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A Gift from Western Asia to the World

(x = space)

x

x

A Gift from Western Asia to the World

(on the day of Saint Nicholas)

x

God

It’s dark

The light is coming

Like Immanuel

Who’s here

And always coming

To the call of the season

Advent

After all

x

Like the advent of the airplane

Or hybrid roses

Bred intentionally

Everywhere

x

For good or ill

We co-invent new things

And yet in a dark street

Like my own

With one light for company

You came into

The world

Seemingly deserted

Certainly bereft

Of a savior

Who would match divinity

With barbarism

To save us

All barbarians

x

Who knew nothing

Of an inner life

With you

Except by accident

Of prophets

And some other heroes

So that we knew of virtue

And your name

Beyond your name

But in a real way

To have such things

Well

We were lost

x

And in that town

Razed and rebuilt

So many times

Under one light

You came

Nicene

Human and

Divine

To bridge the damnable gap

That we had built

Through consequence

Of sin for will

And simply keeping

Only

To our side

x

To bring us over

Come to us first

As at the first

There was creation

And now

Reconciliation

For the one-sided

Who remain

Lost that way

x

And shall you give by grace

To every generation

Hope in each one born

Offered many times

In each one’s

Life

To appreciate what’s on the other side

Of you

And us

To model the walking over

Four ourselves

And for our children

x

And shall we call this grace

Of something else

It is the same

The offer of salvation

Through bridge-building

In the flesh

Of your child

The child that’s you

And us

Somehow

x

The advent

And the miracle

On arrival

x

Such wonder

Such bliss

A reality

In the making

That the world needs

And typically doesn’t know

Until we meet you

And teach us

All about the bridge

Live on both sides

At last

And then offering

By will

To take us to the middle

And we both

Also with steps of our own

Pass to the other side

x

All of which to say

Merry Christmas

Maybe we’ll see you

In this room

At this place

On Earth

And everywhere

And at the bridge

The most

Extraordinary gift

You are

For us

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Darya Tryfanava on Unsplash

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in a glorious church

(x = space)

x

x

in a glorious church

x

look at you

Jesus

on such an ornate cross

we don’t truck

with indignity

or even

execution

you’re still alive

up there

though as you die

you die for us

x

rude cross

more like it

wooden beams

thick branches

off the trees

of the Earth

we say the nails were iron

ongoing execution business

for a smith

with earthly metals

coal to burn

or pieces of wood

cut off

shaved off

something like the matter

of a cross

x

c l couch

x

x

Photo by Michael Newcomb on Unsplash

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I don’t mean to be a spoilsport about faith and faith art; I do think spiritual simplicity might be important

x

Since we built the church, there were pewter candlesticks upon the altar; Francis Nurse made them, y’know, and a sweeter hand never touched the metal. But Parris came, and for twenty weeks he preached nothin’ but golden candlesticks until he had them. I labor the earth from dawn of day to blink of night, and I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows – it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin’ houses.

John Proctor

The Crucible

Act 2

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What It Means This Time

(x = space)

x

x

What It Means This Time

x

Pilate asked

We may infer

He didn’t mean it

That the Romans

Took the truth

As they found it

As they made it

x

The modern person

Secular

Asking on occasion

Not waiting for an answer

Except the answer

As we need it for

Moment by moment

Justification

x

Then to wash our hands

As if

That made a difference

For the truth

As we need it now

And pushed into a new form

As we need it

Later

x

Behold your person

Who is your monarch

I have tortured

Beyond the law

And now the law

Is done

With this one

x

Say this is enough

I want other things

To do

And now you thread

Insinuations

Through the crowd

They murmur

And then roar out for Barabbas

x

Do you even know

Who that is

x

Well

I will release them

To you

Wash my hands again

Let go Barabbas

And then Christ

To indicate

Your will with them

One to roam

One to execute

With others for

Barbaric companionship

On crosses

x

What is in it

Water

There is salt

For exorcism

My excuse

Or it might as well

Be tears

For bitter clarity

Of what is real power

When they have it

When you

Have it

x

C L Couch

x

x

John 19:5

x

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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1

Te Deum

(x = space)

x

x

Te Deum

x

I pray to God

And Jesus

Rarely directly to

The Holy Spirit

Sorry, Spirit

Though it seems

I’m talking with you

All the time

As an indication

A reality

Of indwelling

x

You are the nearest

The closest part

Of God

In fact, in me

While I know

It’s three in one

But for all I know

It might be

That you are the part of God

Who is the most patient

Part

(indwelling)

