Posted in Different Scriptures, Spoken Word

John 18:1-19:42

It was in the garden
Where humanity disobeyed
And it would be a garden
Where Jesus was betrayed

Judas came with soldiers
Armed with knife and sword
To come and arrest Jesus
Our calm and loving Lord

He admonished Peter quickly
To put his sword away
And healed his wounded captor
Though this didn’t cause delay

They took him before Annas
And Caiaphas the high priest
Who’d said it was better for one to die
As an offering of peace

They wanted to kill Jesus
A threat to balances of power
But they needed a valid reason
And all their arguments turned sour

They took Jesus to Pilate
Who asked what He had done
They said Jesus deserved to die
But they could not be the ones

Only Rome had authority
To wield the tool of death
But Pilate found no reason
To take Jesus’ final breath

He had him flogged and bleeding
But this didn’t please the crowds
Jesus was their sacrifice to Rome
And so they shouted loud

“Crucify him, Rome is our King!”
And He, to die was sent
The most humbling death imaginable
Forgiving as He went…

Posted in Uncategorized

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The bitterness of knowing
His time had come to pass
Sharing a final Passover
He stepped up to the task

By kneeling before each of them
Even his betrayer
To wash their feet as servants do
Even though this seemed unfair

“Not my feet” Peter declared
“But all of me instead.”
Jesus looked at Him with Love
(Though perhaps shook His head.)

As mortar to the bricks of slaves
So my Love fills the gaps
And you will build a Kingdom, freed
To love beyond all maps

The meal started with thankfulness
But turned bitter again
When Jesus said where He was going
They could not come with Him

He would become the spotless lamb
Redeeming every story
And very soon, the Father would
Receive redemptive Glory

Not only new beginnings
But a promised New Creation
As God transformed & flourished in Love
A New and Global Nation

Posted in Different Scriptures, Spoken Word

John 13:21-32

Jesus became troubled
And called out his betrayer
Even though it was something
He could’ve sought in silent prayer

A group that watches out
Over the hearts of each other
Not only sharing friendship
But each one was like a brother

Moments of authenticity
Threaten deceptions’ power
For Judas, it set him free to act
Being told this was the hour

Now is the time to stop pretending
To reveal what’s in your heart
The heart of Judas, revealed as hard
By choosing to depart

Vulnerable relationship
Is a Holy place to stay
It’s not a magic pill that makes
All sin go away

But as God’s children covenant
To watch over each other in Love
We’re reminded of God’s own desire
Not to remain “above”.

He came to live among us
To make our world His own
And not only to share time and space
But to humbly take the throne

If Judas and we would stay
And humbly confess our sin
In purposeful relationships
Where such Love can enter in

Imagine the redemption
God can use these moments for
And it can all begin by simply
Not running out the door.