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.