Big Blind

I'm sure

there are

a lot of 

people

thinking:

"What were

those people

thinking?"

Placing 

schools,

old folks' homes,

houses

right next

to a plant.

Gambling 

with their lives.

Especially

when they

can't see the

hole cards.

This Week (Boston/Baghdad)

The Iraqi 

police sergeant

wished

he had the 

luck that

occurred

this week

in the Empire.

A brother

ran over

by his sibling

in a car theft.

The boy

later found 

in a boat

in a water town.

And as he looked

at his current 

list,

he sighed

his request

to al-Malik:

“Bless those you

have received in 

Paradise.

And make me 

an instrument 

of your

Justice.”

Bread of Life

Ex 12:17-20 /John 6:51-59

The child asked,

"Why is the bread so dry?"

 I told her the ancient story

of a people who had 

to rush out of the

land of slavery.

They couldn't wait to 

for the baked bread

to rise.

So they prepared 

their bread

without yeast.

So when we 

eat the bread

we remember

the people

God rescued.

Then I told her

another story.

A tale of a lifetime ago.

When there was 

no SPF-50

no carcinomas

where the beach was

a place

where some got

the glow of a tan

and some suffered

the pain of sunburn.

And some of us

who endured the hurt

would strip the skin

and taste it.

Seasoned with

sand

and salted with 

the ocean

and sweat.

And when we

got home,

we bathe

and lie in our

beds  as still

as we could manage.

Every now and then

we would

spot a piece

of dead washed

flesh.

We placed it

our mouths

and  recall

the taste of

the wafer

on Sunday morning.

And the words

the priest said,

"This is My flesh.

Do this in remembrance of Me."

Gasp

Mt. 22:37

(When is the last time you said, "I love You."?)

Two pews behind me

I heard 

her gasp,

"My God, my God,

I love You!

My God,

I love You!"

And her prayer,

disturbed

the equilibrium of

my relationship

with the

Other.

A content,

comfortable 

bond

between us.

No passion.

Words not

spoken

but 

believed to be

understood.

O, 

unembarrassed

God 

with

arms wide open

on the cross

and

when we meet.

Embrace

my heart.

And may

my prayers always

begin:

"My God, my God,

I love You!

My God,

I love You!"

Three Men on the Hill

(Good Friday)

(Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:33, John 19:18)

Three men went up the hill

to receive what

the Law 

had dealt them.

When they reached

the top,

the Law

applied their

 pain bombs

upon them.

Then

 left them

hanging

on their trees

to die.

And the one

on the

left

was like

any of us.

And when

 he stared at

the cross

next to him

and saw 

Truth,

he 

(like any of us)

 screamed,

"GET ME THE FUCK 

OFF THIS CROSS!"

But the one

on the

right

was a 

con-man.

And when

 he stared at

the cross

next to him

and saw 

Truth,

he

knew 

exactly

what it was.

The pure

200-proof

incorruptible

substance

he could not

fool or deceive.

So,

for the first time

in his life,

he spoke 

from his 

heart

and not his lips,

and said,

"Take me with You."

Rock of Ages

Rock Of Ages

Luke 19:39-40 /Mark 12:10

O Lord!

If we could 

be your disciples!

We would struggle

against those

who want to

use us

in their cause of

justice.

We would praise You

as a brother -

the mistakenly, rejected 

cornerstone.

Use us.

Transform 

the rock

of Easter

into an 

altar in 

Your Kingdom. 

Good Friday Meditation

Luke 23:34

Which is more

incredible?

That we

murdered 

God?

Or

He

dropped 

the charges

against us?

No Experience Required

Mt 20:1-16 /Luke 15:28-30

In His economy 

there are

always

these rehires.

And with Him

there 

is no

such thing as a

probation period.

Full pay

and

benefits

from

day one.

And we

who never left

the reservation,

understand

this principle.

Although

like the eldest son

we

silently long 

for a

closed shop.

Reflection on the Beatitudes

MT 5:1-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

    Lord, break my spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn.

