Judgment

(Matthew 25:32-34)

32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right,

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance,

the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Every day,

The world wants to place

a category on every face.

The extreme and the mainstream.

The sheep and the creeps.

The addicted and the clean.

The good and the mean.

The indifferent and the voters.

The leaders and their supporters.

The rich and the pissants.

And on the Last Day,

God separates us into two:

His

and

Hisn’t.

Amen.

Too much

Meditation on John 2-4

Did Jesus go too far
When He filled the water jars
with His Dad's favorite vintage?
180 gallons! -
Jesus, are you trying to flood the village!

Did Jesus go too far
at the Temple bazaar
with His spring cleaning?
With You  Jesus , "Under New Management"
has a whole new meaning.

Did Jesus go too far
As the priest found it so bizarre.
To enter God's domain
you must be born again.
Jesus, I never thought the tomb
as a delivery room.

Did Jesus go too far
to be secretive about the bar
the serves the water that satisfies?
Like the Samaritan woman
I really want a piece of that franchise.

Did Jesus go too far
to tell the local czar
how much we whine
for our need of wonders and signs
before telling him that his boy will be fine.

Oh Jesus,
Let's have some of that leftover wine.

Mercy

Matthew 18:23-35  (The Unmerciful Servant)

Why did he do it?
Bully someone for chump change,
Right after being forgiven for millions.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Why did he do it?
He went back into a world of
You owe me
and
I owe you.
A world of
In God we trust
all others pay cash.
A world of winners and losers.
A world where "Give me a break,"
ain't a request but a cynical statement.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Jesus said,
"Only the merciful will receive mercy." 1
and
"With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 2
Trouble is we don't breathe in the mercy.
We accept the measurements the world gives us.
Just so no one can take advantage of us.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Note 1- Matthew 5:7
Note 2- Mark 4:24

Don't underestimate the value of listening....to all the things you can't hear

(Prayer of the human condition)

Matthew 12:34b: For out of the overflow of the heart,
the mouth speaks.

When the pastor greets the flock
with a cheerful "Good Morning",
Sometimes the congregation
rumbles back a humble grumble.

Oh, how I wish the preacher would not ask
for us to repeat this task.
As spokesman for us sheep
the reason we're half asleep
is
We're buried under the world's garbage heap.

Texting without conversation
Busted relations
Soul sucking work
Everyone in the world is a jerk.
Sleep without rest
Issues without context
Obama and Glenn Beck
My inflation riddled paycheck.
Corporations are charged with a misdemeanor
For the air over Pasadena.
Jesus, I ain't even gotten started,
but the guy in front of me farted.

So on a Sabbath morn
when our response to your query is so forlorn.
Pastor, do not ask for us be repeating
the response to your greeting.
Instead heed the sound of our loss
and shepherd us to the cross.

Rebel Jesus Sunday

(Luke 19:28-48 - Palm Sunday)

What a parade!
or was it a charade?
This is the exception not the rule,
A messiah riding on a mule.

Jesus stared at the holy town.
He foresaw its collapse to the ground.
What's next is hard to describe
A God who actually cried.

Then His tears turned into anger
toward the Temple moneychangers.
What happened next tested every Levite's sanity,
A God who turned into a vigilante.

Then the ruling class convened
to discuss the actions of the Nazerine.
And their agenda was driven by fear -
How do you make a God disappear?

Home is where you hang your head

Luke 15:17-24 (Prodigal Son)

Humbly I come down the road,
And I see him approaching fast.
Running as fast as he can,
Boy, he's gonna kick my sorry ass.

Can't blame him a bit,
I lost it all including a piece of my soul.
I promise to pay it all back,
Yeah, the years in the world will exact its toll.

Did I hear him say, "Son"?
I start my speech but he tells me to stop.
In his headlock, I taste his tears,
but I also can smell that pig slop.

I can't hear what he's yelling to the help,
probably, "Start digging my grave."
He's dragging me toward the house,
As I tell him I'll be his slave.

"Stop this nonsense," he said,
"You're my boy and always will be.
We're gonna clean you up,
butcher the fatted calf
into some fine ground round.
And will someone fetch big boy
and tell him the piece of my heart
that was lost
has now been found."

I'll leave the light on for you

You should be known for the beauty that comes from within,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is so precious to God. (1 Peter 3:4)

Of all the places He could go,
Jungles oh so dense,
Or galaxies yet unnamed,
Even check out Vegas.
Yeah, God lives in heaven,
but vacations in my soul.

Of all the things He could do,
Surf the ocean on the leviathan's back,
Workout the pale horse in thirty-five and breezing,
Whisper "I bless you," after someone finishes sneezing.
Yeah, God lives in heaven,
but vacations in my soul.

What a mess You left behind!

(The last week of the Christ)

God so loved the world

that He gave

His one and only Son

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish

but have eternal life. John 3:16

What a mess You left behind!

A dead fig tree.
Pissed off merchants.

A criminal was set free.

Ripped the Temple curtain from top to bottom.

A suicide.

The man with the keys to the Kingdom went fishing.

Your body was not prepared for burial.

We hastily placed You in a tomb,

with a promise to fix it up first thing Sunday.

And when I return

What do I find -

The rock is knocked over.

Jesus, what a mess You left behind!

　

Winter Baptism Haiku

Winter Baptism Haiku

Under the water

and out of the gusting wind

God, this is freedom.

http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/take-me-to-the-water



Holy

Accept Me.
Love Me.
Let Me
work
in your
life.


Accept them.
Love them.
Let Me
(through you)
work
in their
lives.

Talk to Me.
Be honest.
Let Me
hear
your heart.

Talk to them.
Be honest.
Listen
to
their hearts.

Do these things
for
I AM
holy.
And
please believe it
My precious one -
you are too.

Amen.

Follow Me

Follow Me

with your cross.

And I don’t understand why,

but you can hang your baggage

from it

if you want.

Follow Me

with your empty purse.

And

No, I won’t sign

a waiver of liability.

Follow Me

and you can fish for people.

“So, we’re angling for souls.”

Oh, you’re so funny.

Follow Me

after you sell everything you have

and

pay off your credit cards.

Follow Me.

You hear

and recognize My voice.

No, friending Me on Facebook

Ain’t gonna cut it.

Follow Me.

I don't apologize

that

I love you.

I am sorry,

That's the way I am.

Follow Me.

And until you do,

there is no

Amen.

The Right Stuff

A meditation on Matthew 7:7-8


7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Seek the right stuff,
I AM your map.

Ask for the right stuff,
I AM your man.

And if I,
the Easter One,
requests your presence,
(with all your stuff.)
Don’t knock.
I AM home.
Come on in.

Amen.