And who somehow

Loves me best

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Savvas Kalimeris on Unsplash

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Halfway Home

(x = space)

x

x

Halfway Home

x

The sacrifice

Of your shed blood

He said

On our behalf

In prayer

His words the surrogates

A shadow

Of the death itself

x

Horribly

A bleeding body

Shed of its spirit

At the last

A life too pure

A sacrifice

For us

x

Yet there it was

In expiation

Half redemption

For our sins

x

The weight of everything

That hates

Crushing his body down

Pushing out his spirit

On to Hades

Or Valhalla

To Gehenna

Or to Sheol

As it’s understood

To name it

x

Half the promise

The brutal

Ugly

Barbarous part

Complete

And it is over

He said it was finished

Maybe it is

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Didssph on Unsplash

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a course in homiletics

(x = space)

x

x

a course in homiletics

(to talkers from the hearers)

x

what preachers call

the inexorable return

of the sabbath

x

this is regarding preaching

that in the life

does not go away

until that part of life

is done

x

a homily

a holy guess

its own divining thing

at least once a week

with time off

not for behavior

but

well

time off

x

a chance

an opportunity

to say with some authority

of text and the community

that God exists

and God is love

and God through Jesus

saves the rest of us

while the Holy Spirit

guides us in an amazement of

an inward way

x

lectionary

maybe

a series to a theme

the season

and the calendar

of sacred time

and secular

x

an aim toward a generic kind of prophecy

an affirmation

but don’t unhook

a line of challenge

that shall run throughout the day

into the week

x

those six days

when most of us

are out here

and this is our chance

to take

something from here

x

greed systems

risking the right and wrong of things

in the world

and inside us

x

we’re only human

after all

which excuses us

maybe by degree

factoring age

existence of faith

with accountability

x

(now

don’t be sly

to think

if I don’t believe

then I’m off the hook

for right and wrong

and the discomfit

of the judgment

and the book

some book

maybe the one up front

and in the racks

corresponding)

x

our job

is to listen

and respond

and if we want

something more interactive

we may say so

x

even the magisterium

allows

for dialogue

in proclamation

x

the average size

non-Catholic

congregation

in the USA

is about two hundred

good for acoustics

and a range

of microphonic possibilities

x

a number to reach

and to reach back

while we’re all here

when we return

and in those six days

while all of us

are out there

x

a message

three points

twenty minutes

(what the Presbyterians provided)

really

though

allow for some elasticity

for as someone else has said

(might have been me)

you cannot program

the Holy Spirit

or what stirs inside

the tabernacle

and all consecrations

sabbath day

and time

x

your time

our time

God’s time

we might say kairos

though

yes

we know

some congregants

are bold to check their watches

for some (ersatz) sanctity

we believe

chronology

bears better

x

we’re all here

let’s have a time of it

let’s seek the Lord

who presence

is not hard to suss

or sing

or dance sometimes

or testify

each time

x

so that the talking

and the hearing go

and more importantly

the doing

before

during

and after

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Luiz Eduardo Alves da Silva on Unsplash

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0

Impoverished

(x = space)

x

x

Impoverished

x

I am a Christian

(and you’ll pardon me

if I don’t mind

that you are not)

