Poetry Where You Live: 01/13/2008

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Pastures – haiku

Led to green pastures,
places of safety, of peace
led there by God

January 19, 2008

Creator – haiku

There before the start
the one who made the heavens
the one who made us

January 19, 2008

In the Valley

He leadeth me there
in the valley, the dark storms
the way to the light

January 19, 2008

Our Brother

Our brother, our Lord
first born child, resurrection
new beginning, joy

January 19, 2008

For You Lord - haiku

For You Lord alone
I offer myself, my praise
worship you only

January 19, 2008

Sacrifice – haiku

holy sacrifice
the lamb submitting himself
to save you and me

January 19, 2008

Born – haiku - 2

Born to save us all
to bring us out of darkness
Hope for the whole world

January 19, 2008

Born – haiku

God born on the earth
humble king revealed
manger born, to save

January 19, 2008

Love – haiku – 2

Your gift of agape
unconditional gift, love
Your son here on earth

January 19, 2008

Hope – haiku

The response to love
real hope is the base of faith
trust in the Father

January 19, 2008

Your Will – haiku

Call me in the night
cut through the haze of today
guide me to your will

January 19, 2008

A Sheep – haiku

Listening for you
for your call, dear Lord,
Be my shepherd now

January 19, 2008

Breathing In - haiku

Studying Your word
Sharing my faith with others
growing into You

January 19, 2008

The Church – haiku – 1

His is the one head
head of our eternal faith
Your disciples here

January 19, 2008

The Grave – haiku – 1

Into the cold ground
our Savior lay
dark before the dawn

January 18, 2008

Love – haiku – 1

Unconditional
without merit, love given
grace abounds; God = love

January 18, 2008

Lost – haiku - 1

I was lost, alone
without your love, your presence
Your love, dear Jesus

January 18, 2008

The Sheep – haiku

Following only
only His voice, His alone
The Master’s calling

January 18, 2008

Friday, January 18, 2008

The sky blue, over the city
the face of the three-quarter moon
turned up and to the left
the roundness plain in the sky
a marble suspended in space
watching down on us,
character and history visible
in its glowing face
reminding me once more
of the words penned earlier this week
the message in the memory
the reflecting of light
we are called to do,
using the moon as our example,
our guide, our templar, avatar

January 18, 2008

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Creed – cinquain

Creed
core beliefs
informing our views
something to hold onto
dogma

January 16, 2008
Apostle’s Creed

Creed - haiku

What we believe
there are our very essence
one faith, simple terms

January 16, 2008
Apostle’s Creed

Creed

The words of our faith
the boiled down core,
for those who believe
throughout the ages
down to the present day
the words we share
around the world
as believers

January 16, 2008
Apostle’s Creed

Before I was Born

Called to your grace
your love, your service
before I was born,
so I am Lord, your servant
willfully disobeying,
dragging my feet
relying on the world, self
Turning to you, your knock
your calling to the door
the doorway of my heart
Hearing that long ago calling
nascent within me,
that seed planted in the world

The story of the faithful
growing out of that seed,
your son, example and witness
to your love for the world,
all your willful children
offering open arms,
loving rest in the end
for those who heed
the calling from
before we were born
the calling of our hearts,
your still small voice
speaking from within us

January 16, 2008
Isaiah 49:1-7

Cross – haiku

the wood heavy, rough
his sweat, his blood, his weight hung
dying there for us

January 16, 2008

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Day Moon – 2

High up in the pure blue sky
clear blue, without clouds
the face of the half moon
reflecting the light of the sun
So must we be, if we are
If we are to be the light to the nations
reflecting God’s light, God’s love
to everyone, everywhere
into the darkest dungeon,
the heart with despair,
offering hope, light
to all the world

January 15, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9
Matthew 5:14-16

Led to Your Son

Holy words of love
written for you and me
filling the pages of the book
where we find hope, instruction
our history, their history
the laws, the ordinances, the ways
to You, our Father;
But mostly, the words lead to Your son
to our brother, the Christ
the one who set the example
being born, being love.
In the end, all the words
lead to you Jesus, our savior.

