I don’t how my friend is yet
cup
cup
of coffee
of Communion wine
of the cool cup of water offered
in arid need
and I don’t think the Scripture denotes
cool
but I like to think of summer
desert comfort in that way
and
which is more important
which meets
the greater need and I guess it is the wine
for sacrament
though
without the water
I think you know there is nothing for the parched
to hear
the better evangelism to meet
the Earthly need
first
and if all in prison
then
we share the words we may
out
of the well of nothingness
we share
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(c.f. the parable of the sheep and the goats, Matthew 25:31-46)
photo by Cici Hung on Unsplash
afternoon after church
it’s a gray Sunday
though white
is trying to break through
sun
to clouds
and
is it presence
seeming
God breaking through
reminding us of
incarnation
Immanuel
God
with us all the time
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photo by NASA on Unsplash
Hello, World [from NASA!] This nighttime picture of Earth was taken on April 2, 2026, by an Artemis II crew member aiming a camera through a window of the Orion spacecraft. The image was captured after Orion completed its translunar injection burn, the critical maneuver that sent the spacecraft on its path toward the Moon and back.
plain or fancy
what did he
say
and this is so
the Bible says that Jesus loves us
when we’re weak
so
he is
strong
always weak
always
strong
everyone seems called to both
weak to
hear
strong to act
call weak gentle or easy
or
withholding
openness to listen
and
to heed what he should say
we have the story
and the help of spirit
and
of angels
strong to act while strong is faith
and
otherwise
to
take great care
for anger destroys
and
pride
as vanity shall fall
every time
with
consequences to learn
if not yet
experienced directly
and that is plain
I hope
for me to learn
for you to be loved by God
and Jesus and the
Spirit
loved by God and in that book
find it affirmed
and
by our instinct as we grow with God
by Jesus
and the Spirit
and by the Bible
and with each other
as
we’re faithful
and even when
we fall
the love’s not over
anymore than faith or hope
though love’s
the
quality and entity
the strength
the practicality
that
remains
the theologian was asked
and
responded
Jesus loves me
this
I know
for the Bible tells me so
may it go so simple
and
so strong
if not perfectly not yet
by us
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the song “Jesus Loves Me” was written by Anna Bartlett Warner, published in 1859 (the line breaks above were by me)
the theologian in question, at least so goes the story, is Martin Marty, asked to sum up his theology, responding with the beginning of the hymn
photo by Lauren Mitchell on Unsplash
I hope the other side of the shirts says “The Now”
knowing how to live
O God
on a sunny day
I could wish I were
in
Bible study
I know
some would say I don’t know how
to live
much less how to prize a sunny day
but
I don’t know
clean room
a group of us
we
act clean
the words of Scripture clearly on the page
and we hear and we
discuss
kind interaction and somehow
authentic for
our
loves
and for our growth
for the beauty of the Earth
glory
in the skies
we will see through the window
sorry
there should be a window
and
feel after when we take part
in the outside world
God had
made
and about which we have the story
with
a gospel
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(“For the Beauty of the Earth” is the hymn cited and to which alluded; the author of the hymn is Folliott Sandford Pierpoint)
Earth Day
photo by Dima Serafin on Unsplash
“A Bee in Snowdrops”
love gives
what shall
love provide
but
everything we need
food
something safe to drink
families
of
all sorts constructed
homes
and peace
and if our loves won’t do this
won’t provide
then
person to family to
tribe we haven’t worked it right
not yet
and if work sounds blockish
or
exploitative
then let’s ask ourselves if
we wouldn’t say that
on an easy
day
love still requires labor
for
the loved also
receiving the same
and if
followed
by rest
for all those
loving
loved
sometimes
to hope rarely called for
except something Christlike required
then
even loving and not loved
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photo by Balint Miko on Unsplash
dreams
mine are vivid
brought on my insomnia
helped
by
medication
and tend to dream of people whom
I know
or knew back then
and
back then was now and is now
in the experience
details
and personalities made up
with
guesses at responses
and typically there’s wandering
place to place
or
to look out in the distance sometimes
and sometimes
to see
as one might see in dreams
light upon a ridge
who knows
a city
on a hill
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photo by Alexey Demidov on Unsplash
stand as it’s delivered
look at the yellow
paling
the blue
pasteling green branches look lighter
too
and if we’re waking take it easy
while impulsively receiving
everything that
happens
stand as may
as all the selections might
in
the paint-washed and more sensoral day
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photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash
see and taste
can and may
the light is back
spring flowers
now
seen
red in the distance
small white palms just outside
the window
offering
like open hands
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Psalm 34:8
photo by Aamyr on Unsplash
Spring in Kashmir.
some peace
some peace
please
some warmth though
let there be shade
some cool
as well
simple things
how does it go
a loaf
of bread
a jug of wine
maybe some cheese by good
negotiations with
some cows
and
who knows where we are
near a tree
under an arch
inside
in an acceptable place
and share
words of someone else
perhaps
and stories of our
own
we eat
drink
hope for the same tomorrow
in love regard the new day
the same
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A Jug of Wine, A Loaf of Bread—and Thou
from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (translated)
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
from Isaiah 22 (also translated)
photo by Mason Dahl on Unsplash
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