Saturday, May 24, 2008

irises today








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 19,840+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Daily Provision

not merely bread,
daily provision
the creator looking after his creation
as he does for the least of the plants of the field
he will provide for our daily needs
We must serve God, not mammon
and the rest will be taken care of
He who created all
will provide for our needs

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

Clothed

Magnificent fabric
flowing, translucent,
shimmering, radiant
such are the garments
of the plants of creation,
the wings of the butterfly,
the plumage of the birds of the air
These, far more perishable than we
given by the creator to each
How much more must God
care about clothing us
ones who can return his grace
with love, love to heal the breach
to bring us into relationship once more
to face each day anew, without fear or care
knowing, believing, that God will provide
for us, if we but call on his name
and serve him each day

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

Daily Needs

Do not focus on your daily needs,
on the cares of tomorrow
focus on the love of God
Serve the Lord
and the rest will be taken care of
by the one who made the world
and all that is in it
If he can clothe the plants
in such shimmering garments,
how much more will he do
for those serving him,
bringing his love
to the ends of the earth

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

What I need

all I really need
is there each day
God will provide,
just as he promised
he will provide for our basic needs
for food, for clothing
Just as he clothes the plants of the field
how much more, oh how much more
will he do for us, providing all
we need to serve him,
all we need to stay on the path
working for God’s glory,
spreading his message of love
of reconciliation to him
Do not worry
he will provide all I need

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

More than I need

God will provide,
more than I need
for food and shelter
clothing and drink
As he provides for the plants of the earth
he will provide so much more
for those who trust in him
Work for God’s glory
and he will provide
all that you need
and so much more

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

Clothed like one of these

Oh to be clothed like one of the lilies of the field
the irises in my garden, the monarch, the cheetah
any number of plants and animals, living in creation
For they are clothed with fabrics of beauty, of bright colors
gifted with these by the creator, without work,
without toil, as they are made
So we should trust, in the provision of our savior
our loving father, watching for our needs
Trust in him and believe in his care
for he provides for those who will be
as the grasses of the field;
and those whom he loves,
how much more will we receive

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

Enough trouble

Each day, every day
enough trouble on its own
why carry more than we can handle
when tomorrow can wait
Leave our cares at his feet
at the altar of grace
and focus on the Lord, and feel his face
Shining upon us for those who will see
that he is sending blessings to you and to me
We live our lives thinking we are in charge
but forget that he is the creator of all
He gives us creation and makes it complete
and he provides for the littlest creator
that flies or walks on many feet
Look around and you will see that its true
so let go of your troubles and give him his due
Rejoice in our creator who made the whole world
and let your troubles wait for another day.

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008

Drop it and leave it

Let go of your troubles, cast them aside
turn them over to the Lord,
and leave them behind
Believe in the creator
the one from above
who stands beside us
and guides us
through the challenges of life
Do not carry baggage of cares and woes
for he is watching and
he with support you
and carry your load
Focus on today,
and that which you face
For tomorrow will have
enough on its plate

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:24:34 and
Alive Now devotional of May 23, 2008



All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,390+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

An Empty Attic

When I read
the words of Matthew
I thought about what it would be like
if my attic was empty,
things stored away
gotten rid of, given away
thrown away
Starting over,
simpler, less cluttered
more focused
on the things of heaven
Maybe we all should
rethink our stuff
for this passage is clear
and our treasure is often boxed
and never touched
When it should be used
for his glory
reaching out, in love
to the world

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6

In them I am rich

In them I am rich
a wealthy man am I
with my wife, my daughters
a part of my life
You have blessed me
with the gift of these lives
to share my own with them
How changed am I
living a new life
in faith, with you,
with them,
growing each day
trusting a little more
finding wealth
not of this world
but far richer still

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6

In you I have my treasure

The words of the scripture,
the tip of the iceberg
for it is in you that I have my treasure
Your love, your endless, steadfast love
relationship with you, oh God
Without your presence in my life
I was adrift, on the seas of the world
In you, a voice, to share your message
to reach the ends of the earth
your love, your grace, my joy
on my lips, shared for all to see
hope in the sacrifice of the savior,
the endless love of the father
willing to give so much
to bring us home
Daily you affirm that gift
if we but open our eyes
all of this, this creation,
this door opened for us
by your steadfast love

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,770+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live. 

