Prepare

I also withheld the rain from you

….yet you did not return to me

I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards;

….yet you did not return to me

I killed your young men with the sword

…yet you did not return to me,

Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;

because I will do this to you,

prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

(Amos 4:7-9;12)

From today's lectionary

Prepare to meet your God!

Can we hear the choirs as the shepherds?

Can we see the light of the stars as the astrologers?

Can we wait as Simeon and Anna in the Temple?

May this be the theme of your Christmas -

Prepare to meet your God!

And no one dared disturb the sound of silence

A king is not saved by his great army; (Psalm 33:16)

[So,] do not put your trust in princes, (Psalm 146:3)

They do not know how to do right, says the LORD,

those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.

(Amos 3:10)

The children crying out in the temple,

"Hosanna to the Son of David,"

the scribes became angry and said to him,

"Do you hear what these are saying?"

Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,

'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise for yourself'?" (Matthew 21:15b-16)

From today's lectionary reading

God tells the world:

Force can not save.

Politics can not redeem.

Nor corruption or evil.

But the world tries to hush,

(and wants to crush)

the little children singing, “Hosanna!”

to the One

that is to overcome.

What a Wonderful World

(Genesis 1)

The noise of the animals is a low roar.

The waves continually kissing the shore.

The breezes making the trees dance.

The humans are inventing romance.

There’s no such thing as zombies.

Creation is a just a big ole party.

The light of the stars are set on low.

The night creatures come late to the show.

The birds are singing with Eve.

God looks at all He achieved.

That’s the first Saturday night story.

Creation is a just a big ole party.

Waiting on the world to change

Do as I do

Meditation on Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry

and you fed Me

as I provided manna in the desert.

 

 

For I was thirsty

and you gave Me something to drink

as I showed the abandoned Hagar a well in the desert.

 

 

I was naked

and you gave Me clothes

as I did with Adam and Eve.

 

 

I was sick

and you looked after Me

as I took care of a faithful Job.

 

 

I was in prison

and you came to see Me

as I heard the cries of My exodus people.

 

 

The King said

Follow My example

and do the same.

Notes:

Verse 1- Exodus 16

Verse 2- Genesis 21:19

Verse 3- Genesis 3:21

Verse 4- Job 2:6

Verse 5- Exodus 2:23-24

You can't walk away from the price you pay

(Matthew 14:45-46)

The Kingdom of God is like a pearl

That you would pay everything you had in the world.

Would you show off your treasure every day?

Or keep it safe knowing the price you paid?

Or would you wait for the time

When you could buy it on sale?

“He will quiet you with His love”

(Zephaniah 3:17c)

I walked into this empty church I had no place else to go
When the sweetest voice I ever heard, whispered to my soul
I don't need to be forgiven for loving you so much
It's written in the scriptures
It's written there in blood
I even heard the angels declare it from above
There ain't no cure,
There ain't no cure,
There ain't no cure for love.

**Leonard Cohen

 

Slow down.

Shut it off.

Be still.

He will quiet you with His love.

 

 

Listen.

Learn.

Be open.

He will quiet you with His love.

 

 

Forgive others.

As well as yourself.

Be a blessing.

He will quiet you with His love.

 

 

All the Marthas.

Look at the Marys.

Come.

He will quiet you with His love.

Dealing the Authentic

Buy the truth and do not sell it.

(Proverbs 23:12a)

Where can you find truth?

Real truth

not that packaged crap - Trooth.®

I heard there was one guy

who said He was the truth.

The competition came down on Him hard,

but I heard He’s still dealing

the authentic.

He brags that it’s

so good it will set you free.

Baptism

The little saint

comes forward to become

a citizen

of the Kingdom.

The little saint

raises her face

to the empty cross

of salvation and grace

The little saint

knows no wisdom

only love --

the passport to the Kingdom.

O little saint!

For the rest of your days,

worship the LORD for

He is holy.

And

please believe it

precious one -

you are too.

Amen.

Tabitha

(Acts 9:36-42)

There was a female Lazarus named Tabitha

But hardly anyone knows of her story

So when October 25th comes up on the calendar

Let’s remember her part for God’s glory.

Without Love, where would you be now?

(Luke 7:1-10)

　

I am not worthy

to share in Your glory.

Yet You slaughter

the fatted heifer

for us prodigal sons and daughters.