January 15, 2008

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Sermon, "Beacons of Light", by Pastor Ruth L. Foss, January 13, 2008, Sanbornville, United Methodist Church, Wakefield, NH

Baptism of the Lord Sunday
Matthew 3:13-17/Isaiah 42:6-9

Good Morning…today is the Baptism of the Lord Sunday. What a glorious day it is. It was the day…that…marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It was the day that…marked the beginning of OUR salvation story. What a great day it is indeed!

How many of you remember your baptism? Well…I was baptized twice in my life. Once…when I was an infant so I don’t remember it…but…the second one I remember it well. It was when I was around 37…I was baptized by immersion at the church I belonged to at the time. I remember coming up out of the waters and knowing I was a changed person. I knew that…my life was no longer my own…I knew that I was adopted into a royal priesthood with Christ as my guide. It was an overwhelmingly joyous time in my life and was the beginning of a new life with Christ as the head of it.

Baptism… What is baptism? What happens when we are baptized…do we have to do it every time we sin or is it a “one shot deal”…how can we be truly free…after baptism…what’s next? How should our lives be different? These are questions that many people ask…my prayer is that we will be able to have a better understanding of our baptism, the freedom that is offered us and all the joy that surrounds that time in our lives by taking a look at baptism and what takes place during our baptism as well as how are lives should be after baptism.

Well…in Colossians 2 vs. 11-12…it speaks of baptism as spiritual circumcision and being raised with Christ. The verses state: “11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” It introduces us to sharing in Christ’s suffering and death because we are “buried with Him.” “We are raised with Him through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.” We believe that…through God’s power…we too are raised from our death but our death is the sin that we cause and live in. We believe we are forgiven of our sins by this same power of God.

Now in verses 13-14…it goes on to say that “13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Now before baptism…these Colossian Christians were dead…alienated from God…they mired in sin…but now they are “alive” because God forgave their sins. God canceled the “legal note of debt” and Christ took the note on Himself. This is also the way that we are before our baptism…we are also alienated…dead…miring in the mud of sin. And we too are made alive in Christ. WE are set FREE!
Baptism…this is a five-part process:

1. Dying to sin…Baptism represents…an outward sign…of what has taken place inside. We are born sinful because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden (I am going to have to have a talk with Eve when I am called home…what was she thinking?). Even an infant that is baptized dies to sin, as I have stated we are all born sinful because of the first sin. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve and are under the same curse.

2. Newness of life…we put away our old life and start living a new life found in Christ Jesus. All things are new. There is no record of our past transgressions. We get a “do over.” But then again…our God is a God of second, third, fourth chance and so on. Look at God’s history with Israel in the Old Testament if you ever doubted that. 2 Cor. 5:17-18a tells us that “if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ (THANK YOU JESUS!)” At baptism we are liberated…freed…from sin! This is God’s action to fulfill the divine promise of salvation. We rise to begin a new life in Christ.

3. Union with Christ…We become Co-heirs with Jesus. As I have sated…we are adopted into the “Royal Family”. We are completely forgiven and we are like the Prodigal Son returning home with our Father seeing us from far off and running to us with his arms wide open welcoming us home!

4. Receiving the Holy Spirit…In 2 Cor. 1-21-22…Paul writes “But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting His seal on us and giving us his spirit in our hearts as a first installment.” God gives us the first installment of the many blessings God wants to bestow upon us at our baptism. We are given the teacher of all knowledge…our guide through life. We are given a spirit of Freedom not of fear.

5. Incorporation into Christ’s Church…we are not just talking about Sanbornville…or any other church we may belong to. Incorporation into Christ’s Church is being incorporated into the church of all believers with Christ being the head. We are part of a “World Wide” church with all of us being brothers and sisters in Christ.

These alone are wonderful gifts…blessings…that are bestowed upon us but there is so much more that God gives us. WE are restored again to God. God puts away His indignation and anger…God shows us steadfast love in “while we still were sinners…Christ died for us.” WE are given God’s salvation and are reconciled to Him. We are Free to receive God’s stead fast love, righteousness and peace…God will give us what is good and our land will yield increase.

