Darkness and Light

All sufficient Grace

When I stand in your Presence

I am blinded by your light

I must close my eyes and

Feel your burning warmth 

On my face 

Lead me out of the present darkness

Into your perfect light

I have journeyed

Into the heart of my darkness

And now, O Glory!

I come into your 

Radiant Light

Give me respite

From the dark journey

That I may come at last

To the side of your manger

And adore with the wise ones

And contemplate 

As the Virgin

And encounter

The Very Light of the World

Not me but you . . .

“Hold fast . . . because He who has promised is faithful.”

Not my faithfulness

But yours, O Christ

Not my achievements

But your grace

Not my work

But your work in me

Not my agenda

But your Kingdom

Not me

But you,

eternally you! 

A candle burning

There’s a candle burning in my heart

It wants to touch the Holy

It wants to commune with

That which is immaterial

That which is Spirit only

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That wants to embrace another

With flesh on

To commune with brother and sister

In the unity of the Spirit

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That is weary of the politics

Of ungrace

That is tired of power and lust and abuse and injustice and violence

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That sees the beauty of the

Full Moon shining in the early morning

And knows that is Real

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That encounters the cat purring

The dog giving kisses

The red tailed hawk in flight

And knows that is Real

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That feels the rise of the wave

It’s swell and rapid crash

Foam and Force

And knows that is Real

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That knows that the ads aren’t real

The airbrushed, over-produced

Hip-Hop Star isn’t Real

The buttoned down, makeup

Black suit, starch white shirt, red tie

Politician who promises the Moon

And instead delivers another law for the attorneys and judges to fight over

And lies through his teeth

He isn’t Real

The violence of retribution

The embracing of division and tribal fighting

It isn’t Real

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That knows that only God is Real

And whatever He has touched in this Creation

And whatever He has given the Gift of Ruach (Breath-Spirit-Life)

There’s a candle burning in my heart

That holds out for the Real

And spits the Un-Real out of my mouth

There’s a candle burning in my heart

The glorious cross

I sit this morning in front of the crucifix

I ponder the Passion of our Lord

His outstretched arms

Reaching from one end of the universe

To the other

His hands, nailed with blood running down

The blood of God

Poured out for God’s people

Blood that is pure and undefiled

The Life-Blood of the Son of God

What is it worth?

How priceless it is!

His arms stretched to the breaking point

His shoulders pulled out of joint

From the weight of the sins of the cosmos

Bearing down

How much do the sins of the cosmos weigh?

His arms, wide enough to embrace me tenderly

As my Brother-God

As my Lord-God

As my Savior-God

How can it be that God calls me brother, friend?

It is too mysterious for me to analyze

It is too huge for me to lift

It is too complex for three and a half pounds of mortal brain

His naked body stretched out

With feet nailed

Feet that walked the length and breadth

Of Galilee

Feet that walked into

The Temple of God

Feet that walked dusty roads

To forgotten people

And brought . . .

Grace

More blood running down

How freely He gave his blood

How freely He gave his body

How freely He gave his Spirit

His head bowed and at peace

His work

Done

His precious head, with all the knowledge and wisdom of God

In one head

All the compassion and love of God

On one face

All the joy of the smile of God

On one mouth

All the grief of a Loving God

In the tears in his eyes

In his face I see the understanding

Of One who has suffered

One who left the glory of heaven

To incarnate into my suffering and pain

And joy and happiness

One who united himself to me

On the splintery cross

One who loved to the max

One who gave all

So that I could be free

Oh glorious cross

Primordial symbol

Of Who God is

Of What God is like

Of Why God made us

Of How God redeemed us

Of When History was cracked in two

Oh glorious cross

I will cling to you

All my days

Because in your splintery beams

I transcend the world that is passing away before my eys

In your splintery beams

I see that God’s Grace

Extends High and Low

Deep and Wide

It reaches the far corners

Of the Universe

Even into the dark corners

Of my heart

Oh, Praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Who lives and reigns, One God, Forever and Ever!

Christ is risen!

Crow calling out

Caaa Caaa 

Wren sings the prelude

Bee buzzing around

Rooster joins the chorus

Car comes barreling by

Like a wave crashing on the ocean

Mule moans out the bridge

And in the background

The crickets fill the void

Like 151 violins

Quietly holding a note

Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed!

wisdom

“Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice.”

so how do you discern wisdom

in a culture of never-ending

change?

how do you discern wisdom

in a make believe world where all you have to do

is create a blog and suddenly you’re an expert?

how do you discern wisdom

when the elders are regarded as stupid

and the Church is tossed on the garbage heap along with every other “institution?”

how do you discern wisdom

when the newest is always the best

and the “newest” is old in ten minutes?

my hunch is that wisdom is not that different

than it always has been

there’s always been enthusiasm for the latest model

there’s always been fascination with the new idea

there’s always been Adam and Eve’s constant quest

for novelty

as Julian said,

“haste is ever the sin of Adam”

