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
a Tuesday to try to be with God
(sorry while it’s long)
so about you
Lord
and may I call you
Lord
though you are nameless
or all names
somehow
and how do I know you unseen
evidence
unseen
the mystics knew
I guess
and Doctors of the Church
or
anyone who wrote enough or was
recorded
so they say
and
so we know
and
does this work
of
sayings
little flowers
to
go through entire books
and maybe so
maybe
we know you through these pages
or could it
be
unworded
leaves in forests
because nature
may testify as well
yet
by disaster
we might ask as well
the punishments
of fire
or of quakes or magma from
eruptions
how or what
what might we might learn
of you
and your intentions on this Earth
that
you have made
and yet
if we kept our distance
measured well
and
kept our visits seasonal
I don’t know
I guess
we’d still have problems
and to wonder
over
cynicism learned
or is
there hope on Earth and by
catastrophes
we
learn readiness and response
Earthly
for each other
all sides of gospel then
like sides
of nature whispering
or
shouting
yet
all this
not enough to know
you
and why bother through our limitations
limitations over
you about
your
nature and your presence
and yet we love you
and we think
go as far as to testify
that you
love us
and
maybe have a plan for each
though needing elasticity
as we respond
this way or
that
by choices
since
we understand
that will and freedom should
be ours
and maybe that is
so
that is
your flexible designs so we may select for
real
somehow and yet by you
we decide and
you
affirm ahead of
time
and ready to receive us
as you are God
yet you are God
why bother
waiting for us
but
then why have us
anyway
why make us when creation seemed
so perfect in the story
and then we get here
and we go too far by will
into war and other violence
much of it
close to home
ask Tamar
in the house of David
we are so easy moved by greed
also
pretense to power
since power is from you
and lent
as lent
for a time
all the things we do
we build
and then let fall
our egos drive
we develop false philosophies
movements that bring others down
with us
and may I ask
of our bodies
Lord
yes
groups
and I mean each actual
physical
skin and muscles around bones
organs
within
as they are
so strong
and so fragile
sigh
too much or too little
but there is
love
and faith
and if wisdom must allay itself before
fullness
and
perfection
well
so it is
like many things that are
and we don’t know them while
we have them
two
aspects of creation
even
of two parts of wonder
with aspects
like facets
while you are God
and I happen
to be I
and all of us
be
all of us
with
enough totality while we may wonder
in our ways
over
all the rest
until all the rest revealed
and
still might need interpretation
until you speak through angels
loud
(maybe not so loud)
and clear
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photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
two poems about me, all of us
a story for me
(and you)
let’s
see what I recall
she asked me
do you know what your name
means
and
I said
yes
it means cross-bearer
to which she then asked
do you
know the story
and I didn’t
there was a wide river
and a man who
for a living
carried people to the other side
one day then
a child
came to the man
the child requesting
to
be carried across the water
and
so he took the child on his shoulders
and proceeded
and as they moved
it seemed
the child got heavier to bear
and then
heavier
the current of the river and the distance
made
everything more difficult
though it was the weight of the child
that mattered
most
so that the man
said to the child
I feel as if
I’m carrying the weight of the world
to which the child replied
you are
and that’s the story of the saint
named Christopher
and
I’ve kept that story from
my teacher
when in school and to
this day
so
I know there’s much to write about
about
earthquake and war
fire
flood and strikes
and such
and not
to dismiss
anything in the world with which I often
feel
uncomfortable
and yet
must love so much
but
sometimes it is me
as it is you
and we are one by one
as well
as
together
and each one matters
as
togetherness matters
and sometimes
you know
there is the day and only one soul
then
another
and what happens from inside to
the outside
through one and then another
to
the world
eventually
is what we have
one
two
together
more
the world
forever
c(hristopher) l couch
photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
