vicissitude
Luke 22:44-46
if I were tired from sorrow only
that
is exhausting
and stillness took over my body to
sleep
and I slept
and then I were scolded
after the supper
after
being called friend the first
time and
having been asked specifically for
companionship
awake
and praying with
the Lord
and wouldn’t I be exhausted
too
and so could lose my way through praying
and it is night
and it gets late
and
yes
it’s Jesus
and it’s also human me
and if Jesus said to wait and pray
would I not have been invested
with
the energy and other wherewithal to join
and
maybe I had received
and still
slept
anyway
so there’s not excuse
but an excuse
and
I’m made of willing spirit and unwilling
flesh
and how to feel when Jesus tells
me I
have
failed
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44 And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” He asked. “Get up and pray so that you will not enter into temptation.”
Luke 22
Berean Study Bible
photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
warfair
there is a war
as a peacenik I admit it
we
know the places
and we don’t
since wars are also fought in secret
secret
or open
the field is the mind and heart
more so the spirit
of
each one
and who shall win the big war is
determined
read
hear about it anytime
as for the small wars
the wars of each one and by
our
families and friends
they go on
and the victory isn’t called
and it is
all
perilous because
the fight is in the self by
which the better weapons
are
love and will
and there is temptation to give up
or
to give in
because the other side
entices
as if it were so shiny
even
though it’s moldering since
part of heaven
lost
and we say
fell
though there was no real direction
but opposite
and now two sides and
well
since
Eden
and we choose
and there
remain
though it’s gloriously odd
that we might
turn
away
but then may turn again
old betrayals resolved
if
imperfectly for now
and so the war of spirit shall go on
until the Megiddo
victory
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sorry, the title is a pun in English; I’m not sure how this will translate (“war fair,” as it were, rather than “warfare”)
photo by Lisa Forkner on Unsplash
“High Stone Wall in Megiddo”
playing favorites
in the ninth chapter
my favorite Bible story
when the parent
comes to Jesus
for
the child who needs healing
who is thrown by fits
into fire
such an extreme for healing to
which Jesus
says
believe and the child be renewed
to
which the parents
must reply
I believe
and help my unbelief
the formula presented
yet
before Jesus especially
even to doubt
but must
be honest
and the response from Jesus is
that
the child is healed
not that epileptics must be healed
though sick children
from whatever
reason
should be
and for all we are and all we aren’t
we have to open all our hopes
and fears
before the Lord
versing
my second favorite
is a cluster of
verses
from the Psalms about a third through
the verses about
creating a clean hearts
a heart that
is in me
by God
by God
in fact
to renew
as has been made
create in me a clean heart
O God
and renew a right spirit with me
and
cast me not away from they presence
and take not
thy holy spirit
from
me
again
an honest plea
for healing of the self
I guess
even to be close ‘mid all the snares
outside the circle
working in
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(for the series, from Mark 9 and Psalm 51)
photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
any day to represent the world
for Imbolc and Saint Brigid
the Irish in me skimmed the day
for appreciation
drafted a brief
verse
then thought
there is
so much more
how about the circles
the circle of faith
and
following
with Brigid
the ancient feeling
old
pleas for growth and life by
spring
that is Imbolc
the events with
character
personae
to match the green and orange
the art
the music
violin and
dance
and all the troubles
punishment
endurance over
being
free
and I don’t know what happens
with the north
except
warring should end with
peace waged through economy
human strategy
and
the belief that each one matters on
the land
circle of
faith
circle that is the Earth
that is the spirit that contains
each one of
us
our systems ‘round as circulation
circle that moves
as circles should move
even
to link with others
so
that here
Imbolc and Brigid’s day
should join
at least
to Venn
then the circle that is Europe
then a hemisphere and hemisphere
round quarters
come together
so
much that comes together
we are part of
and so
to have humanity
and I would add not meaning to alienate
but
it gets added generally
that all of us should happen
be complete
all points
and arcs
under God
or at Patrick should claim
God every preposition
every direction
for us
