Month: September 2015

2015.09.30: discipleship

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” – Lk 9:57-62

my Lord and my God
you have known me from creation
you know my whole story
you know the intentions of my heart
you know where i’ve fallen short

all of my responsibilities
all that i hold dear
i lay upon the altar
where you’ve emptied
yourself for me

please don’t look with scorn
upon my half lived life
all i can do
is offer to you
all that i am
all that i was
all that i’ll ever be

let your Spirit raise me up
from the depths of powerlessness
walk with me, sweet Jesus
let me help you carry my cross
together let’s you and i
fulfill the will of our Father

2015.09.29: the accused

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.” – Rev 12:10

he who accuses
seeks to draw attention
away from himself
and his unwillingness
to obey the will of God

he who is blameless
seeks to draw to himself
all the accusations
and stands in surrogate
to the judgment of the world
completely surrendering
to the will of God

he who is Anointed
builds the bridge
from earth to heaven
for in his dying
he conquers death

He is the truth
that shows the Way
to Life everlasting
through the path
of complete surrender:
the Way of the Cross

2015.09.28: return the child

Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” – Lk 9:47-48

 
i want to return to
the time of the child
when food, shelter, and love
was enough

the time before knowledge
of my nakedness
and inadequacies

the time before
expectations
from within
and without

the time before
what i wore
where i lived
how i travelled and worked
who my friends were
didn’t matter

the time
before anxiety
before fear of failure
before greed
and the need
to be the greatest

the time
when being the least
was enough

the time
when being a child
was enough

the time
when i felt loved
just for being
who i was

that was when
i was the greatest
and the closest
to paradise

i want to return
to being a child
again

please return

the child

2015.09.27: inclusively good

Jesus said to his disciples, “For whoever is not against us is for us.” – Mk 9:40

there is one source
from which all goodness flows
whether or not the fountain knows

any good that is done
comes from the one source
whether or not the doer believes

there are many rivers
that follow different courses
but empty into the one ocean

everyone who are pilgrims
may travel divergent paths
but all end at one destination

there are many nations
that spring from many places
but only one father of all

all who are of good will
are brothers and sisters for us
and are not against us

2015.09.26: exclusively wrong

See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you. – 1 Zec 2:14-15

 
God dwells with his people
He calls many nations to himself
He includes all.

To exclude others is to exclude God.
Holding ourselves apart from others
means cutting ourselves from his presence.