“long exposure image of a river flowing in the forest”
whom
what
do I want
to say today
but
that you are loved
by Earth
except when Earth should fail
and humankind
with
me
well
until we falter
too
that God remains
the faithful
if invisible
and
yes
that is a conundrum
for apologists
or
simply those who want
to believe
yet
there’s will
and we must exercise
our own
what
to believe
and without good evidence
what
to believe the most
love
faith in anyone
God
in God
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photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
how much the devil
is the devil allowed
to mess inside our heads
to stir
to unstir things inside our hearts
to turn the matter of our spirits
as it were
how much permitted
since
after all the fall
and for it
to be cursed upon the ground
crushed underheel
yet also
the raven of Job
trickster to entice the host of heaven
maybe
God
so that the drama could begin of
awful loss and faith
the playwright has the devil
Scratch
contended with by Daniel Webster
though before
there were ages with the mysteries and
miracles
renderings in which the devil was
a character
and to leap ahead
or
somewhen
there’s the battle between Michael and
Satan
the last fight with armor worn
and scales upon the dragon
and
who wins we know
with all the defeat
why should
it bother
but it does
and how deep it has been given leave
like soldiers to excuse themselves
but
here to serve a relentless campaign
to win
what
the Earth
each one of us
material
and soulful are the gains
to ally with sin and maybe with some error
to twist
the good with the inevitable
especially
while we are fallen
too
to make the worst of it
and how much
how far
to invade
how to much to niggle earthstrings
how far to take the heart
from
its own source
how bad to try to make of good
since bad is not invention
merely
merely attempting to infect the health
of who we are and
what we’ve
been given from the start
resist
and it will blee
what does that mean
and
will it sidle back
or come with force
how final is an exorcism
or is it a tussle with a horror
every day
and while humor’s on our side
it should be hard
night on defeating
to
keep going
but keep going
there is a guarantee
it’s on the page and in
the heart
as well
that we can fight and
laugh
and wait for rescue
try on faithful garments
that will last
with
pockets for
all sorts of reminders
there is God and
we are
and with advising
given all
that we are love
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photo by Karl Hedin on Unsplash
the laughter of the Lord
there is healthy humor
and there is
and so
God laughs
in creating wonders and the smaller things
to love
in having host-companionship
in making us and our capacity and willingness
for joy
and we may ask
if nature laughs
leaves
you know
in trees
brook water we have met
that chortles lightly
and
in welcome
the clouds an embodiment
a pleasing blue
the fact of the rainbow
the reaction as a promise
and relief
the animals
then
the eyes of cats
the purr
the longing lines
through shapes of dogs
and when we satisfy
the chuckling in the hiss
the roars
of those sometimes
who
knew the joy in making
and now pleasure
when impulses
are
fulfilled
so much that bends the other way
so much awry
from
primal joy
and yet
to come to us it’s clear
we have capacity
we can get the joke
we smile when it’s good
we celebrate
we laugh
and if do it right or from the first
then God shall and
regardless
laugh
with us
and when isolate
for us
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Terry Lindvall writes effectively about God and humor
photo by Cemrecan Yurtman on Unsplash
borning cry
so what shall I do in the hours left
what shall I say
and aren’t these questions that I ask
myself
and God
nearly every day
and I think through negative conditioning
and
then the fear from
my experience there is no answer
I can hear
thus believing there is nothing I can do
and will you hear me anyway
maybe
from the part of me that isn’t
talking
hear the silent plea
and answer
with me in the deep
places forgotten
except when involved in certain stories
rescue from the cave of me
or
simply to turn me around
to see the treasure there
take when I need from
who I am
you the adventurer
to show me
tell me
everything to try
to
turn into wisdom
then
then with a life to share
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"Borning Cry" is a hymn composed by John Ylvisaker that reflects on the journey of faith from baptism to old age.
