P o e t r y

from the Reader

In this expressive bread I see
The wheat by man cut down for me,
And beat, and bruised, and ground:
The heavy plagues, and pains, and blows,
Which Jesus suffered from His foes,
Are in this emblem found.

 

The bread dried up and burnt with fire
Presents the Father’s vengeful ire,
Which my Redeemer bore:
Into His bones the fire He sent,
Till all the flaming darts were spent,
And Justice asked no more.

 

Why hast Thou, Lord, forsook Thine own?
Alas! What evil hath He done,
The spotless Lamb of God?
Cut off, not for Himself, but me,
He bears my sins on yonder tree,
And pays my debt in blood.

 

Seized by the rage of sinful man
I see Him bound, and bruised and slain
‘Tis done, the Martyr dies!
His life to ransom ours is given,
An……d lo! the fiercest fire of heaven
Consumes the Sacrifice.

 

He suffers both from man and God,
He bears the universal load
Of guilt and misery;
He suffers to reverse our doom;
And lo! my Lord is here become
The Bread of Life to me.

—Charles and John Wesley, Hymns on the Lord’s Supper #2

Come Find

Warrior, come find your rest
at the foot of my cross
let my flowing blood
heal your wounds.

Princess, come find your place
at the foot of my cross
let me crown of thorns
bring glory to your head.

Child, come find your Father
at the foot of my cross
let my Abba
hold you close.

Wanderer, come find your home
at the foot of my cross
let my Spirit
make you welcome here.

Student, come find your teacher
as you gaze upon my cross
let my wisdom
bring understanding to your heart.

Preacher, come find your Pastor
hanging on my cross
let my grace
bring peace enough.

Sinner, come find forgiveness
at the foot of my cross
let my mercy
bring complete holiness.

To all,
he invites,
"Come find."

Kingdom I's

We need to have a KINGDOM MIND

And view our world through KINGDOM EYES

And hold fast to our KINGDOM TIES

Our international KINGDOM ALLIES

United together by a righteous KINGDOM DESIGN

But around the whole world this KINGDOM DIVINE

Is manifesting a KINGDOM DIVIDE

For we have made God’s KINGDOM BLIND

By engaging each other in a KINGDOM-WIDE FIGHT

By arguing over whose KINGDOM is RIGHT

We pity ourselves as a KINGDOM TRIED

Yet think of our brothers as KINGDOM SLIME

Really, we worship our differences; they’re our KINGDOM SHRINES

We like that we have a KINGDOM UNTIED

We spit in the face of the thought of a KINGDOM UNITED

In whom do our “KINGDOMS” ABIDE?

We’ve cast God’s KINGDOM ASIDE

We refuse to acknowledge “Thy KINGDOM” – THINE

We replace it instead with a KINGDOM of MINE

                            a KINGDOM of PRIDE

                  a KINGDOM of “I”

         a KINGDOM of LIES

                                     That is how God’s KINGDOM DIES

Now we’re a KINGDOM POLARIZED

                                                 SECULARIZED

                                                                     COMPROMISED

                                                                                          and DESPISED

We need to have a KINGDOM MIND

We must view our world through KINGDOM EYES

In order to keep God’s KINGDOM ALIVE

For this whole world is the KINGDOM of CHRIST

And in unity we make His KINGDOM VISUALIZED

                                                                      REALIZED

                                                                                    ACTUALIZED

                                                                                                      and PRIZED

Only by love is God’s KINGDOM DEFINED

And through love we’ll again make His KINGDOM SHINE

Then, in our own days will His KINGDOM ARISE

And Jesus will claim us as His KINGDOM BRIDE

And His Kingdom will be established, a KINGDOM PARADISE!

Prophets

I'm finding myself in a story
larger than any I ever dreamed
living alongside heroes
I have never seen

I've joined on the path
of those whose faith
has gone before
Men and women, a countless score

These characters are living
with words to say
that echo back
a millennium or more

Yet I am also learning
I have another role to fill
It is my voice, used for another
whose story I must tell

To the generations that follow
that they must truly hear
the message that has never changed
"The Kingdom of God is near."

Reading Poetry

What is a poem, but a collection of words?
Black on white rushing forth in herds
Like black sheep steering towards
The unsuspecting

Creativity in motion, bringing
Fresh new perspectives –
Redefining the notions of
This world

The poets move to deep beats
Dropping lines and rhymes with
Dancing feet, jumping legs, and
Jittery necks

Watch out – their meaning hits
Like train wrecks, or falls like
Quiet rain, or stings like scorpions
Or impregnates

Mothers and Fathers birth words
Poets produce progenies
That, stunted or thriving, rich or poor,
Living or stillborn, still have meaning

Remove the Veil

Remove the veil
that hides her face
let her see you
in all your loving grace

Remove the veil
so all the world may see
the beauty of the Bride
a blessed purity

Remove the veil
so you may see
the Church you ransomed
from captivity

Remove the veil
that your Bride might be revealed.

Yielding To Grace

I see You coming at me with a shovel
Prepared to dig, ready to go deep
And I just want to run and hide, so I do

I see You coming at me with a needle
Filled with an overpowering substance
And I fear the healing like I fear the prick

I see You coming at me with a mask
It’s gas to make me rest and relax
But I turn my head to avoid the connect

I see You coming at me with a respirator
I see You coming at me with the jaws of life
I see that I’m stuck in this bent wrecked shape

I’m scared of smoke, the smell of gas, and flame
I’m scared of the noise of the machinery You use
I’m scared of the pain that could possibly infuse

But I see You coming at me with a smile
Prepared to connect Your kind eyes to mine
And I feel a softening round the edges within

I see You coming at me with a look of love
Filled with a perfect acceptance of me
And I think for a moment that the fear is gone

I see You coming at me with outstretched arms
I peer at Your hands, and they’re so big and strong
Then I melt in Your chest as You scoop me up

And I breathe a release as I loosen up
And I comfortably take in a fresh breathe of air
And I listen to Your heart as You stroke my face

And I bask in the safety and security of grace

The Groom Waits

The Bride has AIDS
and so the groom waits
for her to be healed
by his free grace

The Bride is a whore
and so the groom waits
for her to return
to her first love

The Bride is not dressed
and so the groom waits
for her to be clothed
in a robe of his own

The Bride is not crowned
and so the groom waits
for her to come beside him
and take her place

The Bride is not ready
and still the groom waits.

Fall Poem

Yellow-orange featherbed
At the foot of a tree
Leaves of glory
Still glorious on the ground –
A soft invitation to me
Fluffed 'round at the
Base of a tree.
Marvelous maple!
Bowed and humble
Brown, with almost
Absent crown for me,
Lowly me, to partake of.
Darker browns and
Rusted reds create
Maroon moods, and the
Leaves that lie, crispy,
Dead, provoke a
Thicker thinking in me.
Sadly solemn, sweetly somber,
And I the wiser
Consider things which
Youthful spring does not
Evoke.

Observations from a playground

The wind blows the dandelion fluff

Carries it far away

Lifts it far into the air

Releasing the stem of its burdens and care

The merry-go-round spins

Around and around and around and around

Dizzying circles

Of sky and cloud

The swing moves to extremes

Front and back

Higher and higher

Always going no where

The monkey bars stand a source of cold strength

Forming blisters on the palms

Of those who cling

To the temporary

Yet over all these toys

Shines light and love, hope and joy

A celebration of innocence, that

Plays.