Grace Fully
So believe
If you will
And only as you will
Grace
That makes faith real
Is offered freely
And
Exists regardless
Believe in God or do not
Same
With the life of faith
After and
With belief
And
Don’t let any tell you
Another person
Anyway
That he or she dispenses grace
If only you subscribe
Grace
And also faith
Don’t work
That way
The first need being only
You and God
Should you choose
And
Should you accept
Then there is the life of faith
In which you might choose
Healthy
Earthly affiliation
And while to have and keep
Sadly
It’s not
To say the faithful life is easy all the time
While
Through it all
The obstacles
Worldly
Self-styled
Do promise
Spiritually
Well
The Spirit’s ease
And even peace and joy
Be the judge of grace
And faith
To start with God or
Not
And
Don’t let any other take the judging role
Except God
And then remember God is truth
And also
God
Is love
I heard once that church should be rejected because it claims to dispense grace—and also, as such, the church charges something (membership, money, doctrinal adherence) in order to receive the grace if offers, if not dangles. But grace is not or ever owned this way. (Or owed, either.) Grace is from God, and grace is free. It is the free means to receive the saving favor of the Lord. As means or to exist at all, grace comes at no cost of ours, the price for grace, so to say, having in fact been paid by God. We are saved by faith in God. And as if faith were great art, grace is the frame.
C L Couch
Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash
“In the Park”
Kyiv, Украина
the good season that lasts
the week after
time of discipleship
like being free of Pharaoh
free
now
of similar devils
new obligations based
on old beliefs
and
now
regeneration
not an easy life
in the spirit
old and new temptations
to parry
disillusionment as
after
last Friday
until the vigil moment
Sunday
which is maybe how sometimes
faith
appears
fast like a bird
settling like
rain
a life re-breathed
a new season that in temperate climes
speaks to changing colors
and
thermometer degrees
and while these quarters will continue
the life
in the spirit
we know
now
shall not have an end
as long as we’re inclined
and others
all of us go on
face the choice
to belong
adhere
and have renewed breath
in the new time
in the gathering that is church
only people
by
its Greek definition
and goodness the soft
yoke
the easy
weighted burden
which faith allows
maybe
hopes near all traditions
c l couch
first full week of the Easter season
photo by Julia Elliot on Unsplash
tenebrous
the devil wins
today
having turned the human forces
in the world
toward
death
humiliation of what’s good
even perfect
that traditions
say
came to save us from
ongoing
serpent
temptation
the twisting of what has been made
so good
bad
grotesque
the evil these point
toward has
won
without awareness
then
of three-day’s waiting time
the good is gone
or
must hide
surrender to new nothingness
of faith
and hope
and
love
c l couch
for Good (ironic) Friday
photo by Aleksei Agafonov on Unsplash
cloudy days be good
and now there’s nothing
nothing new
renewing
and shall I say
the devil
won
and not really since
the devil is too small
and by the end
or even
now
unvictoried
if I let my spirit down
as in descent
now
that is something
and how far to go and then
to start my soul
back up
toward land and sky
again
and now the fool is mentioned
and the fool for Christ
comes
to mind
in
that the world thinks it’s wise
and admittedly
faith built on no evidence
material does
seen
nonsensical
if not Seussical
but like the cat
there’s foolish fun
especially
in
rain
(if in the house while it rains)
when clouds shall run
until the sun
return
with the typical
the good play when it’s easy-bright
and it is
and should be
but should
the rain persist wherever
some
foolish reasoning
be apt
as in have faith in the sun
find interest in the rain
believe
that both
and so many things
have
value
the better parts
supporting faith and does it go
better
the other way around
faith first
and faith below
and faith above and wherever
in
lack of transparency
we through the dark glass
choose
and live
to believe
c l couch
(with allusioning to The Cat in the Hat by Doctor Seuss, also 1 Corinthians)
photo by Damien Dufour on Unsplash
in the big inning
in Jewish and in Christian
lores
there are creation stories told
more than once
and in parts
many times
even Jesus
said to be there
calling the beginning of the essences
become
reality
and there are stories of us
and how we came to be
and way
made one perhaps
made two
without doubt
a sin of consumption
followed by
what might be more a problem of
division
then to rationalize mistakes and so
prescribe the direction
they must follow
all three
all four
for God had made that rock
that God could not
move
because like biased gravity
God’s will
must be mediated
by God’s will
that is leant by God’s
love
in love
and in joy’s promise
all was made by God and to the host
and to the cosmos
and to us
and after all the dreadful plan must work
there is like
Pandora
one thing left
the second thing of tripartite
things
being faith
and love
and to fix the world
is hope
say
faith the reason
love the means
hope
the vision
as in why bother in the first place
and this is lore
and this is
myth
and we interpret as we guess
from our experience
and there are many stories
we should read and respect them all
to know
beginnings
explain the present
situations
and
(via
hope)
respect the promise of the future
that
tells us how to believe
and think
and act
respecting all traditions
in their dovetailing
and as they work out
to reveal in time
(both
ways)
the first and final reasons
revelations
n.b.
