Sunday, September 30, 2007

This Painful Journey

We are born in pain, and its sharp claws prod us throughout our lives. They are never far away. Pain helps us to learn how to stay healthy, how to avoid harm. But at the end of our journey, pain seems worthless. When there is nothing to be done, when no cure will suffice, pain can be an unbearable burden that must be carried anyway. And so we bear it. We share it with Christ, whose capacity for pain knows no bounds, we distract ourselves, we hang on for one more moment. Perhaps we yell, pound our fists, even go a little mad.

Soon, soon, the cool waters will come, the baptismal waters will return, lapping higher, taking away the pain, washing you clean, submerging you in the comfort of Christ. And you will rise, dry, and clothed in white robes of love, ready to join the feast of the lamb.

Today is painful, today is hard, today there is still a race to run, a struggle to be finished; but tomorrow is swiftly coming, when the bridegroom will take your hand and lead you to the great city where you will join in the great marriage feast, where you will dine on true food, and quench your thirst with living waters.

And then, together with those who have gone before and those who come after, you will take up the great song, the masterwork that creates, encourages and binds. And you will have true joy as you have never known it.

May you find your peace in the Lamb

Saturday, September 29, 2007

The Secret Name Of God

I know the secret name of God

It tells who God is
It helps me understand God and myself

It helps me to see the world with clearer eyes
It helps me to pray

It helps me to find myself when I am lost
It helps me to reconcile with others

It helps me to love
It fills my heart and soul

I overflow, I cannot contain it
It pours out of my mouth

Hold out a cup, cup your hands, open your mouth

Catch it

I can't hold it any longer

God's name is....




...Love
And God's name is Mercy
And God's name is Justice
And God's name is Prayer
And God's name is Sharing

God's name is Kindness
And God's name is Friend
And God's name is Strength
And God's name is Weakness
And God's name is Community

God's name is Peace
And God's name is Struggle
And God's name is Wisdom
And God's name is Much More than these words.

God's name is a road
A highway to the holy city
A secret that is meant to be shared:

It will fill you up
Now that you've got it,
Let it overflow on someone else!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Job Was A Good Man From Uz

Job was a good man from Uz,
Whose life caused a biblical buzz.
He was good as can be,
Steadfast as a tree.
And blessed in all things that he does.

His faith was quite pleasing to God,
But the Devil said ‘Isn’t it Odd?’
I think Job does what he should
‘Cuz his luck is all good.
If things went real sour, he’d curse God.

Well God said “I hear what you say,
That Job’s heart is as pliant as clay.
I think you are wrong
Job’s faith is quite strong
Go ahead, take Job’s blessings away.

Horrid Satan, that very same day
Took Job’s children and riches away.
But Job, though distraught,
Had faith, and he thought;
“The Lord giveth, and taketh away”.

Now the Devil got kind of hot
Things did not turn out like he thought.
But he thought he might
Still prove he was right
And prove ill Job whom Our Lord had wrought.

So Later - inside of a year,
Satan said to God; “Isn’t it queer
How to save their own skin,
The most righteous will sin -
Even Job whom you hold so dear.”

So God said “I see you imply,
That if Job thought that he might just die,
He would sin a whole lot,
-I think he would not,
But go on and give it a try.”

So Satan made Job really sick
Inflicted him with wounds, sores and ick.
From his foot to his head
Job wished he was dead
He was so sorely tried by ‘Ol Nick

Job’s wife didn’t do him much good
She said that she thought that he should
Curse his cruel God
That traitorous clod,
And if Job fell over dead, it’d be good.

But Job with a pious ‘Aum’
Uttered a brief Hebrew poem:
“God can’t only give good,
As you think he should,
Depart from me – with my Shalom.”

Then three friends of Job came to see
How Job still managed to be;
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar
Came from near and from far
And sat next to Job, knee to knee.

They sat quiet with Job a long while
In true friendship – they showed some real style.
They said not a word,
They looked quite absurd,
With Job they were walking a mile.

Then Job spoke - cursed the day he was born.
His life he treated with scorn,
He wished he was dead,
Or died in birth instead,
His comfortable life was so torn.

Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad
Gave the best advice that they had -
“Confess all your sin!
-This trouble you’re in,
Must be because you were bad.”

Then God showed up in a cloud,
With a wind and some thunder real loud;
Poor Job and his friends,
Feared that this was the end;
By the Almighty they were all quite cowed.

And God said; “This is not a dig;
But you all forget I’m quite big
Though I’m with you each day,
And I won’t go away,
For piety there is no ‘vig’.

By this speech faithful Job was impressed
Though his friends were rather distressed,
They’d all learned quite well,
That life can be like hell,
And the faithful are not always blessed.

Now Job, who had lost quite a lot,
Was restored – new children he got,
He got back his health,
And twice as much wealth,
And lots of grandkids to besot.

Now I hope that Job’s lesson is clear -
Not to hold things in this world too dear -
Don’t be quick to blame sin,
When folks fail to win.
Because trouble is always quite near.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

We Are Alike

We are alike
We love
We care
We love beauty
We care for others
We are alike

Our hearts beat
Our blood flows
We can be hurt
We can cry
We are alike

We make friends
We like to share
We like to talk
We like to take food together
We are alike

We can walk
We can walk together
We can help each other
We can help others
We get joy from helping
We are alike

We can give
We can give to the needy
We can share knowledge
We can see justice done
We can comfort the sorrowful
We are alike

Our love can flow
Can flow out from us
Together it can be
It can be a river
A cataract
A torrent
A flood
An ocean
Covering all the earth
Filling every hollow
Rushing into every closed room and cell
Washing out every dark hole and sewer
Flooding the caverns and canyons of the earth with liquid light
We are alike
And together we can do wonderous things

Let us begin

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Our God is a River

Our God lies before us-
A stream broad and strong-
From its springs in the mountains
Hear its fountain-head song!

Every mile it grows stronger!
Much deeper, more wide!
How far will it carry me,
If I dare plunge inside?

The leap, and the splash-
The breathtaking cool!
To those on the shore
I must look like a fool.

But now I am moving
Quite swiftly along
The river of God it is swift,
It is strong.

God lies all about me,
God enters each pore...
I never, -no never!
Will swim back to shore-

But swim in God's current;
And go where God leads;
Having faith in God's providence;
To see to my needs.

Come join us who swim
In God's Holy Flow! -
It is much more rewarding
Than mere watchers can know.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

When you Wake in the Night

When you wake in the night
Think to greet your God
Who is there in the quiet
To ignore him seems odd

Perhaps in the dim
Is a good time to pray
When the loud and the din
Are all put away

Raise a word to the Lord
With the small and the meek
With the chirping of crickets
With the little bat's squeak

Perhaps God will hear you
A bit better at night
And bless you, and heal you
And make things all right

And I pray that each person
Who finds they awake
Is blessed and healed
From trouble and ache

And I thank you, dear Lord
For answering my prayers
In the few minutes I sat up
And told you my cares

And now to my nest
I retire again
Bid Adeu to the night
And turn off my brain

Peace and Love to You who Know the Wee Hours as Well as Those who Greet the Day

LE

Friday, September 21, 2007

Blog Changes:

I know that these blog change posts are boring...

  • You will notice that I moved everything from the left to the right.
  • I am now just tagging 'books' of the Bible and not chapters or book numbers, with the exception of Isaiah 55, which is popular.
  • I added extra padding around titles of blogs (looks more poetic that way).
  • I pulled out the feedburner footers which, tho cool, were slowing things down.

I am considering further reducing or re-doing my tags, trying to clear out synonyms, and get closer to just tagging 'topics'. It's hard to do that kind of a thing when you are a 'p', every word should be a tag.

Peace

LE

Update 26-Sep-07: I have updated the sidebar to make it a little wider and reduce wrapping - but better than that, I added a 'skip to main' hyperlink for people with mobile/text-based browsers at the top of the body section. (You should only see this if you are visiting this site via a mobile/text-based browser.)