　

I am not worthy

to share in Your glory.

As I hammer the nails in

For my sin.

　

I am not worthy

to share in Your glory.

But say the word

And my soul shall be healed.

When talking around God’s table

Link to ten rules for christian conversation

 

When talking around God’s table
Let’s not act like Cain and Abel.
Your argument should not be a big drama

and please don’t end it with, “Yo mama!”

When discussing around God’s table,

Let your heart and soul be graceful.

In order to be God’s spokesman

Your mind must be faithful and open.

When responding to someone at God’s table

Let not your words be wasteful.

There is a time for your statement.

So be patient, be patient, be patient.

When listening at God’s table

Let your attitude be charitable.

Everyone hasn’t traveled the same road as you,

Listen to the route taken by the girl with the tattoo.

When sitting around God’s table

Understand everyone’s position if you’re able.

Don’t be on Facebook with your iPhone

When someone is making their thoughts known.

When talking around God’s table

Let not your speech be hateful.

And the point you’re trying to sell

Doesn’t improve when you yell.

When debating around God’s table

Do not use stories from your crazy uncle.

If you want the question to have closure

Unite the facts with Scripture.

Have a leader at God’s table.

Someone who can discern fact from fable.

Someone who will let everyone be heard.

Someone who believes:

God first, everyone else second, and he or she third.

At end of the session at God’s table

Does our business return to usual?

Maybe God’s purpose in the end

Was for you to make a new friend.

A place Mapquest can't find

(1 Kings 19)

God saw Elijah‘s little world falling apart,

and asked

“What are you doing here?"

And

God in His mercy

fed and sheltered Elijah

and

waited as a breeze

waited as a tremor

waited as an inferno

then

repeated His question

in a small voice

“What are you doing here?”

And today

God in His infinite mercy

feeds and shelters His children

who are worrying about

their little worlds falling apart.

And He waits

sometimes as a brook

sometimes as a cloud

sometimes as a flood

and

repeats His question

in a small voice

“What are you doing here?”

How do you sleep while your bed is burning?

(Deuteronomy 28)

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you

that I have set before you

life and death, blessings and curses. (Deut. 30:19)

God gave his answer

to his people:

Follow me and be peaceful.

(14 verses of peace, love and understanding.)

or

Be ready to inflicted with My cancer.

(54 verses of pain, hate and misunderstanding.)

There will be blessings when you go in.

There will be blessings when you go out.

There will be blessings for your next of kin.

There will be blessings for all of the devout.

But woe to the one

who places anything ahead of Me or My Son.

This is not a theological abstraction.

This is the real fatal attraction.

You will build your dream house

However, the contractor will move in with your spouse.

Your children will leave the nation.

Your broken heart will lack medication.

You will turn to the gods of the moment.

However, none of them are potent

against My wrath.

Please child, do the math -

I AM the One.

You will borrow from your foes

It’s a matter of time before they foreclose.

In your world, they are the new boss,

They ain’t the same as the old Boss.

First comes drought,

Then follows famine without a doubt.

In a while, you and the old lady

fight to see who eats the baby.

For the rest of your lives

The goal is to survive.

The total strangers you beg from

give you the finger.

(And it ain’t the thumb.)

WELCOME TO THE EXILE!

Only drowning men can see Him

(Matthew 14:22-33)

　

Peter asked:

“If it’s You,

can I do this too?”

“Come,” He said as the wind blew

And

Out of the boat came apostle from Judah

And ending up standing on aqua firma.

Peter so much wanted to be the ally

of his beloved Rabbi.

Anything the Teacher excelled

was something he wanted do as well.

But the Eleven screamed

“This must a dream!”

Peter heard them through the gales

and realized one little detail:

“I think I’m going to fail!”

Jesus pulled him out

and asked, “Why did you doubt?”

But the Rabbi also learned something that night,

Shortcuts never work out exactly right.

　

　

Love’s Choice

This bread is light, dissolving, almost air,
A little visitation on my tongue,
A wafer-thin sensation, hardly there.
This taste of wine is brief in flavour, flung
A moment to the palate’s roof and fled,
Even its aftertaste a memory.
Yet this is how He comes. Through wine and bread
Love chooses to be emptied into me.
He does not come in unimagined light
Too bright to be denied, too absolute
For consciousness, too strong for sight,
Leaving the seer blind, the poet mute,
Chooses instead to seep into each sense,
To dye himself into experience.

