Tag: church

Posted in Different Scriptures, Uncategorized

Wisdom of Elihu

Posted on by Wick

If you’ve been reading the lectionary passages this past week, you’ve been reading a lot of Job. It’s an apropos reminder, as we finally begin to hear from Elihu, of the cacophony of voices shouting over one another in our political spheres. Each voice attempting to present their own wise perspective, or slam the faulty perspectives of their opponent. When the friends of Job finally seem to have exhausted their words, young Elihu steps forward in Job 32:1-22. Here is a poem I wrote in response, found in my books of poetry in response to the lectionary readings…

How many more Elihu
Have building pressure within?
Waiting, in this noisy world
For silence to begin

As the loudest voices argue
Or share their pompous views
While the powerless remain so
And the injured are abused

While the indebted remain bound by debt
Or hunger in their pangs
While so many search for wisdom
Only the noise remains

Yet Lord, may pressure build even now
May Elihu not keep quiet
On behalf of those in power
And those in suffering by it

May those with your heart burst to speak
No longer keeping silent
May healing come to those injured
And peace where some are violent

May I release the Word You give
The Love that flesh becomes
May Your Reign revealed through such Words
Cast out all false kingdoms

(Amen.)

Posted in Different Scriptures, Spoken Word

a poetic narrative for catechism…

Posted on by Wick

The following poem was written to be used (by both kids and grownups!) in conjunction with “Questions Raised by the Story: A Narrative Catechism“.  This helpful book offers a new approach to teaching important beliefs, presenting 61 questions inspired by “The Story” found in the Bible.  The lines connecting with particular questions are noted within the poem (ex: “Q1” means Question One, etc.)…

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The Bible’s Story
(a poetic narrative that raises questions for catechism)

SCENE 1:
In the beginning, our God all created (Q1)
Ordered and shaped, and as Good (Q2)
Functional, but also abundantly fruitful
Ready to do what it should

All light and darkness, arriving on time
The land bringing forth all things growing
Creatures that swam, and crawling on ground (Q3)
His goodness abundantly showing

God placed all these things into our care
Female and male, Holy Civilization
Bearing His image, and knowing Him fully
To flourish and bless all creation (Q4, Q5, Q6)

SCENE 2:
All things were given, but we wanted more
Humanity turned from His way (Q7)
By eating the fruit He had forbidden
Our hearts from Him, began to stray (Q8, Q9)

No longer knowing God fully
We ceased also knowing each other (Q10)
Creation itself, filled with unknowns
Led even brother against brother (Q11)

Turning from God as source of all Life
We discovered sources of death
Humanity grew, so also our wounds
Which left us each gasping for breath

SCENE 3:
The heart of our God, the biggest heart, breaking (Q12)
The goodness He’d made, gone astray
He looked on His children, so hurting and sad
Not knowing any other way

So many voices, confusing and scattered
No one could hear from His heart (Q13)
Judgment through flooding, calming the waters
So God could offer a New start (Q14)

SCENE 4:
Our God, so Loving, could not give up hope
He knew His kids could be redeemed (Q15)
Calling a people to obey His Word
His Light through Israel streamed

Abraham, Isaac, and so many others
Those chosen, with whom God would dwell (Q16)
Through Loving them all dearly as His children (Q17)
And lifting them up when they fell

This way all people, could see God’s heart
Holy ways He designed us to live
In union with God, and with one another (Q18)
Receiving from all He would give (Q19)

SCENE 5:
The Lord’s Chosen People, broken and sinning (Q20)
Their hearts so often would stray
Receiving the promise, rescued from slavery (Q21, Q22)
Trusting Him along the way

They wandered in wilderness, with Moses leading (Q23)
The Lord gave commands made of stone (Q24)
Following God and the Way He revealed (Q25)
He would govern and give them a home (Q26, Q27, Q28)

Despite all the good that came from His Ways
The people still chose to rebel (Q29, Q30)
For their sake, God forced them in exile again
He could not pretend all was well (Q31, Q32)

SCENE 6:
God still so loved the people He’d made
All people, and all of creation
So God sent His Son, became human like us (Q33, Q34)
To bring our freedom and Salvation

Born into Israel, those who were chosen (Q35)
Jesus was Loving and healing
Walking the path God intended for all
The Kingdom of God now revealing (Q36, Q37)

Jesus declared, by His Words and Actions
The power of God had come here
Welcoming all, even those cast aside
Inviting them each to draw near