And so I believe

That Jesus saves

And the Holy Spirit indwells

x

As God creates

And so we have

The three in one

And one always in three

x

And should I be offended

Or should you

And I think neither

x

God is

And if you don’t think so

Then

You don’t think so

Though statistically

Most on Earth

Believe

In something

Someone

Greater than oneself

Who is at work

In the world

Or for some

Is standing by

x

Jesus is offensive

He excoriates

Both Jew and Gentile

He also is all love

And empties himself of godhood

On a cross

To die

The first

Last

Great sacrifice

For sin

x

And that offended evil

I am sure

And the devil wailed

While certainty in hell

Was harrowed

By the Lord

And Lord

Who came alive again

And lives for us

Offended

Or easier about

Salvation

x

So we’ve time and chance

To care about

Our part in things

I’m thinking

Keeping promises

To families

To Earth

To what is true

What is giving

What is loving

x

Some find love offensive

In the cost

Of nothing worldly to have

Or to keep

Or it isn’t love

That like grace

There are no dispensers

With requirements

Except the Lord

Who says

Love God

And each other

Do both

x

And if that’s a requirement

Well

Take it up

With the one who made you

x

There

I have offended

But I empty myself to say

I love you

And when I do so

I have done it

And maybe say it

Well

x

Love God

And believe

Believe in Earth

Not quite so solid

Through truly

Given

Believe in us

That we have a chance

That we have a choice

That might please hell

Or make a heaven

In the middle

x

Believe well

And do better

Keep nothing that relinquishing

Would make love

Wholly stronger

And viable

In an occupied world

x

Until revelation

Make it real

And in the meantime

Learning

Living

What shadows

(taught by Plato

and what others more respectable)

Reveal

x

C L Couch

x

x

Speaking finally of Narnia and Earth, the professor said, It’s all in Plato.

Except it isn’t.

x

good thoughts courtesy of the ALC at Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church of West Lafayette, Indiana—anything that offends, maybe insults, is from me

x

Photo by Callum Hill on Unsplash

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Jesus at Westminster

(x = space)

x

x

Jesus at Westminster

x

Officially,

Jesus is there—their

Liturgy and

Scripture

Say so

x

I think Jesus would show

Anyway

Without invocation

Or any

Of our invocations

x

Such as help

I need you

I love you

x

He is there

Affirmed by doctrine and

Technical language

x

And the greater fact that

A loving God is

Everywhere

x

How simple

Without flash

With oath-taking

Except

Now and then

In each life

To say

I believe;

Help my unbelief

x

There is an alleluia

Sung by eight

Fluid

Black

Wondrous

How match their music with

Movements

Of their bodies

And jubilation

In their brevity

Of ending

Introducing

Homily

x

Justin Welby

Just

x

And there is a theme

Throughout

(sav it

with me)

Not to serve

But to be served

Well,

We’ll see

It could happen

x

Meanwhile

Jesus is here

He’s everywhere

He’s here

Ms Silverman

Like magic

x

He’s there

Maybe

You have invited him

I hear he’s good at checkers

And at Go

x

C L Couch

x

x

I cite Ms Silverman in admiration

x

Photo by James Baldwin on Unsplash

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“the devil,” “elements” (2 poems)

(x = space)

x

x

the devil

(you say)

x

the tempter

the corrupter

the ruiner of things

resist

no thanks

go away

we’ll bring in professionals

xxxxxif we have to

diaspora

we’re spread apart

you like us this way

we don’t believe in

xxxxxtogether

should we understand

that we are three in one

because God is

(that is the pattern)

we can stand alone

xxxxxJesus

xxxxxJohn

xxxxxElijah

xxxxxMoses

xxxxxeach and all did that

goodness, we know that well

but to be together

find gentle,

overwhelming power in that

we don’t know that

not anymore

not since the last time

and the time to come

and meantime?

we are together all the time

we only need to turn

to find each other

share the tiny glory

in that

the tiny victories

that add up

or they don’t

breathe in

breathe out

let life happen

as it’s supposed to happen

our alone times

our together state

the glory of the Lord

shine through

all shapes and sizes

everything and everyone

inside creation

not the devil

that gave up all right

to enter realms instead

of nothingness

x

x

elements

x

matter merges

xxxxxspiritual and fleshly

xxxxxmaterial

xxxxxgrain and grapes

xxxxxtogether

xxxxxeach part

xxxxxand together

xxxxxchanged

xxxxxinto finer things

xxxxxcloser to purpose

xxxxxcloser to creation

xxxxxand creation

xxxxxand what is finer than

xxxxxa smidgeon more intentional?

xxxxxall the wonder

xxxxxsimple and refined

xxxxxis here

xxxxxmade from the start

xxxxxmade full

xxxxxby God

xxxxxJesus

xxxxxand the Spirit

xxxxxwho are here

xxxxxwhose substance

xxxxxwhose presence

xxxxxis in here

xxxxxand is in you

x

x

notes

x

I’m sorry, while drafting I couldn’t think of women in the Bible who stood or prayed or fled to be alone; now I think that Mary could have been by herself when encountered by the angel and in her response to the announcement and the will of God; Judith might have prayed on her own, away, as well; and Esther might have planned the salvation of Israel in the same way

x

Photo by Mark Duffel on Unsplash

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