Creation happened today

Fall on the Oregon coast
is a constant remembrance of creation
dark clouds close in
days seem dim and dull
and then the heavens open
the earth is clean, new.
the sun emerges
bringing light
joy
hope.
soon, however,
the dark clouds are back.
the cycle continues.
but sometimes
we get lucky
and rain is accompanied
by sun streaming through
prisms darting to the ground
as they collapse into themselves
ephemeral stars of the mid-day rain
tiny shards of miracles
knifing through the sky
to their ultimate destination
in the ground.
inducing life.
creation
just happened
today.

Faith like a child

Sometimes
experience
dilutes our faith
poisons the fountain of youth
from which the purest emotions flow.
Like a child's view of a parent
nothing is wrong
they are perfect
until life
until experience
teaches you otherwise.

Can we ever return to purity?
To the hopeless, unchanging, unwavering, unjudging, unfazed love
of our youth?
No.
Maybe.
I don't know.
But if I am to enter the kingdom
like a child
I'd better let
my cynicism
skepticism
judgmentalism
and capitalism
die.
and open my eyes wide
to the constant miracles surrounding me.

Talkin 'bout my generation

Does it matter,
our physical presence?
In church, I mean
Do we have
to literally step foot inside
every Sunday
to worship our Creator?

The church pursues young people
with the inherent, programmed tenacity
of a bee seeking pollen
desperately seeking new beginnings
yet unwilling to allow them to take hold

The problem is
too often
the pursuit comes across as
"your life isn't right without us.
let us
change you.
heal you. "

But I don't really think that is the case
So many of my friends will never show their face
in a church
yet lead purposeful
merciful
holy
lives.

When will we recognize that each of us takes our own path home?

See it through

The youth director preached at church today, and he shared a conversation he had with his daughter, when she was 11. She was facing a tough decision, and he told us about her decision-making process, and how she ended up choosing what she did.

"Dad, it was a really hard decision, and I couldn't decide what to do.
but I know you
and I trust you
so I let you make the decision for me."

Decisions
are they made with conviction?
Or are you still struggling
with the friction between
the choices you have?
You've given voice to both paths
and found no real perceptible difference
a sound choice, either way

So what to do?
Don't make it up to you.
Let it be.
Let God see it through.

Cowboy Boots

Some days
you wake up
with cold feet
little toes like icicles
don't bend them too far
they might break

some days
your worldview is bleak
eyes blurred by cynicism
and frustration
hopeless in a world of hurt

some days
you just feel small
too little
no impact
a gnat caught on a wave
crashing
on the beach
helpless

those days
I find
nothing helps
my peace of mind
like my comfy
seven dollar
thrift store purchased
cowboy boots.

Why one person?

Why does one person preach every Sunday?

It's not that I don't value their point of view
or their understanding of a Creator who makes all things new
it's just that we spend all our time recreating the past
reexamining history time and time again
and I think it's time we asked
our own people
to share their stories

but why are we scared to get up front
and share our experience of the divine?
scared people will laugh?
scared someone will get up there and say something
...crazy?
but wouldn't that be a real church?
an honest church?
teaching from among our own
we have only what
we
have
experienced.

for aren't we all in this together?
scratching
clawing
straining
for grasp
on some paradigm-shifting fact
that forever eludes us
ever out of sight
beyond the next hill
around the next corner?

and what can we do
but listen to one another
and work to climb that hill
turn that corner
together?

Kingdom, Power, Glory

"...and the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

Kingdom
power
glory.

Kingdom
is built on feet
not philosophy
the basis of action
foundation
built step by step
step by step
step
by
step

Kingdom
power
glory.

Power.
We seek not dominance
but love
pursue the worldview
of a child
no enemies
no judgment
only wide eyes
searching for friends

Kingdom
power
glory.

Whose stories do we lift up?
those who rise above?
the frail
stories
whispered in the night

or those of excess
wasting away
with more and more stuff
headlines on the news
carry dating updates and jail intakes

who is being glorified
in our
stratified
broken
system?