this place is a crucible (a place of refinement) for others more of a springboard, and there are many other places in between. It's also important to remember that most people don't respond well to being shouted at, but then again, maybe you're called to speak to those who do.

[Normal]

Specifically as the Asbury community, but more generally what I see of church. It's difficult, if not impossible, to generalize this for an entire community, but I'm afraid that our justice and our worship are seen as different entities. Do one then do the other; instead, justice is worship and vice versa. As fellowship is worship and preaching is worship and evangelism is worship, so there is an interweaving; however, I fail to see, on the level of "a whole"..."beloved community" if you will, this idea of interweaving these aspects. There are obviously those on an individual level interweaving these things; however, it seems that there is a lack of anyone shouting back to the rest of the community to follow through...Thus the poem.

[kasey martin]

I'm just curious is this your opinion of the Asbury community specifically or more of the church as a whole (or maybe even just the american church)?