She is my treasure

Funny, reading the title I just wrote,
my wife, my best friend,
knowing that she has read the lines
of the devotionals too, the scripture
the precious wisdom of the Lord
shared with those first disciples
where your treasure is, there is your heart
She is my treasure; but
not in any sense of ownership,
more amazing than that,
for she is a gift, sent by God
Someone to change my life
to help me grow in faith
to find family and love
I have never known
My days, all of my days, with her
miracles of grace, agape love,
unexplainable in mere words
She is my treasure,
because I feel God with me, through her
because I am loved
beyond my wildest dreams
Each day is easier
with her in my life

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6

They are my treasures

You have gifted me, oh God
with these wonderful, amazing treasures
each one a marvel to behold
Each a life changing, growing,
finding her way in the world,
beginning their journeys in you
sharing their love, their joy, their lives
changing my life in the process
Moments with them,
even small little moments
precious treasures, beyond value
priceless joy in being a part of them
more than work, more than wealth
they are my treasures

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6
Erica, Shyanne, and Shanequa

You are my treasure

Lord, you above all,
you are my treasure,
the grace you heap upon me
each day, the love you show me
the daily provision, the daily presence
leaning on you, counting on
your steadfast love
I am redeemed by you,
by your endless, incredible love;
you are my treasure

May 24, 2008
Matthew 6:19-21
Alive Now devotional of May 22, 2008
and Upper Room devotional of May 22, 2008
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=22&year=2008&x=107&y=6

Friday, May 23, 2008

Sermon - All Fired Up! - by Pastor Ruth L. Foss, given at Sanbornville United Methodist Church, Wakefield, NH, May 11, 2008 - Pentecost Sunday

Based on Acts 2:1-21 - Pentecost Sunday

Good Morning!!!! Well here we are at Pentecost Sunday!! I love Pentecost Sunday almost as much as I love Easter Sunday. It is the day when the Holy Spirit came down to live in humankind. . . it is the birthday of the church. . . it is the day that the Counselor that was promised arrived! Without this day. . . can you imagine what the church would be like. . . never mind what it would be like. . . there would be no church. When reading the scripture this morning I tried to imagine myself in the room with the disciples. Can you just imagine with me for just a moment. . . you’re in a room. . . praying ceaselessly. . . and all of the sudden there is this big wind that comes into the room. . . you’re looking around and can’t figure out where it is coming from. . . then the person next to you has what looks like a tongue of fire over their head. . . (Now I may have been thinking about getting a bucket of water to quench that fire about now) and they look at you and they see the same thing over your head. Now I don’t know about you but I would have been a little freaked out about this. Still strange yet. . . you start speaking in a language that you don’t even know. (Now. . . I could have really used a little help like this when I took French in school. . . I never did really get it right.) What an awesome. . . yet scary. . . scene that must have been.

What actually happened to the followers of Christ that day? How did they respond to what had happened to them on that fateful day in that room? Does this same type of manifestation of the Spirit still happen today? How are we to respond to the Spirit within us today? These are some questions I think all of us might ask when we read this passage from Acts. Let’s see if we can get some kind of glimpse at the answers to these questions that we all may ask from time to time.

In order to find some of the answers to our questions. . . let’s go back to the beginning of Acts. . . the answer begins in Act 1 verses 1b-5. After Jesus’ suffering on the cross and His victory over sin and death on the third day. . . He appeared to the apostles for 40 days and talked about the Kingdom of God. He also gave many convincing proofs that he was alive during that time. On one of these days he gave them the command to “not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Now. . . Jesus. . . who was back from the dead. . . as He said He would be. . . gave these disciples a command and a told them a promise would be fulfilled. Now I don’t know about you but if someone makes me a promise and keeps it. . . I will more than likely believe them when they make another promise to me. I would more than likely do as they said because they proved their word to be true. They were obedient to Jesus and did as He commanded. There was the element of trust there. This makes me think of the world we live in today. So many promises are broken that sometimes we don’t see the truth when it’s sitting right before us. We tend to question when we are told to do something. Society has us trained that we are to rulers of our lives and not to let anyone try to tell us otherwise. But these disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do. What trust they must have had. . . to only feel that unquestioning trust in our lives today. . . what a blessing that would be.