(Copilot Answer)
photo by Nick Castelli on Unsplash
two poems about help
once cadging up
God
you got me moving
if only a little
that you’d have me take more steps
and reach within my limits
if
all right
on the inside first
too many things are plain
yet I can’t see with any sense
worldly
or
soulful clarity
too easy to feel down
and
while there
from looking up at shapes there
perilously blurred
while what is
to see
is round confusion and so
where
is the way
I cannot get for
steps
or if there were a ladder hiding from
me
existentially concealed
and who’s to say
for ears
to hear
look
there is the way
still in prayer
tired
too tired to look up
too doubt-pressed
if
something about the hills and rescue
though I think that is reaction
wishful
thinking for a rescue
that in a better
mind we know that if comes
it shall come
from
wherever
any direction
of
one source
then why to look at hills
maybe to inspire
prayers
in
nature
sign of encouragement
by the sign of rising
earth
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. . . from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121 1b-2
KJV
(some think question and response)
photo by Marc Babin on Unsplash
verse (and prose) poems that could be sermons for tomorrow
1
no more than we can handle
is that in Scripture
don’t be anxious
do not worry over things you don’t
worry over
anyway
such as the numbers of small
nearly
might as well be
microscopic things
sands in
by the sea
the smallest and the largest love
of God
even that we try to emulate
then for the things we can and should
do
well
do them
pray
and live life in prayer
not autonomically
only a series of reflexes and right words
but
truly
as if truth matters as an old friend
as well as a new guide
care is not
indifference
nor is it fretting to become an occupation
for
Mary and Martha both got it right
though spending time at the foot of God
should set the tone and be the reason
why
everything else gets done
as for worry
well
some of it’s escapable
and we are human
there is the fear of the unknown
and what
to do when we feel we must do something
yet
if we could slip some worry as a piece
of paper
or a candy
into the pocket of whatever God is wearing
then
even the worry
needed
not needed
should go better
what is the old song
we tend to sing in a tired way
take it
to the Lord in prayer
and then
as in other antheming
so
march on
even
ride on
in majesty
but it’s
so much homelier than this
go to God
expect and answer
and
some timing
then do everything there is to do
that’s
ours to do
even a little more
like the persecuted follower
and never
think we have to move
without help
because for all the isolation we might feel
or
how tired
emptied out we might become
there is presence
and assistance
as of
the grace and majesty of angels
while
sometimes
seeming more than angels
it’s us
with the help of agencies
and God
2
so the Bible might not say we are given more than we can handle, since sacrifice in service might lead to giving up one’s life (harsh, I know) but that God is with us in our struggles, always inspiring, sometimes more directly helping as with miracles and always with grace (the free offer of God’s love and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus)
so we worry, though we don’t have to or, in franker reality, don’t have to so much; not that loving mindlessly—any more than doing in that way—is called for; it’s our hearts and minds that should be turned toward God and in the love of God (those two commandments) to each other
my eyes hurt and my nose hurts
I feel isolated
put upon
by the world’s lies
and sometimes by my own
it’s not enough
simply to say
we got it wrong because we’re human
then learn
nothing then go on
we should not excuse ourselves
so easily
though we should look toward
reliving others of supernal responsibility
even worked out as
the small things of the day
we have to love each other
otherwise
it’s enmity
indifference
or shoddy showing of regard
because
we’re supposed to
though we want
to get out of service
as quickly as possible
not that
leaving for a while
to wander the hills
or the Hundred Acre Wood
is not
desirable
since such wandering’s preferred
and might be called for
to walk about
and also be alone
then
to be with each other
it’s like the mother who said
to Christopher
her boy
don’t walk with me
but be here
when I return
and greet me as if I had been gone
a long
long while
so love
when necessary
learn to live without even
what we’re sure we must have
to do it
like the stump at the end of the story
the tree is useful
honestly
I feel so alone as I write
maybe you’ll come to see me
we’ll see each other
better
than with eyes
with awareness of each other’s terms
practically
and sentimentally
of each other’s love
with the guidance of the source
who speaks to us like mountains
or like
sparrows
knowing God loves you
then
and so do I
c l couch
some sources cited
1 Corinthians 10:13
Matthew 10:29-31
Psalm 16:11
Exodus 33:14
a few old hymns
The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
photo by P A on Unsplash
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