After Isaiah 2:

(Subverted lightly from the NRSV)

It will come to pass that the Lord will establish his house among the nations, it shall be raised above the hills and all the world shall see it's light. Many peoples will say; ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,  to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths,’ So all nations shall stream to the house of the Lord, and out of Zion shall go forth instruction,  and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The Lord shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they study war any more.

My brothers and sisters, let us walk again in the light of the Lord! For we have forsaken God's ways and wander in foolishness.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Seeing Truth in the Wasteland

In the waste-land near the train-station the wild grapes are gone past. Now the wild grasses display their fruit, and rose-hips shine bright red between the leaves of the sweetbriar.

Nearby there is a circuit box that handles power for the station and its night-time illumination. Looking at it, I see an electric eye, aimed at the heavens, rigged to tell the circuit box if it is day or night, if the lights at the station need to be turned on, or not.

The electric eye is covered with shiny glass, and beneath the glass its electronics are a reddish blue. -Which has attracted a beetle with bright red and black markings, who is doing its best to cover the eye with its body. So far, the electric eye is not fooled.

While I contemplate this, an adventursome chipmunk scampers over my foot and stops underneath me to give me a sniff. As I don't seem to be food, it scoots away, quick as thought, in search of larder for the winter. 'Try the grass seed', I think.

We on the earth are good at sensing the hours and seasons of the planet, and figuring out what is good food, and what is not.

But with the food of the spirit, we are often not so good. We lay up poison in our wine-cellars, we store away pebbles instead of wheat. We look at the sky, and we see the bug that is in the way, and remember little of the actuality in front of us, good or bad.

Test the spirit of the times. Taste what is in front of you, and if it is poison, spit it out. Test what you see, and clear your vision of that which blocks the truth. Test what you hear, and clear your ears of falsehood. Judge with right judgment, and keep your wits about you.

If you walk about with your eyes blocked, will you not stumble and hurt yourself? And if what you believe is lies, or your thinking is based on anger, will not your decisions lead to disaster and ruin?

If the bug, and the chipmunk are signs, perhaps they are hopeful ones. Perhaps they show that we can and will see the truth, and choose the true food, and see true light.

May it be so for us all.

LE

Saturday, September 15, 2007

The Angel at the Loom

I walked into a room with yellow walls, and sitting there was a girl of about twelve, dressed all in white and working at setting up a loom. (Which if you know about weaving, you know is no small task.) So I sat down beside her and began working with her. After some time working together we finally finished, and I said 'Yay! We are Done!' And I went to hug the little girl to celebrate our success. But she drew back and said 'I am not allowed to hug people... ...but I can kiss them!'
Thinking that this made NO sense, I woke up.


Peace,
LE


A few additions/thoughts on this:

The room felt warm and friendly.
I didn't think of the girl as other than a girl till I awoke.

Perhaps the loom is a symbol of life, and the way it works out.

The work was already underway, and I entered into that work.

The delicate, knowing touch of her fingers on the threads as we worked together.

How Jesus was unable to be touched when Mary found him in the garden, but was able to be touched later by Thomas and the other disciples.

The kiss of peace.

'Angel kisses' seen as causing freckles and birthmarks - and also seen as being blessings.


I think that this was a spiritual dream, and encourages me/all of us to enter into God's labors.

I/we were not helping finish the work, but helping to start it - meaning much is ahead of us and we are still laying the foundation stones of God's great work.

The Angel is glad for my/our help and pleased with our progress, and has a kiss/blessing(s) to share with those who enter into the labors.

And... ...I wish I had stayed to begin the weaving.

May you all enter into God's labors and find many blessings there!

Friday, September 14, 2007

After 2 Timothy 2

Remember Jesus in your sufferings, and if you are chained, remember that the word of God cannot be chained. Endure for the sake of the world, that the world may also obtain salvation, for if we die with Jesus, we will rise with Christ, and if we endure we will also reign with him.

Jesus cannot save us while we deny him, but he remains faithful to us, seeking us and consoling us when we despair. Even in our denial, in our guilt and sin, Jesus must remain faithful to us, because he cannot deny himself, and there is great hope in that. Jesus is our redeemer, and seeks our redemption, so seek to return to, and keep true to Jesus, even as he keeps true to you.