Now Jesus talks to them about being baptized in the “Spirit”. . . what exactly is this Spirit that Jesus is talking about? What was its purpose in the lives of the apostles and what does it have to do with our lives today? Well. . . after these apostles. . . these followers of Christ were baptized on this day of Pentecost they began to do amazing things. First. . . as I stated before. . . they began to speak in languages. . . in tongues. . . that they never spoke before. All the people around them started hearing them speak in their own language. (Talk about your United Nations Assembly)What did the apostles do with this new gift of the Spirit. . . they began declaring the wonders of God. They used their gift to Gods glory! All Glory and Honor to our Creator God! All good gifts were given to them and to us by our God and King for God’s glory not our own. This Spirit gave these quiet, soft spoken apostles the tenacity to stand up and speak boldly about God and God’s mighty acts. (Talk about finding your voice)

Ray has written a poem called ‘Ignited with Fire’ and it all about these first receivers of the Spirit. It reads:

Timid followers, disciples in the spirit
sharing the words of power, of truth,
hope of the savior, transformed by the spirit
ignited by the fire of God’s love
infused with the spirit’s authority
steeled and changed forever
preaching to the ends of the earth
to Jew and Gentile, slave and free
All were to hear the message
of the grace of God
freely given, as if by flames
alighting on each one of us

Given freely. . . as if by flames. . . alighting. . . on each of us. We too are given that Spirit of strength. . . of power. . . of authority. . . to share God’s story to the ends of the earth. But. . . how many times do we just look away. . . not share our stories because we are afraid of what others might think. . . The other day. . . I was at a restaurant with Ray and another couple. We had been seated by a young gentleman who was pretty interested in our conversation. It was about ministry. . . which we promised to leave work at home but you know us Pastors when we get together. . . well any way. . . he said he had a question for us. . . well the waitress came and he kind of sad well I ask it later. . . he came back after a short time and asked if we were Christians. We said yes (Of course) and he admitted he was a Christian too and was going to a Bible College in Texas. This has gotten me thinking. My question is. . . if this young man had asked us this question when the waitress was there. . . what might have happened? She may have asked about faith and God and maybe had a seed planted. . . she may have said “Hey. . . I’m a Christian too” and he could have known he had a sister in Christ working with him. But. . . we will never know. It makes me think of how many times I may have had that timidness in me instead of using the strength and power of the Spirit within me. We never know what one word. . . just one word. . . may do in a life of another.

Because of the Spirit on Pentecost. . . a church. . . our church was born. The apostles became not just followers but doers of Christ. They went forth to proclaim the Gospel of peace to the ends of the earth. They went boldly forward with a fire within them that illuminated through their words and deeds. This is how it all began. They went around speaking boldly about God and more people began to believe in Jesus Christ. . . our Lord. . . and Savior. Ray wrote another poem about the birth of the church and it catches the essence of the church’s beginning. It is called ‘Born by Fire’:

A church, our church, the body of Christ
Born by the fire of Pentecost
On that day created, ministers commissioned
And missionaries sent, in an instant of fire
The flames wrapping around, touching each one of them
Imparting voice and power, a boldness they had never known
Certainty of the message, finally with words to share
To fight to be heard, to overturn
The scales, the balance of authority
To speak the Truth of Christ’s coming
And of God’s love, baptized by the fire
Of the holy Spirit

We are baptized by water and the Spirit. We are given the boldness of the Spirit if we would just speak from the Spirit instead of the words of society. We are given that same Spirit that was given so long ago that birthed a church. We are not given a timid Spirit but a Spirit of power and might.