Draw near to the Father, and near each other
United in Love to abide (Q38, Q39)
They formed community of blessing for all
Revealing His arms open wide (Q40, Q41)

SCENE 7:
Jesus, the Cornerstone of coming Kingdom (Q42)
Both Son of God and of man
Revealed our broken condition before Him
Even those who knew of His plan (Q43)

For even knowing the desires of God
Was not enough to choose Right
Our hearts will always choose our own ways
In darkness, apart from His Light (Q44, Q45)

And so it happened, Jesus arrested
Accused and hung up on the cross
Dying because of those He had loved (Q46)
All Creation mourned such a loss

SCENE 8:
The Third Day, Jesus broke loose from the grave
Resurrected, He appeared to His friends (Q47)
An entirely brand New Creation appeared (Q48)
A New Story, as the old one ends

Just as we followed Moses before
Now Jesus, we follow anew (Q49)
Set free from sin, and its’ every impact
To His healing Kingdom pursue (Q50)

United in mission, He’s brought us together (Q51, Q52)
To spread Loves’ redeeming rebirth
Announcing the good news, He’s coming again
Along with New heavens and earth (Q53)

SCENE 9:
As His Resurrection people
Reflecting His image, our Lord (Q54)
Receiving His Spirit, and all He has done
As gifts we could never afford

Equipped, adopted sons and daughters (Q55)
Now serving with God in His ways
Caring for creation He is making New
Guiding all to abide in His grace (Q56)

We invite the world He is loving
To imagine what all might become
To be known fully, and fully Loved
By our Father, Holy Spirit, and Son (Q57, Q58, Q59, Q60, Q61)

Posted in Different Scriptures

His Lordship…our peace.

Posted on by Wick

Recently I was preaching and I asked the question; “How often do we respond from a place of defending and protecting Jesus anxiously as if His future depended on us?” A friend on the way out of church that morning asked me “But what does that look like?” His question is one that I think we’re often seeking together as the body of Christ. If we’re honest, I think it would sometimes be easier if we just had a clear word “do this” or “avoid doing this”.

I keep trying to put the answer into one specific measurable response, but it keeps crawling away from me.

I think it’s because of this: Two people may be involved in precisely the same activity. Perhaps it’s feeding the hungry, ministering to a person in prison, or even something like being politically engaged. One person has gotten involved out of a grateful response to, and desire to join the Love of Jesus in action. They are confident in the Lordship of Jesus, and the peace of His Lordship permeates their words and actions. Gladly enjoying His new reality, they want to help others know the Loving Truth they’ve discovered as His child. They’re taken up the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6) to stand firmly in Jesus’ Lordship, even when the schemes of Satan (the deceiver) come. They are firm in His Truth, living in His righteousness, ready in His peace, and shielded by faith. They have His salvation firmly protecting/healing their heart/mind, and allow the Holy Spirit/Jesus to be their only weapon, knowing the battle is not against flesh and blood. Our calling is to stand as victors already, confident in the New Reality our Lord has begun.

The other person has become involved out of an anxious response to feeling as if their world is threatened and they need to do something to regain or protect control of things. They’re defensive, poised for battle, and looking for ways to defeat any opponent who seems to rise. On the surface, some of their moments may look very similar. The hungry are fed. The prisoner is ministered to. But because they have different sources of motivation – they will naturally exist and respond differently in such moments…reflecting their perceived purpose there. They know Ephesians 6 talks about being strong and putting on armor, but they see a world that needs to be conquered “in the name of Jesus”. They will wield what they consider to be their “sword”, pieces of scripture, as if the Word of God must be weaponized to be effective. Without peace in their hearts, they will be drawn into every argument and potential argument, feeling as if Jesus and His ways/word need to be defended or used “effectively” – otherwise evil might still somehow “win”.

But our “struggle” from Ephesians 6:12 is not against an enemy in a battle still raging between two armies. Our struggle is against the last remaining fighters of an already defeated army, still hiding in places of darkness. We stand confidently in the peace of Jesus’ Lordship (Ephesians 1:20-23), as we watch His Spirit complete the victory declared long ago at His resurrection. That doesn’t mean things will always go well for us – in fact, there have been many martyrs who stood in His Lordship. Yet even in such moments, a reality beyond the temporal one that claims power over us is revealed, and by His Spirit we are enabled to rest in the Truth of His eternal Lordship more than our comfort/power in this life. Such a death testifies to a reality worth dying for…which is the reality we believe is worth living for as well.

May our lives reveal the reality of God’s Love revealed in Jesus and the Lordship of the Lamb even now…