Lord, help me slow down

and listen to wisdom

help me hear her calling out

in the midst of the din of insane

violence and fighting

in the midst of “do this, do that!”

help me turn the pages once again

and listen to the words beneath the words

and gaze into the eyes of those

who have weathered the storms

and come through

wiser, stronger, and more at peace

the forests

the forests are

the last great hope

for humanity

why?

because

the forests have

become the last place

that we can

hear

the voice of

God

with all the buzz

with all the noise

with all the voices

with all the blah, blah, blah

with all the yelling

with all the screaming,

with all the hitting

with all the shoving,

with all the shooting

the forests are

the last great hope

for humanity

i am stuck

i am stuck somewhere

between

beauty

and

asceticism

i am stuck somewhere

between

grace

and

karma

i am stuck somewhere

between

this world

and

the next

i am stuck somewhere

between

your eyes

and

the open sky

i am stuck

Follow

So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"

The truth of God is hard

It ruptures our little bubbles

It overturns our systems of sin

It breaks in on our party

“The system is just fine, Jesus!

Let us sleep!

After all the day has just begun.

We've plenty of time!”

But Jesus knows

He knows we're comfortable

He knows we're numb 

From a crazy world

And still he calls,

“Will you trust?

Will you follow?

Or

“Do you also wish

To go away?”

Poetry

It's hard for me to understand

People who don't

Understand poetry

I think it's because

They live on Mars and

I live on Venus 

I think it's because

Equations are important to them

And facts

And figures

And sales reports

And surveys 

You see

For me, there are  not 

Facts or figures

There are  sunrises

And orange

And red

And a million shades

Of white and gray

For me, there is mystery and Grace

Not measurements and temperatures

How do you measure a kiss?

How do you quantify a dance?

How do you test a full moon?

It's hard for me to understand

People who don't 

Understand poetry

Love

“This is my commandment, that you love one another.”

So many rules

So many laws

So many directions

So much software

And apps

And programs

And forms to fill out

And Jesus made it so simple

Love.

Some days I forget 

That it's all about love

Some days

I'm satisfied

Just keeping the rules

Filling out the forms

Sticking with the program

And suddenly

My eyes open

And I see an opportunity 

To love, I mean to really love

To go the extra mile 

Lord help me!

I know there's rules to keep

But help me make loving others 

Number one on my agenda

Help me see the opportunities 

I have today to truly

Love.

Silence

Every word I speak

is an adulteration of

Silence

Every line of poetry

I write

is a tainting of

Silence

Like an artist

obliterates a sunset on the canvass

Like a singer

fractures the peace with her voice

Like an electric guitarist

pierces Tranquility with his notes

Silence is the most beautiful

work of art

in the Universe

Silence is what the poet

is aiming for

Silence is the goal of the artist,

using the full palate

and all the brush strokes

to lead one to silent reverence

Silence is the goal of the singer,

to sing a song that

creates so much tension that

one relishes the silence

Silence is the goal of the guitarist,

creating such ear-piercing noise

that the silence becomes more

of a gift than it was before

Silence is the goal of the preacher,

to exhaust the words

of the Text

and then leave all in the gift of

Silence

To contemplate the mysteries

of God

ready or not, here i come!

and the Holy Drama begins
am i ready?

no, of course not

was peter ready . . . nah

was john ready . . . nah

was judas ready . . . nope

it seems i’m never ready

for the high, holy days

but then, is anyone?

isn’t that the whole point?

that we’re not ready?

that Jesus IS

OUR READINESS

OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE HOLY SACRIFICE

THE SPOTLESS LAMB

THE GATE

THE WAY

THE TRUTH

THE LIFE

raise the curtain

and let the

Holy Drama

begin . . .

We wish to see Jesus

"We wish to see Jesus"

Said the Greeks

Strange that a Greek 

Would want to see Jesus

With their philosophy

And collection of gods

With their rationalism

And mathematics 

What were they hoping to see?

What were they lacking

In their world,

In their souls

That made them want to see

This humble carpenter

Who ministered in Galilee

Do you wish to see

Jesus too?

delight

your law,

my delight

your law,

etched upon my soul

inscribed on my being

infused in my essence

encircling my existence

puncturing my apathy

directing my steps

pluming my walls

your law,

my delight

clean

create in me a clean heart . . .

clean?

spotless?

unspoiled?

what does it mean to have a clean heart?

how far is that from . . . “here?”

is it like taking a bath

or like growing a tree?

is it painful

or enjoyable?

does it cost anything

or is it free?

i’m not sure how

o lord,

only show mercy

or i will sleep the sleep

of death

clean me

sing!

sing my young child!

arch your back

and fill your lungs

with as much life and energy

as they will hold

take in

even more

and then sing!

sing with all your might!

let your youthful spunk

come through!

the joy!

the angst!

the heartache!

the power

the pain

the hope

the nervous energy

the love

the fear

the . . .

grace

walk out on that stage and

grab that mic and

sing, my little one

with all your might!