The apostles were sent out to proclaim the Gospel of Truth to the ends of the earth. . . but. . . the job is not done yet. There are still many places in the world who don’t know about the saving grace of our Creator God. There are many places in the world where they have never heard of our Lord Jesus Christ and what his death means for all humankind. So. . . what are we to do with this Spirit that is within us? How can we show the love of Christ and share our stories? Well. . . one thing we can do is to pray unceasingly for those around us who may not know Christ as their personal savior. . . who don’t have a personal relationship that we are afforded with Christ. John 14:12-14 says, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ‘Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ‘If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.’ Whatever. . . we ask. . . in. . . His. . . name! Jesus went to the Father and we were sent the Spirit as our guide, our counselor, our friend. It is a source of strength and a source of peace, love and joy. All we have to do is ask. . . and what we ask will be given (Of course as long as it is good for us or others in GOD’S eyes and not our own). We can make a difference by just sharing our stories with those around us. You never know who might need to hear your story to give them hope for a future. It may even bring them back to the open loving arms of our God and King. Life’s funny like that. . . you just never know.

On the back of the bulletin from this morning is a quote from Corrie ten Bloom. When I first read it I thought, ‘what a perfect way to explain the Spirit in our lives!’ Well Ray liked it so much that of course. . . he wrote a poem it. . . it’s called ‘Merely Gloves.’

The spirit the actor, we the vessels
the skin of our flesh, the gloves of the spirit
touching lives, changing hearts
offering hope, all to God’s glory
Merely the gloves holding our neighbors
the spirit moving in us
to help change the world

May we always be fired up with the Spirit within us. . . and ready. . . to give an account of the joy that is within us!

AMEN

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Contemporaneous Poems

real-time writing, what I see
how I feel, what I hear
the magic revealed by the girls
the wonder of creation
moments, fragments of images,
experiences right now
written down
and joyously shared
contemporaneous poems
gifts not work
by grace, not be efforts
revealed in their birthing


May 21, 2008


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 19,840+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Serendipity Poetry

Sudden words
from my daily life,
my mind's eye,
words gifted to me
leaping onto the page
sharing serendipity,
beauty, thoughts
into the ether,
as they come
saved digits characters
captured as they fly
into my mind


May 21, 2008

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 18,700+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A May Shower

Something different, particular
a May shower, the other day,
not July; certainly not March
a specific sound, a definite smell
of the May shower -
warm but not hot, the pavement, the dirt
reacting but not convulsed
a gentle warm rain, cooling, caressing
the plants, the driveway, even the air
falling slowly, lightly, spritely
onto the dry ground, new greens
thirsty for light rain
a change in the air itself
more rounded somehow
pearls of smell, wafting up
from surfaces, even the air
lightened somewhat
in the afterglow
of the May shower


May 20, 2008



All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Like a Horsehair Paintbrush

the iris stood tall and straight
the blossom peaking
from the skin of leaves
still hidden mostly
behind green
its deep blue, dark blue
like a horsehair brush,
short bristles atop
the long stem, rising
as if out of the painter’s cup
the first of the stand of them
to present itself
awakening
in the May sun


May 20, 2008


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 19,840+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

inscribed on the palms of my hand

He said these word, the creator of the universe
words more than of comfort, that he would remember us
He said he had inscribed our beings, not just our names
ourselves on the palms, the living flesh of the creator
to assure us, he would remember, our lives part of him
living with him, moving with him, more than the words
on the tablets, his love written in the creation
More even than the written within us, on our hearts
we are written on the palms of God’s hands
the hands that make the world,
the hands that molded each one
that set the world to spinning
A promise more real than the bow in the sky
to remind him of another time
when God remembered, forgave
showed compassion on man
this time, inscribed on his palms


May 20, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional for May 19, 2008


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,410+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Monday, May 19, 2008

More than My Name

I, who I am, written, inscribed
on the palms of the creator
the God of Abraham, of creation,
the Father to the Son, sent to save me
My being, my all,
written into the flesh
of my God
Not merely my name,
I am inscribed
on the palms of his hands