and
yes
I know that you might want
to say that God’s not part of this
no more
and we are on our own
and maybe always
eschewing partnership
as if Michelangelo should have no faith
and the lone
wolf
an honest perception
though it’s not
wolves living together
monogamous
in families
that
despite the isolation earnestly
perspective
there is more joining than a separation
more
that are joined
than all the pages of betrayal attempt
to testify
and
the main message that
we’re on our own
we’re not
c l couch
photo by Shishir Iyer on Unsplash
Quality of Day
We have the day
Is all
It seems
And it can be good
Or bad
Or
Like as not
Indifferent
But
If a day
It is a day that God has
Given
And toward gratitude
Behooving
Except on evil days
We think
When
Gratitude is due
But God must have understanding
For even the virtuous
To rail
Then after
Maybe during
All
The cries
When thinking to leave or
To have left
And if left
To be a delight
Upon
Returning
Maybe a prodigal
Maybe a simpler turning
To
Have come back
Then still
To have the day and in
One way or another
Have
Share
Maybe share joy
And
Thus
If in a small contributing way
The next
C L Couch
Photo by Paul Csogi on Unsplash
a weather and a faith report (2 poems)
weatherized
so the snow falls
or something
falls
sometimes it’s hard to tell
and so to turn
the street is sounding
well
squishy outside
and all the shapes are white
though I can’t
tell
for sure
which means sleet
I guess
or freezing rain and I’m not sure
the difference
contrary weather so far
this winter
as I think
sleet
(or freezing rain)
is rain or snow that will not
make up its mind
which is
all right except a kind
of misery to be out
in
Saturday if church
we believe
we don’t believe
sometimes in the same person
often
in the same
in fact
I could say me
I could say
you
not
to judge or estimate
except to claim humanity
faithful
faithless
in each of us
temptations
evil as in the prayer
flaws as will worked out
or not
in Eden
a choice
then maybe an affiliation
lightly or heavily
to wear
and yet perhaps
not so much
a burden
as to worry through the seasons
we’re all right
with
the pleasure of peace
in life
also the joy
of
fun that God has made
we well
and heavenward we
Amish-like hope that we
move in
even assured
in faith
errors
are not sins
unless they are designed as
such
but sins we make
and
do not have to mean the end
but like mis-steps we
somehow mean
and can get over
can get up
can get help to lift
resume
the road again
pleasure
peace
joy
fun
resume again as they should
forgiven
redeemed
having gone first
admittedly
so we believe
we don’t believe
but
it ain’t over
Mister Berra
‘til it’s
over
and if gain
and re-gain the faith
it ain’t never over
c l couch
photo by Jodie Walton on Unsplash
devotion to try
(with the help of church to hope)
devotion is
thought
feeling
a decision
we follow God
we pray
and claim to God
in worship
we also learn of God
and faith
and love
agape
together so that
when apart
we might do well
we might do
better
and we take this with us
all of it
devotion overall
to inform and encourage
our response
and our initiative in
living
the six days
and how many hours
and with
a much longer view even of
years and
longer after years
c l couch
photo by Amy Tran on Unsplash
“Same Old,” “Same New,” two poems about faith and doubt (or doubt and faith)
Same Old
I’ve written
On these themes before
And sorry for
The repetition
Sometimes
I know
And deal in the same
The seasons
Say
Because these things wear well
At least on me
Like shoes that fit
At last
Or stories that we like
To tell
The substance of Dad
Jokes
No doubt
But here I deal
