Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Lent-Day 7

As I opened the letter
my heart skipped a beat
I'd seen who it was from
I started to read

Congratulations, it said, as the letter began
you are accepted, my very good man
we'd like you to come to our part of the land
and join our seminary family

the news was expected
I'd hoped for as much
but I felt such a touch of
excitement and purpose as I scanned through that letter.

and then

were those tears in my eyes as I folded it up and put it away?
or had that cold blast of wind
caught me at that very moment
to make my eyes water?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Lent-Day 6

There's a phrase in writing
we call it the "pregnant pause"
that moment before the excitement begins
the anticipation sinking in
one can sense the building suspense
as no one knows when the pause will end

so tick tick you watch the clock
as time keeps marching onward
you try to hide and keep inside your heart
(but it pounds away like the Pacific on the ocean sands)

when will it stop? how will it end?
the pregnant pause it lingers
i think it waits until it wraps each person round its finger.

but what if the pause is held too long?
you start to wonder if something went wrong
the action was coming
the moment was near
why did the build-up disappear?
and you wind up in the place you have always feared
paused without direction.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Lent-Day 5

Promises
What's a word worth?

garbage, really
we throw them out
with candy wrappers and old tires
meaningless
in the magnitude of our
oh-so-important lives

we toss them around
careless as to their power
to heal
to resurrect
to hurt
to kill

words have an ability
we never quite believe
the substance they carry
is something we just can't see

but one's word is
dedication
faithfulness
integrity
they measure a person

some words remain.
as do those that speak them.
some promises are still unbroken.

"I will never forsake you."

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Lent-Day 4

I'm searching for signs
as I'm writing my rhymes
spending valuable time
seeking the divine


I find Him sometimes not where I'd think
in places where righteous ones dare not to sink
in bars
in gutters
with backpacks and shopping carts full of
granola bars and clutter
most would deem dirty.

yesterday I saw Her right where I expected
drifting low on a cloud over the Pacific
light radiating forth in beams no darkness could overcome
I stopped for a moment to whisper hello.


weeks go by
and I'm still searching
wrapped up in pursuit of that wholly divine
The search will continue
until my hair turns gray and the lines on my face
grow deeper
somehow, wiser
knowing that no matter how long I search
answers will forever elude me.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Lent-Day 3

Last night
the house shook
the rain battering the roof
a chorus of pebbles on the shingles
the windows bowing in and out
as my reflection grows and shrinks
grows and shrinks
the wind finds instruments in the
crevices of the house
maracas in the bathroom fan
a low mournful note over the exhaust pipe
soft hissing through the window screen

the song of the storm isn't scary
its notes and rhythm guide me to sleep
held in the arms of something more powerful
stronger than I can know or comprehend
held in the presence
buoyed by the Spirit
small.
tiny.
beloved.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Lent-Day 2

The day is coming
the spring of the soul
the day when the world
wakes up
reborn
anew

the day when things return
to the way they ought to be
to shalom
it will be a day of peace
justice harmony

a day when we no longer recognize separations
but see ourselves as the interconnected web
that we are

that day is coming
like the lightning breaking forth from the
darkness of thunder clouds
it shall come
hope
caught in a burst of light.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Lent-Day 1

What is brokenness?
Brokenness is temporary
a short term short sighted problem
that will be reconciled
what is wrong will become right
dreams shattered in the darkness of despair
will be reconstructed piece by piece
like a mirror holding the image of who we really are

what is brokenness?
brokenness is the doubt in each of our heads and hearts
that says we aren't good enough
strong enough
smart enough
to make a difference.

brokenness is the disbelief that we are
created
beloved
children of God
made exactly who we are.
for purpose
brokenness is a separation from purpose
our purpose
God's purpose.
That purpose is reconciliation.
The darkness is greatest before the dawn.
But daylight is coming.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Lent

Lent
Sacrifice
What to give up?
Take on?
In the season of fasting
what is my fast?
what is my gift?
Am I willing to risk
what comes first to mind?
The things that take up too much time
too many hours
stretching into days
patterns and behaviors
departures from sacred ways

40 days of discipline
am I up to the task?
I've never tried before
Never had this cross on my forehead before
but I feel called
I may not succeed
but I will try.


Today begins Lent, and as I sat in church today at the noontime service, for the first time I felt led to think about what I would do differently in Lent this year. Past years, I haven't done anything...it was never a tradition for me growing up, and I just never really got on board. But today, I sat there, thinking through things I could do differently...and while lots of people give things up for Lent, the idea of sacrifice, I like more the idea of adopting a new discipline or practice. I waste many of my mornings, and I've written on this blog just twice since my YAV year ended. I've written very little in terms of poetry that I haven't written on the blog, and I said to myself, "You need to write more. It was important to you."

So I'm going to write each of the next 40 days. Good, bad, ugly, I want to turn my writing into a discipline of sorts...expressing myself as I can. Some days I may read lenten texts or devotionals to reflect on, others I may just write what is on my mind. But for 40 days, I am going to write.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A Poem in Defense

it's a trend these days
it seems all the rage
to bash on the church
and her religious ways
give me jesus not religion
the trendy they clamor
but jesus said the church was his bride
so put your hand over your mouth
and pull that log out of your eye

if the church is Jesus' bride
don't you think you should try to
help it
shape it
instead of betraying it?
sure she's got her issues
I don't deny that
it's a true fact
that her pews and aisles are jam-packed
with hypocrites
liars.
impure hearts and
idolaters.
But isn't that exactly where they (we) need to be?

so maybe mother church,
"religion" if you will
seems washed up and over the hill
to young people, like you and me
we don't want to deal with that kind of hypocrisy
when really all we want is community
and freedom to help others in tune with our beliefs.

So you say mother church isn't meeting your needs
well change it.
I dare you.
Make it real.
relevant.
revelatory.
rampant.
resurrective.
reconciliatory.
rambunctious.
revolutionary.

you. me.
we are the church.
we.