What amazing freedom we receive at our baptism! WE are free from the Chains of sin…we are free from the condemnation of sin…we are free from the death that sin causes us (not just physical but Spiritual death). WE are free to serve one another. We are free to love one another as Christ loved…and still loves…us. We are free to share our stories to help others find freedom for themselves. We are free to reach out to those around us…with Christ’s love. The love that nailed His outstretched arms to the cross which are the same outstretched arms that are wide open to accept us …where we are…into the family of God. We are free to believe in the Dream that God has for our lives. We are healed of our brokenness inside by our Lord Jesus Christ and are freed and not held down by it any longer. We are free to be ourselves. We are free to follow our call in life…the call that God will equip us for. True freedom does not mean without bars…true freedom is the indwelling of Christ! If the Son sets you free…you are free through and through.

Soo…what are we to do with our new freedom? Are we to share it with others…shining the light of Jesus? Matthew 5:14-15 tells us that “14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” We are to be Christ’s light in the world…not to hide the light we have been given but to…pass it on to those who sit in the darkness of sin. Roman’s 13:12 also tells us that 12”The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” And yet again in 1Peter 2:9 that “12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We are to put on the armor of light…that is Christ Jesus.

The Message Bible…puts a different spin on being a light to the world. In Isaiah 42 vs. 6-9…it talks about being lights as follows: “I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons.”…A lighthouse…to the nations…what a concept…to be a lighthouse instead of just a light. Just imagine. A light does give brightness to see to those close by…but…a lighthouse’s light…its’ beacon…goes so much further. Did you know that the average lighthouse’s beacon goes out for 21 miles? It only goes that far because at that point…the roundness of the earth comes into play and because of its’ curve the beacon…the light…then goes off into outer space. (Now that light is brighter than any light the Energizer Bunny can make!) This reminds me of a poem by my favorite poet…it is called “Lighthouses”:

Not just a light for the nations,
not just being a light
the Light shining in the world,
in the darkness.
Lighthouses, beacons,
keeping all safe,
away from the shoals,
the rocks, the hidden dangers
dangers hidden in the fog,
the clutter of daily life.
Leading those out on the seas
safely to shore
to a sheltered harbor
home in the arms of our Lord

Lighthouses…I really like that image of being a lighthouse. But…what exactly does a lighthouse do...I mean…what does it really mean to be a lighthouse? Well…
- A lighthouse warns ships and boats about rocks and reefs underneath the sea.
- A lighthouse uses a flashing light directed out towards the sea as a signal.
- Each lighthouse uses a different flashing pattern or speed of flashes.

So…let’s take each of these definitions and see how they relate to our lives as Christians doing the work of God here on earth…let’s see how well they fit in with our Great Commission we have been given by our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

OK…a lighthouse warns ships and boats about dangers ahead. We are to be that beacon…that help in the dark…for those of the world who live in darkness of sin in the world. We are to help other traverse the stormy seas of life and bring them into the calm of the shore. A lighthouse uses a light that is directed out towards the sea as a signal. We are to reach out to those around us to shine Light in their lives so that they may see the road home…to lead them safely back to the Harbor Masters safe cove of peace and stability. Each lighthouse has its’ own distinct pattern of light. We are to do whatever it is that we need to do to complete our mission in the world. We may have to change the way that we do things…change our pattern…from time to time but we need to reach out to those around us…where they are…as Christ reached out to us where we were before we came to His saving grace.

Lighthouse…beacon of light…this is what we should be to the world around us. We are to share the light that we have been given…the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. Together…all of us that are part of Christ’s Church…can be that light in this dark world. But…it takes more than one Lighthouse…more than one beacon…to light the world. We must stand together…all of us…as one united church of Christ. Brother and sister…shining our light into the darkness…guiding those who are lost into the glorious light of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may do things a little differently…but…we all have the same light within us.

I would like to end my sermon with another poem by my favorite poet…it is called Missionaries of the Light:

Not merely lights to the nation,
stationary, in the temple,
not merely examples of righteousness,
of piety, or rightness with God
in worship, in clean living
Emissaries of the Lord,
who died and rose for us,
who admonished us
to go out into the world,
being the light to the nations
out there in the darkness
actively bringing the light
to the last, the lost, the least,
the prisons, the homeless,
those seeking his grace
Go into the world
missionaries of the light
of the light of the world
the hope for all mankind
rising out of the darkness

May our light shine ever bright in the darkness as we search out those who are in need of the light within us.
Amen.