Yours in Faith
LE

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Blog Business

I have switched back to SiteMeter from StatCounter. I do think StatCounter caught more clicks, but it was annoying to use - I just wanna see all the clicks in order with where they came from, as possible, and StatCounter wants to break it out seven ways from tuesday, and do graphs and such that won't display on a handheld device anyway.

On the linking front I let 'Secret Dubai Diary' go as a link, but added Stories About Becoming and Soul Friending, both blogs by SB, and A Seeking Spirit. You might be amused to see a poem I wrote for one of Sketchy Beast's characters, Cornelius, which is here.

And I am leaving the Blogging Episcopalians toy in, even though it doesn't work right. I'll come back to that some day in the future.

What's wrong with this blog? Hmmm. I have too many topics, and I wish that they were on the right side nowadays. Maybe a template change is in order. A task for some other day, that is.

Peace,
LE

The Testing of Mother Teresa

I am, I think, still mulling the separation from God that Mother Teresa reportedly felt for much of her career, and spiritual dry spells in general. I have read that individuals often, even usually, experience very difficult spiritual dry spells as they advance in faith.

I sometimes wonder if this isn't because these adepts become so close to God, that they lose the sense of God as distinct from theirselves. Or maybe as they graduate from the primary school of faith they should need less direction and encouragement. Or are evil forces blinding them to the presence of God? Or maybe something else is going on... ...but what?

It is sure that these dry times exist for many, and that they are painful. But why do they exist? Are we just too needy, constantly demanding the full attention of our God-parent? Do we forget what brought us here in the first place? Do we lose contact with the love that should be charging us?

I am sorry Mother Teresa apparently felt so very lost for so long, but in the face of that lack of confirmation, that lack of consolation, she fought on in the faith, battling a lonely battle for and alongside us all. She had faith enough for this battle, and carried it to the end.

God Bless Mother Teresa and those who follow in her footsteps. May it be that from now on they find God always at their side.

Peace,
LE

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

What is God Like?

In response to Theology

Perhaps our vision is blurry
Or maybe God simplifies the image

Perhaps we work to choose a broad image for God

Or maybe God encounters us in person

God does meet us every day...

...But I am afraid we are so used to it that we don't notice it.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

For Sept 11, 2007

Dear Friends

Please do not spend this day in anger.

Do not spend it in foolishness.

Do not forget those who have gone before.

Do not forget that there is still much evil out there.

Be watchful and careful.

Care for those who are hurting.

Protect the helpless.

Create peace, as much as possible by being peaceful.

Share Faith

Share Hope

Share Love

And may you be filled with the peace of God, which passes all understanding.


LE

Monday, September 10, 2007

A Remarkable Accounting

How much do I owe you?
Someone asked me today;
I said not to worry
And sent them away

I am glad that they asked
I'm glad I can share
I am glad that I'm able
To be more than fair

And maybe I'll find
When I'm called to account
That my debts are reduced
By an equal amount

Or even forgiven
Of me, every one
By a remarkable accountant
That we call God's Son

And so in good faith
Let us each forgive
Following our God's example
Of how we should live

Peace,
LE

SB responded in verse:

Nothing for something
A holy exchange
The commerce of kindness
Beautifully strange


Very nice, thanks.

Friday, September 7, 2007

An Issue of Scope


I was going to post for tomorrow a poem by Gail of Scribal Terror entitled 'Double [Ptero]Dactyl' as part of my theme that spirit exists in all creatures and that all are loved by, inhabited by God.
A theme expressed in my poem/post We Didn't Fall - We Climbed.
But then I heard via Tobias at In A Godward Direction that Madeline L'Engle had been released from this mortal realm, and felt that my post should honor the spirituality of this woman who saw...
...spirituality in our mitochondria, in our very atoms, and in the song of the universe...
...and as I thought about it, 'Double [Ptero]Dactyl' seemed a very appropriate poem for honoring this marvolous woman, who saw the scope of God as so very much broader.
And so here is Gail's poem, with the same artwork (above) as on Gail's original post:

copyright Gail Hapke 2005, 2006, used with permission

Flippity-flappity
Phantasmagorical,
Furry and bug-eyed and
Batty as hell,
Whatever became of these
Unprehistorical
Pteromarsupials
No one can tell.
Thank you Gail, and thank you Madeline.
We will miss you.
Yours,
LE


Tobias's post on Madeline is here.
Gail's post on Madeline is here.
The NY Times on Madeline's pasing is here.

