prodigal

altar call

we can’t approach
without
some sibling feeling worked out
so
we’re told

like Erev
before perhaps
the
Yom Kippur

and yet how empty be the churches if
chancels must wait
for
close conflict
or
the like
must be worked out first

before we resuming
carrying
a church-gift
say
our tithe

though many of us
chance
and
to confess
to keep the gift and moving
toward
the worship center
where
the convicting love of God
does not dwell more
but
knowing our score feels
more

c l couch

Mattew 5:23-24 (or consider other prodigal narratives)

Photo by Martijn Veldhuizen 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


And in Conclusion

Believe or not
There’s God
It’s up to you
Wonderfully
Up to you
For faith
In what’s unseen
By unseen
But what’s evidenced
In
Nature
Even by extremes
More so
In love
And everything
Beyond ourselves
Affirming
What is in ourselves
That we know best
As flesh
Combined with
Spirit

My
We really are
Something
And should mean it
Fantastic-made
And beating certain odds
For now
To have been kept
And then
To keep ourselves

And we should know
The value
Beyond chemicals
The market fluctuates
Bur the worth
Of what’s internal
As eternal
Is forever

And the price
As might be reckoned
Also needed
By
The world
It seems
Paid
In faith
And love
And also paid
In full

Perfected in a life
Both human and
Divine

And in divinity
We pray
Our own spirit
And our flesh
Shall pray
Even with life
And life’s devotion to
What’s good

Resisting evil
And when giving in
To evil
Then returning

The question
Which is
Stronger
Which is more
At last
Answered
With wounded conviction
Scarred believing

And we may
Return
Or
Yes
Never having left

And maybe to eschew
When needed
Older
Siblings’
Attitudes
Toward prodigals

We have
We come back
And now
We all remain
In faith

Uneasy in the world
As uneasy
To the world
Which says
No evidence
No faith
According to our rules

Though evidence
Invisible
Like concepts
Be
Working all around

But
Speaking of invisible
To start
At least
Remember one’s
Great value
That is
Your own
And don’t forget it

Stay alive
Forgive
And be forgiven
Knowing that life and love
(unscalable
though scalable)
Keep us
And keep us going
In the valley
To the top
Depth
As well as height
And in the mind
Between

Then knowing well
Of one
Reach out
To one
And then another
And let groups
Of faith have strength
With courage
For each other

Goodness
Do I sound
Like an epistle
Well

Enough courage
In the one
To be
And more
To join

A model
Maybe
Understand of the one beyond
Or go the other way

Let the one
Be model
For you
And for us

Either way
Have faith
Remembering greater love
But keeping oneself
Precious
And unstained
Though knowing
That God loves
The stained
As well
And we should love
The stained
As with the wounded
All around

Such things
As shall be lifted
But for now
Need caring
As with the pristine parts
And also those

As practice now
For everything
All Earth
And heaven
Flesh
And spirit
Renewed

C L Couch


Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash