Welcome part 2

What does it mean

To really welcome the other

The way we have been welcomed 

In Christ

What does it mean 

To feed, to clothe, to water

The other

The way God has 

Fed, clothed, and watered us

What it means is simply this

I will meet you 

Exactly as you are

I will have a holy curiosity 

To create space 

To know you 

And to be known by you

I'll put judgment 

On the shelf

And pull out the chair for you

So you can join the feast

What you do with this welcome 

Is up to you

But the welcome itself 

Is up to me

Sit down, rest a while

And enjoy connection

For this is the kingdom

Of our Lord

Symphony

I love these early mornings

The sweet perfume 

Of an early morning rain

The busy chirping of the birds

The songbird's refrain

Listen!

There's a symphony going on

Listen!

To the thunder of the chicken trucks

Listen!

To the buzzing of the early bee

Listen!

God is speaking

Can you hear?

Right and wrong

Blah blah blah 

Yady yady yady

I'm so sick and tired of

I'm right and you're wrong

I'm so sick of the arguing, debating,

Demonizing, and strategizing

It's enough for me

To try to live in 

The Creator's world

With some sense of harmony 

And peace

It's enough for me to live in this world

Just meeting people where they are 

It's enough for me 

To confess and repent of my own sin

Rather than to put you through a trial

For yours

I'm not the judge

I'm not the jury

I'm just a traveler like you

On the journey

Finding my way

So why don't we join hands

And quit the fighting

And worrying about who can win the next point

Why don't we just 

Ponder the majesty of the trees

And the wonder of 

Ants building their sand empires

Why don't we live in peace

Welcome

The table is set

The wine is poured

For the holy meal

And there is space for you and for me

There is space for the holy other

There is space for the broken and the lost

The confused and the proud

There is space for the one

Who doesn't think they deserve to be there

And for the folk who think they own the place

At the table of our Lord

There is room for all

Welcome!

And God said

And God said 

Let there be light

Let there be a dome in the sky

Let there be dry ground

Let there be lights in the sky

Let there be plants and trees to cover the earth

Let there be swarms of sea creatures 

And birds to soar in the sky

Cattle and creeping things

Horses and rabbits

And lions and deer

And snakes and elephants

And giraffes and great apes

And buffalo and lizards

And ants and spiders

You name it

And finally

Let there be man and woman

Made in the image of God

In God's very image

To fill the earth 

And subdue it 

And God said . . .

Sing

"I will sing to The Lord

As long as I live"

Help me to

Sing your song, O Lord

I may sing a little flat sometimes

I might miss my cue

But I long to join my voice 

with the billions

I long to join my voice 

With the saints 

And apostles 

And prophets

I long to join my voice

With the thief on the cross

And the woman at the well

And the woman caught in adultery

I long to join my voice

With Zacchaeus and Nicodemus

With the prodigal son

And the bridesmaids

I long to join my voice

With Origen and Augustine 

I long to join my voice

With Patrick and Teresa 

On what a beautiful

Sound we will make

In the fullness

Of your kingdom

In your paradise

Of living water

And trees

Of the garden

I long to sing

To you, O Lord

Explosion

Love exploded on the scene

Power and fire poured out

And humans couldn't 

Contain it

It overflowed 

Like a mighty river

God's river of justice

And grace and passion

And majesty and creativity

It was like the 

Eighth day of creation

Like the day of resurrection

It was fire and tongues

And wind, ruach, Spirit

Hovering over the dark abyss 

Of grace divine

Pour out that same Spirit 

On me

And take me 

Out of my head

And into your heart