    Lord, forgive my sins, 

that cause pain to You and others

Blessed are the meek.

    Lord, I need to take myself 

less seriously, 

and 

You more seriously.

  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

    Lord, help me avoid the temptation of indifference.

  

Blessed are the merciful.

    Lord, may the grace you grant me, 

be shared with all.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

    Lord, mold me into a person of integrity. 

Blessed are the peacemakers.

    Lord, give me the wisdom to know Your way.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

    Lord, give me courage when I am afraid. 

It is often easier to fight for a principle than to live up to it (Wisdom 2)

12: "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. 13: He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. 14: He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; 15: the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. 16: We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. 17: Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; 18: for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. 19: Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. 20: Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected."  Book of Wisdom 2:12-20


How can I hear
this inconvenient Truth? 

Who says my way
is not the Way He taught?

Who says the those
who do not take
personal responsibility
will be experience His joy?

Who says He is 
the Messiah,
the Christ,
God’s Son?

There is only one solution: 
A public death.

We will test him
with pain and derision
and afterwards
clean up
by placing Him
in a tomb
that God only knows 
its location. 

Meditation on Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us. 
Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 1662

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:12 (KJV)

Forgive us our trespasses,
Sounds like we wandered
on someone's
property.
"Oh, my bad"


As we forgive them that trespass against us.
As we tell others
to get off our front lawn.

But we live in
a debt ridden
world.

A world of
In God we trust
all others pay cash.
A world of big winners
in their swimming pools
and losers
drowning in their underwater
mortgages.

Imagine in
corporate worship
asking
God
and
each other
to forget the debts
between us.

To be forgiven
with all the paperwork
not to be put back
in the filing cabinet.

Not to placed in a box
to be sent to Iron Mountain.

But
watching it all
being placed in
the shredder
of grace.

A free fresh start.

His First Sermon

Luke 4:14-30

He just said
eight words
in his first sermon.

But like any
first time preacher,
He couldn't leave
well enough alone.

And instead of
being invited
to Sunday dinner,
He had to escape
the wrath of
His hometown
congregation.

Ash Wednesday (2013)

Ashes made
from the
palms
of a
short-lived
victory march

Are now
recycled
to mark
the heads
of those
who
long
for the
King's
return.

Apparition

An eighty degree
afternoon
in January
should not be wasted.
I thought

And at the beach,
amongst the
Euros
still on vacation
and the pasty
white Canadians
I see
a Brazilian couple
walking in the surf.

And stamped
on her
gym shaped
bicep
was a tat
of the Madonna

Not  a Virgin
at the stable
Madonna.

Not a Mary
standing above
the votive candles
Madonna

But
a Madonna
who had a
I can't stand this anymore
expression.

My trance was broken
by  French kids
coming back from a swim
but not waking their
parents from their nap.

And down the beach
went
the couple
babbling in
a language
only they
could know.

Wedding Crashers

John 2:1-12 NIV

(Wedding at Cana)

“Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.”

Homer Simpson

I wonder 

if Mary had to

drag Jesus

to this affair.

And to make

it more 

tolerable

for Him

add the disciples 

to the guest list.

As the wedding

went on,

He watched

from His table,

the honored couple,

the happy families,

His date

dancing with 

Peter and Andrew,

He hears 

Mary come up

behind Him

and whisper,

“They have no wine.”

And in His

selfishness

He tells her

“That‘s not my problem.”

But His divinity

 sees the bigger

picture.

So the first 

miracle is recorded.

No shame

to the wedding

couple.

No blame

assigned

to the

uninvited

disciples.

Thanks for forgetting

Psalm 103:12 NIV

If God is
omniscient
but
does not
remember
our
confessed
sins,
is He
omniscient?

I
guess
He
would say,
“My child,
there are
things
not worth
remembering.”

7089

Mugshot -7089

I
wonder
why
someone
had to
scrawl
his death date
on the mug shot.

Was he
thinking
like
Pilate and Caiaphas
that
life would
return back
to the way
it was?

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

Matthew 1-2/Luke1-2

Christmas
is a
season
of losing and
discovering.