mumbling, grumbling

mumbling, grumbling

whining, complaining

enough!

confess, share

the burden

not the weather

or the what the cashier did wrong

but what’s really deep

confess it, share it

bear it

to the Other

only then

only then

will you get past

mumbling, grumbling

or not, the choice

is

yours

Your law

"The laws of the Lord are true

Each one is fair

They are more desirable 

Than gold,

Even the finest gold"

Your law is gold

It is diamonds

It is pearls

It is the finest stone

It is more precious 

Than rubies 

Or emeralds

Or pure silver

Your law

Guides my soul

It puts order

In a world of

Moral chaos

It gives boundaries

Against the wilderness

With its ferocious beasts

And unrelenting storms

It is a beacon 

In the midst of 

A dark stormy sea

It is all I could ever hope 

To learn

It is the very heart of theology

It is the compass 

Of my life

It is the guard rail

Of my heart

I delight in your law

O Lord

I think on it 

All the time

Day and night

Guard your law

In my heart

Keep it on my mind

That I may celebrate 

Your goodness

And grace

That I may 

Abound in your joy

That I may 

Find the narrow path

That leads to life

Eternal and abundant

Your law is perfection

Vows

Vows

Covenants

Promises

Somehow my life 

Is more because of

The promises I've made

Otherwise,

What are we?

Just floaters

Floating through this world

With no connection

Otherwise,

What are we?

Just wild animals

Wandering to and fro

Looking for the next dead carcass

To feed on

Our vows

Our promises 

Make us who we are

They connect us to

The other

In a safe space

Called 

Love

Vows

Covenants

Promises

They make us 

Who we are

what is faith?

Faith

Gift 

Or response

What you do

Or what you are

Can I strengthen faith

Or is it just what it is

Mustard seeds

Grace

Moving mountains

And chosen from before the foundations of the world

Maybe faith

Is both

Gift

And response

Gift first

And then response

But always back to

Gift

for my brother

For my brother

Peace

Rest

Labor done

People loved

Work finished

Rest

The emerald green

Shiny coast

Calls your name

The shining city 

On a hill 

Rest

Darkness is done 

All is light

Feast begun

Fast over

Rest

In the arms

Of 

The 

One

Rest

Farewell my brother

Until we meet again

Rest

stones and things

Let the one who has never sinned

Cast the first stone

Am I sometimes 

The one 

Who casts the first stone of judgment?

Lord forgive!

Am I sometimes 

The one 

Who considers another "weird"

If they're not like me?

Lord forgive!

Am I sometimes 

The one

Who condemns

Even when I don't know the details

Of another one's journey?

Lord forgive!

Am I sometimes 

The one 

Who has unrealistic expectations of others

Expecting a kind of perfection 

That I know I'm not capable of?

Lord forgive!

Help me to see 

With your eyes

To understand with your heart

Help me remember 

That I've got too many faults

Of my own

To worry about someone else's 

Lord forgive!

Love is from God

"Love is from God"

It's not a human invention

It's not just a feeling

That comes and goes

Love is from God

That means it is 

Regenerative 

Renewing

Resourceful 

That means it is

Creative

Comforting

Confrontational

That means it is

Hopeful

Honoring

Heavenly

If love is from God

Then divinity surrounds us

When we love 

Divinity infuses us 

When we love

Divinity is in us

So the only failure in love

Is when we turn from divinity

To selfishness

Which is not truly us

"I know who you really are"

Says love

And it is divine

Love is from God 

Thanks

"How good it is to sing praises to God"

To be thankful

Full of thanks

You know humans

Love to be thanked

In fact they say

UnAppreciation is the 

Unforgivable sin

Does God feel the same?

Does God wonder 

When we gripe and complain?

Does it blow God's mind

When we are discontent?

O Lord of grace and bounty,

Help me celebrate you

And all your benefits this day!

Thanks!  

Speak

Speak 

The Word of the Lord,

O prophet!

Speak so we can hear

For we are lost

Without

The Word

We need the 

Guiding

Comforting

Encouraging

Challenging

Hopeful

Correcting

Revealing

Word

So, speak

The Word of the Lord,

O prophet!

Speak so we can hear

Follow me

Follow me

It begins with such 

A simple invitation

Follow me

But oh,

How life altering!

Shattering the routine

Obliterating complacency

Decimating the status quo

Destroying the dead end life

And giving us . . . 

A destination

A place

A time

A relationship

With The One

Follow me

Glory!

"The voice of the Lord

Is over the waters"

What was there 

At the moment of creation?

Was there some kind of

Primordial soup?

Did you need 

Building blocks to start with?

Did you need

Dirt and stars?

Nay!

You are all sufficiency

You are all you need

The universe comes from you

Not the other way around

You did not need creation

You simply spoke

And it was

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!

It is so high I cannot attain it!"

All I can say is

Glory to the Father

And glory to the Son

Glory to the Spirit

Who is The Three in One