Haiku – 2

a short burst of words
counting every line
meaning in each one

January 13, 2008

Daniel – haiku

Daniel was true
to his God and people -
lion let him be

January 13, 2008
Daniel

1,000 written and posted in last year

With the last poem, I have written and posted 1,000 original poems in the last year.

Abraham – haiku – 2

sacrificing his son,
following where he was led
heed the Master’s call

January 13, 2008

Prophets – haiku

set apart for God
faithful servant of the Lord
speaking with power

January 13, 2008

Mary – haiku

Mother of the Christ
the virgin-born king on earth;
holy is your name

January 13, 2008
Luke 1

Joseph – haiku

Father of our Lord
by dreams he was protected
raising the Christ child

January 13, 2008
Matthew 1:18-24

Spirit – haiku

Fall on me, Spirit
like a dove, descend on me
fill me, all of me

January 13, 2008
Matthew 3:13-17

Listen – haiku

listen to that voice
that still small voice calling you
out of the stillness

January 13, 2008
1 Kings 19

Call – haiku

call me Lord to work
gift me, your servant, Father
Let me walk your way

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9

Ears Burning – haiku

Fill my thoughts with you
Speak directly to me Lord
Empower me now

January 13, 2008
Luke 24:13-35
Walk to Emmaus

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 20,750+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Walk to Emmaus – haiku

Journey with the Christ
hear his call for you, alone;
walk humbly with God

January 13, 2008
Luke 24:13-35

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 21,400+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Quiet – haiku

quiet solitude
in the woods alone, stillness –
sit and hear silence

January 13, 2008

Climb – haiku – 1 – v2

climb above the tree line
up above the dry scrub brush
lichen, moss; vista

January 13, 2008

Climb – haiku – 1 – v1

climb above the tree line
up above the dry scrub brush
see the lichen, moss

January 13, 2008

Up in the Trees

hike the mountain
up in the trees, the cool wood
lose your thoughts in peace

January 13, 2008

Tides – haiku

tides on the quiet
shoreline caught in summer bliss
melt away tension

January 13, 2008

Whispers – haiku – 1 – v2

whispers on the wind
high up in the cold trees there
echoing in winter

January 13, 2008

Whispers – haiku – 1 – v1

whispers on the wind
high up in the cold trees there
echoing in the wood

January 13, 2008

A Shell - haiku

a shell on the beach
washed onto the sandy shore
listen to the waves

January 13, 2008

A New Song

Sing a song, praise
shout you heavens, seas, the earth
a new song for us

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 42:10-13
and based on the sermon,
“Behold the Future: A Servant’s Song”,
by Reverend Peter Hey,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH 1/13/08

You Are Light

You will be a light
A light of hope to the world
shining love to all

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 42:5-9
and based on the sermon,
“Behold the Future: A Servant’s Song”,
by Reverend Peter Hey,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH 1/13/08

This is My Servant

the Heavenly court
To them proclaimed God on high
this is my servant

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 42:1-4
and based on the sermon,
“Behold the Future: A Servant’s Song”,
by Reverend Peter Hey,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH 1/13/08

Behold My Servant

proclaiming creator –
“Behold my servant here, now,
doing what I will.”

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9
and based on the sermon,
“Behold the Future: A Servant’s Song”,
by Reverend Peter Hey,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH 1/13/08

Light – haiku – 1 – v2

Light for all nations
covenant to all peoples
light piercing the dark

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9

Light – haiku – 1 – v1

Light for all nations
covenant to all peoples
light clearing darkness

January 13, 2008
Isaiah 42:1-9

Servant – haiku – 2

Marked by God’s blessing
His spirit descend on me
lift me to your tasks

January 13, 2008
Matthew 3:13-17
Isaiah 42:1-9
and based on the sermon,
“Behold the Future: A Servant’s Song”,
by Reverend Peter Hey,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH 1/13/08

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Friday, January 18, 2008

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Sunday, January 13, 2008

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