Because
I must confess that some things get
To me
Which might be sole motivation
For
Classic-worthy writers
(like the class that earns
gold medals)
but
Sometimes I fear as well in addition to
The trouble
Heartless
Of the intellect
Where do we go
And why the lack of permission
To know
I could take gnosis or agnosis
I suppose
But beyond
Secret knowledge
And the memberships
How do we
Know
As anyone
To know for
Real
When even feelings of assurance
Fail
While our God says
Through lore
That God loves us
And wants
If not aches
For all of us be joined with God sometime
Well
The testimonies that we have
Discuss doubt
Even in those right before the Lord
Not
For us
From ages past
Hmm
Maybe there’s something there
In I believe
Help my unbelief
The
Salvation formula clearly given
And yet
One must admit to doubting
Even in the face
Or by the words of
God
Moses
Miriam
Others
With the loving parent brought before
The Christ
In order for the child to be healed
And told
Believe
Is all
And must say to Christ
I believe
And I don’t believe
And I must ask you to help me
In the second
Maybe both
And then
You know
Without a test
(a further test perhaps)
The child is healed
Mark 9
You can Thurber-look it up
Yet there is doubt
To read
And doubt
To have
And finally the doubt beneath the doubt
Like the last temptations
We have heard
About
The final doubt that maybe all
Must face
In that all this of faith is real
With the results
Rewards
Perhaps
Truly
Taking place
And for faith we are heaven-sent
And then heaven-arrived
I believe
Help my unbelief
We come from God
We go to God
No doubt
Same New
And why
Should it have to go this way
Maybe not
If there were no
Postlapsarian
Maybe unfallen
Our impulse would be clear
That we are here
To tend
A garden
And each other
Build a planet
With
Because we have
Approval of the Lord
Maybe Love divine
All loves
Excelling
That with will
We go the first way
The way set up
The way
Hoped for
By the creator who must weep
Maybe turn angry when
We go the other way
The way
Of life we know
We have
Regardless of our knowing
Even
Rather mindlessly
Living for the self and for
Enough freedom
To live
In hard times
Or
Take despot-like because
Soft
Times are desired and
We might get away
With that
For those aware of virtues
To follow or
Desist
For those facing temptation
To give in
Or resist
Well
We could be puppets of the Lord
And
We are not
And there are consequences
To the will
We choose with harder judgments on
Those who steal choices
From others
And notions of paradise are fine
Truly fine
But cannot be realized here
Or any institution
Since
All things collective are inhabited
After all
By us
The way we are
And so paradise is distant
So distant as to be unreachable
Before
An afterlife
When and where
Forgiven things are not
Extant and the honest life put down
Is raised
To live inside
A new
And everlasting
Trend
Sigh
Outside of Eden
Where it’s hard
Though
Maybe we’d have had hard work
For perform in there
With
The work meaning delight
For
The change from how we treat work
Have work treat us
Now
Well
We live now
And may look forward
Toward something beyond
A worldly end
To something
Perelandra-like
Means
Both a willful and
Sinless life
Even
A planet’s existence
Decided
The right way from Eden
C L Couch
Perelandra, novel by C. S. Lewis; “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” hymn by Charles Wesley; Mark 9 in the Christian New Testament; “You Could Look It Up,” short story by James Thurber
Photo by Paolo Bendandi on Unsplash
BELIEF (for translation)
Lyon, France
clcouch123 
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