Zechariah
lost his voice
arguing
with an angel.

He regains
his voice
filled with
the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth
lost her
shame
of childlessness.

Her joy
is multiplied
when
meeting Mary
(and Jesus)

Joseph
decides to
lose Mary
quietly.

But through
a dream
he lets
Love
come to town
(and the world)

The Magi were
lost
despite following
the star.

After hearing
the Prophets,
they rediscovered
the star
that lead them
to the King.


May this
new year
reveal
the lost gifts
in your life.

Psalm 11 Meditation

1. How can You say,
“It’s closing time.”?


2. Are you aware of all
the stupid that’s going on?



3. Honor and life are disposable.
What has value anymore?

4. From your heavenly suite
You see
the externals and internals
of us all.

5. You consider all of us.
The plumb line on the righteous

For the evil ones,
You rummage in Your tool box.

6. You will wield your hammer
of justice.
Your breath on them
will be sweet
but sear their skin.

7. May we remember that
You will sort this all out
(despite our vain attempts
of correction)

It's not the way that you say it

Jesus asked, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Luke 10:26
(Based on this video)


We asked a beautiful woman,
"If you could make a new law,
what would it be?"

She answered,
"I think that any laws
(there are in Constitution or in life,)
are already made.

I think that we should have,
a straight way to go
in our similar
or,
in our lives as is this.

For example, I'm a surfer,
and I think
that the best wave
that I can take
is the wave
that I wait for it.

So please do
our only law
that we can do.

Thank you Vegas!"

And Vegas
(and as well as ourselves)
wished
we could enter
her mind
of endless summer.

Jesus Ruins Christmas!

David Wilcox 

Jesus ruins Christmas 
That's what the headlines said
"Jesus" in quotation marks
Cause then the man was dead

Jesus in the parking lot
talking to the poor
He gathered up a crowd of us
and he walked into that store

So Jesus stood in Bloomingdales
A rebel with a cause
He stepped up on the platform
Right next to Santa Claus

Jesus tore the wrappings
The presents on display
These boxes are all empty
They've always been that way

Now your eyes they can deceive you 
Let your soul look through this store
It's all shiny empty boxes
But I've come to bring you more

The presence that I offer is infinite joy
Free for the asking but you have to make your choice

Well, first came security
then came the police,
destroying private property,
disturbing the peace

They hauled him off in shackles
With billy clubs and guns
But when the cops saw the angry crowd
They said, "Let 'em have their fun"

They wrapped him up in ribbons
They dragged him through the mall
They lashed him to a Christmas tree
and they plugged it in the wall
With a strand of broken Christmas lights 
wrapped around his head

They had killed him off by Easter, but they could not keep him dead

Jesus Ruins Christmas, that's what the headlines said

Coming soon…

Every valley shall be raised up, 
every mountain and hill made low…
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed
Isaiah 40:4-5/Luke3:5-6


Revealed
in a manger
in parables
in the Bread
and the Cup.

In a prayer
on the cross
and
an empty tomb.


Not exactly
what we were
expecting
after hearing
this
Advent announcement
of
coming attractions.

Getting Caught Up

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with ...the anxieties of life,”

 Luke 21:34a

I was gonna ask

Jesus

a question.

And before

I knocked

on His door,

I picked

up

the

newspaper

from the

welcome mat.

Started reading

about the

Greeks

stuck in their

austerity pit.

The rich

on their private

beaches

claiming

poverty.

And while

I was reading

a story

about

the

fiscal cliff,

I felt a

hand on my

shoulder.

“What do you want?”

He asked.

“Believe it or not,

I was gonna

ask You

the same question.”

Postscript

After reading the poem,

my fundamentalist friends

who have let

their

poetic licenses

expire

years ago,

ask me

the same question:

“Tell me,

why

would

an

omniscient

God

have the

newspaper

delivered?”

To become a person

(Adapted from a prayer book)

To become a person
one must
affirm
and
deny
himself.

One
involves
the other.