The redemption of Bully McFister

I looked up Bully McFister today
You know, the one that used to steal your lunch money, and hit you for no reason? Who liked shooting small animals with his bb-gun and bragging about it? At length? The one who liked to make fists with one knuckle sticking out and hit us as hard as he could in the bicep to give us bruises? That guy, you remember.

Well I felt like looking up the old crew and I 'Googled' his name. I thought I might at 'best' see a police blotter report of a robbery or a shootout, or even more likely nothing at all. But no, he pops right up, I see evidence of a creative soul, a sharp mind, an analytic, go-getting man who writes beautifully. I enjoy reading what he writes, and he is relatively prolific!

I squint at his picture in awe, trying to see the wise-acre who flicked boogers at us all from the back row, who enjoyed picking fights and causing trouble, who left us achingly writing our homework with bruised arms. A faint echo is all I get. Yeah, it's the guy. Who knew? Clearly my elementary-school self judged him prematurely, and I carried that predjudice forward. Somewhere inside the obnoxious troublemaker were the seeds of this new person. A person who contributes much to our world.

So Bully made good. I am glad that he did... ...it somehow seems redemptive. But I feel guilty for assuming he wouldn't, and wonder if we aren't failing many of our boys if they can be percieved as so futureless in school, and yet be so much once they hit the real world. I wonder what Bully's story is... Did he change all at once? Was there a series of transformative events in his life? Or did he just slowly start opening up, once he was away from the strictures, cliques and repressions of the school environment?

I wonder...

But I'm not sure I'll be reaching out to Bully to discuss all this. My arm is still sore.

Peace,
LE


'Bully McFister' is a fictional name that I made up to relate this story, but the story itself is true. For anyone who is actually named this, I pray your life is at least as redemptive as that of my 'Bully'. And for those working and suffering with today's 'Bullies' I ask you to take note. God is everywhere, indeed. Maybe your 'Bully' needs an outlet, a friend, a big brother, or a role model, maybe the investment in him is hard and painful, but he has real potential too. (And I reccommend thick sweaters to protect your arms.)

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

"This is NOT a Test"

They say that our God tests us,
But it is not like they think;
It's not to see of what we're made
That life brings us to the brink

And life's not a trial by jury;
No sum of wrongs and rights.
It's not to prove our mettle;
That we suffer painful rites.

Our testing is to temper;
To strengthen and to cure;
An annealing and a firing;
That makes our spirits pure.

God does not need to try us;
God knows just how we're made.
Life's not about temptations;
And some rules to be obeyed.

No, at life's fire God smelts us
To work out evil's taint;
In fire and ice God tempers us;
To draw us out...
-a saint.

Monday, September 3, 2007

About You

You are goodness
And you do great things

You turn your hands to healing
You turn your heart to helping

You feel for others
You see their pain

You find their needs
And think of solutions

You do not sit and wait to be called
But think to go and do

You are the spirit of the arisen world
And God is with you everywhere

Blessed Be!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

When We Fall

Hurtful things
Done again and again
Maybe not intentionally to hurt
But not avoided
And returned to
And repeated.

Things we shouldn't do
Things we should do in moderation
That we do to extreme
Things that harm ourselves
Things that harm others

We all make mistakes
We all do things that are wrong
And we often, too often repeat them
Minor addictions
Bad habits
Sins and crimes

Sometimes they sneak up on you
You don't realize you are slipping
Sliding
Falling into sin

Try to keep God first
Keep God in your mind and make sure what you are doing is good.
And when you slip
Apologize
Try to make things right
And start anew

"I Will, With God's Help"

LE