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photo by Patrick Metzdorf on Unsplash
allowance
who is allowed
who gives
and
who may receive
what do we talk about
possession
salvation
and
who owns
salvation if anyone should own
God owns it
I
suppose
manages the process
certainly
provides all parts of God
needed
creates everything
places
us
then there’s a full beginning
affirming rest as
well
then somehow a serpent is allowed
if we intertwine the stories
then we know
of
the rebellion and the war in heaven
with casualties if not killed
yet fallen
then to
take it out on us
and
we fall as well
not
killed and yet spiritually
as good as gone until the parts of God
come
to the Earth
to teach
and offer to save
one part creates
the other comes and then
the other
the third part closer than ever
indwelling
in fact
by
invitation
strange invitation that both must offer
and accept
then
all things work together
that
are good
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Romans 8
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
(KJV)
photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
those who ever said I could have
if I had been
better
meaning better
in talent
sure
there’s also the spirit
not in
if God let
me
but if God had kept this from happening
the thing
or
things that limited
worse that
might
have required me
to sin
or
to choose virtue
sometimes either’s
limiting
sin
circumstance
situation ethics
or
lack of worldly repentance
on Earth
or in ourselves
I coulda’been
but
aren’t we all
contenders
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photo by Moo on Unsplash
bless the wild
better than
form
is the love you place on wild things
blessing
these with
spirit and adventure
to
let them go
while under care
to dance and run and
love
in all the untame ways
that were
created
then released
while forms are fine for form
but
let the lightning-forces go
never the same
to strike
even with danger in
the magic
risks
in release
but how does freedom that you show
go in any other way
so model this
and
everything outside broken cages
as
the bars are devil’s interest
and love is as roarious
as you
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photo by wallace Henry on Unsplash
better news
1
better news
that God loves us
and sent
the child of God
to
live and innocent and perfect life
and then to be
killed
by the powers of the world
and the princes of the air
and
yet not have that be done
be it
and there is so much
more
because the child came back
up to Earth
if that was the direction
out
to all
to offer the child’s resurrection
from death to life
to a life for each of
us
and life that goes on
forever
finally
on a renewed Earth
beside or somewhere near
or in
a new heaven
and that’s our job
believe
2
feeling Christian
this morning
or
recalling who I am
and
that God sent God through
the Spirit of the Lord
so that
not only this
sect
but the whole world of us
might
believe and so be saved
from death
and
for this day and
the next and
on
be saved from sin as well
the whole word
John 3:17
remember to share it this way
a gospel for everyone
3
and will
we guess at
for
fun or profit
or in what we might
take
as the conquest of space
whether or not
Jesus
came to Mars
on comets
inside asteroids
and
shall Christ be there
awaiting lunar Artemis
as we
begin again
which is all right
‘cause Jesus has saved Mars
comets and asteroids and
first for us
the moon
for
the silent planet speaks again
and all that happened
here
to revive and fallen
pick us up so we
might
carry on again
miracle
new song
and our own arriving
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C. S. Lewis posits a cosmically quiet Earth and us in Out of the Silent Planet
photo by Petri Haanpää on Unsplash
peregrine
another poem about breathing
breathe on me
breath
of God
that would be nice
I think Aslan breathed on people
and they were affirmed
to
exist and even have a calling
though maybe
existence
was enough
to know that God love me
for me
but
no
I should
do something
too
as I’ve wondered
and I’ve wandered
like the song
and like the song I wonder
while
wandering
why Jesus had to die
and
did he wonder
too
while he was wandering
well
we’re here
Jesus
Spirit and God
and me
without standing or power
a world to cheat
as well as to say hello
hello
maybe the start of cheating
and
what is my place
when it seems I have no place
I am God’s
I’m sure
though God be angry with
my performance so far
and
yet is love
Jesus and Spirit
too
to help
I want
to trust
I hope
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“Breathe on Me, Breath of God” and “I Wonder as I Wander” are hymns
photo by Brooke Balentine on Unsplash
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