If we cling to
self-assertion
that’s
inglorious madness.

If we insist on
pure self-sacrifice
that’s
glorious madness.

We must
embrace
and
surrender
in
equal measures
to discover
our
full
humanity.
**Rufus Jones - 20th century Quaker

Silly Little Xmas Poem

Luke 2:1-21

Come to my party
behind the holiday inn.

We’re gonna  have
angels
animals
and
kings.

Come to my party
behind the holiday inn.

My mom
will tell you
the amazing story.

Come to my party
behind the holiday inn.

RSVP by
asking for the
manger.

What kind of actions of leaders do you think God blesses?

Psalm 106:3/ Psalm 118:9/Matthew 5:1-12

I suppose the answer is

an action

that serves

the common good

of all.

As the psalmist wrote:

“Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”

But can a God

who is uncompromising

in His love

of the world

and

His expectation

of His people

to return His love

with

all their being

bless

a political act

that requires a

dance of egos

agendas

and

the give and take of

compromise?

As the psalmist wrote,

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.”

O Lord,

on the mount

You told us

who were

to be blessed.

The meek.

Those seeking righteousness.

The pure of heart.

The peacemakers

and

the persecuted.

Help me

understand

the actions

of Your Kingdom.

The Bramble King

 

Parable of the Trees

Judges 9:7-15 NIV

The trees hoped

they could be

ruled

with honor

by the olive tree.

Or

with the sweetness

of good times

by the fig tree.

Or

comforted

by

the strength of

the vine.

But to

the olive tree,

the fig tree,

and

the vine,

governing

the forest

was

beneath them.

It was

effortless

for them

to produce

what

the world wanted.

But to

deal with

their community

with its

petty squabbles,

their

problems,

and

divisive

politics,

they worried

it would

sap all

their strength.

　

　

　

So,

after being rejected by

the olive tree,

the fig tree,

and

the vine,

the trees of the forest asked

the bramble

“Why should you be our leader?”

“First,”

the bramble said,

“Unlike

the olive tree,

the fig tree

and

the vine,

I produce nothing.

I must rely on your support.

“Next,

unlike

the olive tree,

the fig tree

and

the vine,

whose roots grow deep and stubborn,

my roots are shallow.

You must allow me to

compromise

so we can survive.”

“And finally,

unlike

the olive tree,

the fig tree

and

the vine,

you can

live under

my thorns.”

“And if push comes to shove,

let my branches

become the

tinder

to start

the fires of war.”

So began the reign

of the Bramble King.

　

Justice versus Mercy

2 Esdras 8:37-45 CEB

The angel said:

A farmer sows

many seeds

in the ground,

yet not all that

was sown

will take root

or be harvested.

So all that were

sown to the world

will not be saved.

Ezra replied:

If a seed does not come up

because of drought

or deluge

it perishes.

But Lord,

people are created by Your hands

and are made in Your image.

The question I ask is:

Have You made them

like the farmer’s seed?

Please, Lord!

Surely not!

Spare Your people!

Please have mercy

on Your own creation.

James, John and Bartimaeus

Mark 10:35-52 NIV

They drew close to Jesus

to make their request.

He shouted at Jesus

to make his request.

They drew close to Jesus

so the others couldn’t hear.

He shouted at Jesus

and didn’t care about those

trying to silence him.

They addressed Him

as Teacher.

He called Him

Son of David.

They asked their question

in confidence that it would be answered.

He asked only

to have mercy on him.

And Jesus asked the same question
to each of them:

“What do you want me to do for you?”

They asked for glory.

He asked for his sight.

Jesus answered James and John,

“Even though you will follow Me

till the end,

Remember:

The greatest of you must be a slave.”

Jesus answered Bartimaeus,

(one of the least of the town)

“Through your faith

you will see.”

James and John endured

the others

giving them the business.

And the crowd

at Jericho

wondered

what kind of business

Jesus was in.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

2 Samuel 21:1-14

I

What do you want me to do for you?”,

David asked the Gibeonites.

“Saul who has destroyed our people,

has left us homeless in the midst of famine.”