*** Malcolm Guite

The Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds

Meditation on the painting in the Sugar Land FUMC chapel

(first painting)

Who’s that lurking

around the Christmas stage set?

The crosses of Death

meeting their Executioner.

Paintings by John Passaro

　

Where's the love we once knew?

(Revelation 4:9-11)

The God of love sat at His table

with coffee and a bagel.

He started a meditation

on His favorite creation.

Oh man,

Why can’t you follow the plan?

Instead of the Song of Solomon

a booty call.

Instead of My will be done

Everyone’s at the shopping mall.

Instead of the cross being My signature

it’s jewelry.

Instead of the Kingdom being the purpose singular

You invent a culture of fantasy.

Instead of forgiving those in our debt,

You demand your pound of flesh.

Instead of being living water wet

Your idol is Jesus Cash.

The God of love got up from His table

Left the bagel and gulped His coffee cold.

Walked over to a table of angels,

And asked, “Wanna go bowl?”

This is the worst trip I've ever been on

(Numbers 21:4-9)

Numbers 21:4-9

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[

c] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

John 3:14-15

[Jesus said: ]“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

By Numbers 21

Yahweh was undone.

“I AM NOT A CHEF!

I AM DEAF

TO THEIR CRIES

FOR BURGERS AND FRIES!”

THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER

AND RICH IN LOVE

BUT IF YOU DECLARE HIS CUISINE MUNDANE

THERE WILL BE SNAKES ON THE PLAIN!

THIS CAUSED THE GRIPING TO CEASE

“MOSES, WE NEED SOME PEACE !

GO THE DIVINE ONE

AND

ASK FOR MERCY OR ELSE WE’RE DONE!”

Moses asked

and God gave him the task

of fashioning a crucifix

of a bronze snake attached to the sticks.

God advised:

“Those who are struck with venom

and look at this creation

Will escape death’s condemnation.

And by the way - You’re welcome.”

Ain’t never been there,but the brochure looks nice

(Numbers chapters 13 and 14)

They selected one from each clan

to achieve Yahweh’s plan

to go locate the Promise Land.

After forty nights and days

They returned amazed.

They returned surprised.

This place was better than advertised.

However, there was one problem.

“Oh we hate to be contrarians

BUT … BUT …. BUT

When we stand next to the barbarians

We’re barely as tall as their left nut.”

From the Judah tribe,

Caleb said, “Let’s go in! I feel God’s vibe.”

Instead the former slaves had a fit,

“We’re going back to Egypt!”

Joshua and Caleb appealed one more time.

“Stop acting like being brave is a crime.

Stop being afraid.

With God, this will be a parade.”

The minority report was rejected.

Rocks suitable for stoning were selected.

Then guess who busts in to meet the nation?

Yes, the original Godfather doesn’t need an invitation.

“You made Me come down from My Kingdom,

Because you don’t understand the concept of freedom.

Moses, I ain’t joking!

I AM ready to some serious smoting!”

Moses said to the Omnipotent,

“Yahweh, The infidels will shout:

“That god of Israel is incompetent!

Freed his people and then let everything go south!””

The Supreme Being reconsidered.

“ OK. This is My command:

No one

except the kin of Caleb and the son of Nun

will enter Graceland.

They will all die in the wilderness.

For 40 years

Lost will be their address.”

Moses relayed the announcement.

After hearing this, the refugees began to lament,

“We’re the Chosen, not the Exiled,

God can’t treat us like a red headed stepchild!”

And before the sunrise

Much to Moses’ surprise.

Some of them got on the plateau

and said “We ready to go!”

“You just don’t get it, don’t you?

God is not with you!

I’m not coming aboard,

You are all gonna die by the sword!”

They ignored the advice

They left saying,

“We’ll call you when we reach Paradise.”

You know the rest of the tale.

It was worse than being in the belly of a whale.

Blood spilled from

Jarmath

to

Lachich

to

Eglon

to

Gezer

to

Debir

to

Geder

and finally stopping

at exit 45

in Hormah.

Pentecost

(Acts 2)

They all got together/And before the prayer

In came in the wind/In came the fire

And created a polyglot choir.

Then they were not bashful./To proclaim the Gospel

That salvation can come to the lost

to all the attendees of the Pentecost.

A troll stated,/“You guys gotta be inebriated!”

Peter replied, “ They are drunk on a different Spirit,

you dumb punk!”

Listen well to the prophet Joel:

At the end,/God will send

on those who recognize Him as Lord

His Spirit.

They will inherit the reward

of

Life without limit.

The young will tell of what’s going down.

The old will dream dreams unbound.

Slaves will tell of the sun being dark as mud.

They will tell of the moon the color of blood.

And

Those who believed /and perceived

the signs,

They will receive

an invitation to the Celebration.

Jesus was the man/ who carried out God’s plan

By showing who is the great I AM.

Instead of accepting your Messiah,

You yelled, “Crucify ya!”

But God stepped in /and killed death and sin.

So the crowd asked “What can we do?”

Peter replied:

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you.

This is for the forgiveness of sin.

Also ask the Holy Spirit to dwell within.”

Three thousand felt the indwelling.

Sold all their bling.

Shared everything.

And started living.

Knowing by Padraig J. Daly

We know how stars divide,

How atoms race and run,

How the first explosion

Sent the planets hurtling.

How there is a maw in the spheres,

Lurking to swallow everything.

And miss the small perfection

Of a bird alighting,

Dilettante butterfly,

The oak over the river

Sheltering the sensitive fish.

And sometimes

If we fold ourselves

Into that quiet and wait,

The Other comes,

Touching us with madness

And certitude.

Victim of the storm

"If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss." (Message)

“The way of fools seems right to them.” Proverbs 12:15a (NIV)

Built on sand.

Saved a few grand.

Until the storm.

Until the storm.

Financed by a sub-prime.

Plan to flip it in ten months time.

Until the storm.

Until the storm.

My love left me.

I waved goodbye on the porch.

As the storm approached.

As the storm approached.

Outgo exceeded income.

The neighborhood is turning into a slum.

As the storm howled its warning.

As the storm howled its warning.

The waters drove me up a tree.

The river drove the house to the sea.

And then the storm ceased to be .

And then the storm ceased to be.

Stuck in a FEMA trailer.

A failure.

Got foreclosed on the loan.

All alone.

A victim of the storm.

A victim of the storm.

A victim of the storm.

A Father's Love

“And behold, a voice from heaven said,

This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight!” (AMP)

(Matthew 3:17)

This is my Son.

This is my Boy.

He is the One.

Who is just like Me.

 

 

 

This is my Son.

This is my Boy.

He is Love.

Just like Me.

 

 

 

This is my Son.

This is my Boy.

He’s God’s gift to women.

He’s God’s gift to men.

 

 

 

This is my Son.

This is my Boy.

He is my joy,

In whom I delight.

 

 

Amen.

A Bible Study Prayer

May my beliefs

outnumber my doubts.

 

 

May my understanding

be reflecting in my praying.

 

 

May my studying

Renew my mind.

 

 

May each lesson

Aid me in my mission.

 

 

May each word I say in class,

Be the message You need said.

Amen.

The Life Everlasting

A faith-healing evangelist was asked, “Who goes to heaven?”

He would answer something like,

“Everybody who can stand that much love.”

And when asked, “Who goes to hell?”

He responded, “Only those who will have it no other way.”

Forever

Su casa es mi casa.

Permanently

The language of Truth is spoken.

Everlastingly

We are in your Presence.

Perpetually

We are shown love.

Continually

We drink Your living water.

Ceaselessly

We worship You in song, word and deed.

Endlessly

We will use and share the treasures
that were stored up for us.

Always

We will submit to Your Way.

And

Eternally

We are free.

Amen.

The Power

Imagine the power of the resurrection

That takes Him from tomb temperature

to ninety-eight point six.

Imagine the power of the resurrection

That gives Him the strength

to move the rock.

Imagine the power of the resurrection

That clears His parched throat

to ask the guards for some water.

Imagine the power of the resurrection

That has no interest to rub His enemies faces in it

but longs to be reunited with His friends.

Imagine the power of the resurrection

As Mary approaches this dirty, tired, sweaty man

finishing

His graveyard shift.

Imagine the power of the resurrection

As the One who defeated death,

calls out your name.

Amen.

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.