final question
what shall we say
briefly
of salvation
that it’s for everyone
everyone
as
John 3:17 affirms in an impressive
way
not Christians alone
and
Christians might not make it
There being no carte blanche
no
market cornered on salvation with us
any more than
saving grace
is ours to give
because
it isn’t
done and given by God
alone
and to whomever
feeling preachy
‘cause it’s
Sunday
I suppose
I mean it is
Sunday
no suppose that and what might
explain my pedantry on
spiritual matters other days
but
well
it is
and shall I say then
if
spiritual that
God loves you
and
however I might do badly or well
I love you
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photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
“Heart in the Woods”
justified
well
it’s the way I feel
reminders of
what’s
wrong with me
and
by what I’ve done
in the world that doesn’t help
at all
save by distraction
rather than by what we want
justice to face
it
and with mercy to re-shape the wrong
into what’s bearable
with
some good feeling after
and to have the day and hope for the day
following
then is
disclosure proper or what’s called for
anyway
to say
and then to hear
as if
well
a dare at openness
the truth-or-dare at parties
on one’s own
on a Friday
how
to play
more so how to win
though sometimes
rather often
really
how to endure everything
as
Clint might way
the good
the bad
the bestial
the thing that gets inside
to goad what’s
there
to threaten to take over
in ugly context
should we
resist
and so hot on our own
we do the sin
all
thoughts of moralizing after
the
denial or
the judgment
to reveal while in the process all
deliverers shall hide
their
own
mercy all around
then
to wish and like a miracle
receive
call
it forgiveness
call it grace as means to save
to choose again believe
in the confusion of not knowing what
to face
by judgment now
deserved
with the challenge now of owning
undeclared
as in unformal righteousness
that
may endure and how to begin
if with a priest or other
confessor
maybe hope
to God
directly
then
a friend
and then on one’s own
like
after services
more so on this occasion
the most
of the time in which
to live
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photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
to offer to go through it
and how much does the mood affect the day
and it’s the other
way
around
how much the day affects the mood
we wake into something
after all
the attitude
the realities we carry
then
come new hours and could be restful
though we’ll apply
our contemporary value of
busyness
to show our worth and get our pay
could
be another day
that might require countercultural
even
a resistance
one by one and could be
a movement
call
it faith
or church
to grow
that creation is profit enough
Blake’s energy as
eternal
delight
electric belief through spirit
with believe in what and who is made
and
consider smallest with
the occasional huge
way to love
as God is love
and
yes
there are the hard parts
the world sometimes is not only vain but
tries what it decides
must be
the time to kill
another’s
spirit
take a life
call the war a victory costing many
for the few
much
for a little
same time to raise
sacrifice
as
service
for the soldier
for
the parent
and the children all around
as all are children
in
a learning state
and so inexorably to grow and change
if
not stopped
short
and transfer students go
to God
but here for us here
we
make our choices
study maybe and instinctively
apply
speed citations
fearsome courts
war crimes
loneliness
failure
even to breathe less
so to have yet
want
to have
and having’s good
it’s the bending to change into
unrecognizable
except
as
satiation
even though God invented pleasure
and offers joy
and
yes
by faith
that’s all
well
not all
but believe in God and live by love
understanding and applying
that
love is practical
and strong
and makes mistakes
and can open to repentance and
to making up
with
everyone
involved
which might lift prayer
as a resource when something’s unreachable
and
yet some repair
required
somehow
which is love
too
strong and practical
available at no cost
whomever
on Earth might say there’s cost
beyond
grace provided everywhere
and
always
and our own will and energy invested
God is love
we should believe
and try love
too
there
that’s it or enough for now
for
now
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[all the nows counting and piling toward eternity]
“Energy is eternal delight.” Attributed aphorism (if not axiom), William Blake.
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Santiago, Chile
my friend’s surgery was “good” (friend’s word); now he’s recovering, the recovery being complex and uncomfortable
thank you for prayers and good thoughts; any such that could be offered or given toward recovery would be really appreciated—Christopher
2 poems that deal in prayer
what we ask
I sin
and God is with me
loving me
though not approving
I don’t think
I ask the psalmist’s ask
and will receive
not
because I’m David
or a prophet or
a choirmaster for the court
but because
I ask
and God is love
(say from Psalm 51)
in prayer
and
do we get what we ask
gee
I don’t know
though if I had to guess I’d
say
the answer’s yes
yes
we do
all
right
unless we ask for evil
or we make evil
sinful good
and so deceive ourselves and then
beseech
but
you know
God’s rather smart
having
invented smart
and though God’s old
there’s nothing feeble to typify
as
sometimes we stay keen
all the way through
and God
stay keen forever
having
invented keen
as well and also I believe that God
is
yes
old
but also as young
as young as now
so about asking
and
what we ask for tends to be good
which might
surprise
and so
we’ll get that
we will get
the good
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photo by Luise and Nic on Unsplash
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
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