“So, what do you want me to do for you?”,

David asked again.

“Give us seven of Saul’s descendants.

We will kill them and leave their bodies

in the sight of Saul’s God.”

And David selected the men

and allowed them to be killed

and to be left hanging on a cross.

Rizpah

the mother of two of the men,

came up the hill.

Spread out a sackcloth for herself

and protected all the bodies

from the birds of the air

and the beasts of the land.

And while the festival of harvest

was going on below,

God saw what was happening

on the hill

and

answered the prayer of land

by opening a cloud

of His tears.

　

　

(continued)

　

　

　

II

Mark10:32-45

“What do you want me to do for you?”,

Jesus answered their request.

“We want to be next to You

when You come in glory.”

“Can you follow the path

I AM going to take?”

“No problem.

So how about those seats in the suite?”

“You will follow Me

this is true.

However those places

have already been reserved.”

And before the rest

of the followers

could start speculating

on who would have

those great seats

The Master said,

“The weak that move against

the powerful

in their own small ways,

They will see the Kingdom of God.”

Learning How to Kneel

On my knees,

beads in hand

for the last six weeks

reciting the old prayers

of childhood.

Sometimes

remembering things

forgotten.

Recalling people

of the past.

And

meditating on the

mysteries

of Jesus

and my life.

This should be

boring as hell,

repetitively stating

my status as a sinner.

Asking the Father

for my forgiveness

as well as others.

Requesting Mary

fifty-three times

to intercede for us sinners.

Instead when finished

I sense

an unrecognizable boredom,

not because I’ve practiced it

many times before,

because I haven’t;

not because it’s old hat,

but because it’s still too new.

Lot’s Daughters

Genesis 19:30-38(NIV)

 

If we could text,

We’re sure we would type:

WTF! WTF! WTF!

If any of our friends,

were still alive.

Mom’s dead.

Dad didn’t like the new town.

Instead we

headed for the hills.

and are living in a cave.

WTF! WTF! WTF!

And we’re wondering

about Dad’s uncle and aunt

Abram and Sarai.

It appears from here,

we three are the last of the tribe.

WTF! WTF! WTF!

And remembering how they

went on and on

how our tribe was going be

as numerous as the

grains of sand

at the beach.

Yeah, sis.

As many as the

stars in the sky.

WTF! WTF! WTF!

What were they thinking?

That Hagar scheme didn’t

work out at all.

And even though

Old Aunt Sarai is a hottie,

(Can’t imagine Abe pawning her off

to a king twice)

Two words: Ancient Sex

OMG! OMG! OMG!

Eew! Eew! Eew!

So sis,

It looks like it’s up to us.

Good thing we grabbed

the bottle

from Mom’s purse.

The double neat for Dad

and small one for us

I’ll go first

and you can follow me.

What?

No sloppy seconds for you!

WTF! WTF!! WTF!!!

OK

You can have him tomorrow.

OK sis,

A toast before we start.

May the one God of

Great Uncle Abram

and Great Aunt Sarai

remember us

in His book of Life.

Caveat Emptor

God said,

“Eat from the tree and

you will be separated from Me.”

The serpent said,

“You and Him will not be strangers.

There is no danger.

Eat from the tree and

you will be an image of God.”

And the greatest con job on Man

was a done deal.

Selling to someone

a perfect, precious thing

that they already possessed.

God doesn’t do Legal

When creating our part of the universe,

You spoke and it appeared.

Except for us -

You personally formed

and breathed life into us

using Yourself as the blueprint.

Then what is so strange to some

You didn’t patent us.

You gave us the code.

An open source of

just four proteins -

A and T

C and G.

And we began

to recreate and multiply.

No one exactly like You.

No one exactly like anyone else.

So we copyrighted ourselves

into separate tribes, nations and religions.

And You were transformed into a legend.

So to erase the ©

from the end of Your name,

You sent your Son

to tell us to remove

the labels we place on

God,

ourselves,

and

others

and to start living the abundant life

You always had wanted for us.