May 19, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional

Inscribed on His Palms

A promise of the creator,
always remember me,
to be compassionate, forgiving, loving
my name, inscribed on his palms
words that cannot be washed away
forever a part of my maker
by his promise to all the people


May 19, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,390+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

More than Written

My name, inscribed, carved, branded
onto the palms of our creator
the God of the beginning of time
my name forever with him,
not merely written, inscribed
marking me on, into his flesh
and the palms of his hand



May 19, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,390+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

My Name

My name, on the palm of his hand
holding me on the skin of the creator
a part of him, the ink staining his flesh
the stuff of heaven, a part of me,
my name, the clay on the potter’s hands
remembered each time, he touches his hands
looks at his hands, a part of him

May 19, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional

On His Hand

My name is written
on the creator’s hand
tattooed permanently,
his memory never fades
he keeps me, holds me,
in the palm of his hand
protecting me, always

May 19, 2008
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Alive Now daily devotional



All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,410+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

On the Hillside that Night

(In the Crowd)

My sheep, grazing in the pasture
on that hillside that night,
along with the others
watching the horizon,
the shadows for predators,
for robbers, for danger
A light so bright, it hurt my eyes
angels descending,
appearing from heaven
singing the most beautiful music
I have ever heard
Singing praises for a savior,
our messiah, finally appearing
down in Bethlehem,
lying in a manger
Boy did we run, to see that sight,
forgetting about the sheep
on the hillside that night

May 19, 2008
Luke 2:8-18

Watching the Parade

(In the Crowd)

Like a conquering king, or Roman general
Jesus entered David’s city
our chosen one
Watching the parade
we cheered the new king,
crying Hosanna!

But he was on a donkey,
even as we hoped
for a new king, to throw off
the Emperor’s yoke;
is he the one?

May 19, 2008
Palm Sunday

They Were Deep in Conversation

(In the Crowd)

On the Road to Emmaus
three walked, deep in conversation
animated words exchanged
as they walked along
I heard a brief passage
speaking the words of the prophets
telling the Messiah’s story
the stranger, sharing with the others
like a rabbi and his students
they hung on every word
deep in conversation
as they walked to Emmaus

May 19, 2008
Luke 24:13-35
Walk to Emmaus

They Spoke to Me

(In the Crowd)

We all shook our heads,
in wonderment, amazed,
unable to explain what we heard
these men from Galilee,
those in his inner circle
speaking in words we knew
our home languages
Words they have never used
tongues of fire, igniting tongues
tongues who had been silent, timid
They spoke to me, to each of us
What a Pentecost that was
hearing Christ’s message
in our own languages

May 19, 2008
Acts 2:1-21, Pentecost

None Below Their Reach

The lilac bush,
next to the school
had no blossoms, no blooms,
none below their reach,
only high in the canopy,
the boughs hanging over the sidewalk
no lilacs below five feet
from eager fingers
plucking them for teacher,
for mom, for their fragrance
well grazed bushes
denuded of blooms
each year, in its turn

May 19, 2008

In the Crowd - series of poems

With some of the poems posted today, I have started a series with the subtitle, (In the Crowd). The Alive Now devotional had asked on Pentecost, what we would have seen as a member of the crowd. That got me thinking about what other stories might fit that model. Even many parts of the Book of John are written by the observer, such as the Baptism story. Many of the stories in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and, especially, in the New Testament, are stories about the impact of God or Christ on a multitude, a gathering, a mob, or a crowd. So, with the Spirit's help, I'm going to explore that idea. What would a member of the crowd have felt, whether a believer or not, or maybe in the difference between observers. I'll just have to see how it plays out...

We were Hungry

(In the Crowd)

We were so very hungry,
for his message, hope and love
hungry for food, there on the mountain
yearning to hear him,
his ministry throughout our land
Our lives, struggling under the weight
of Roman rule, another yoke,
for the people
wanting to believe,
his message, a coming of God
a way to the father
if this be the son

May 16, 2008 and May 18, 2008
Feeding the 5,000

The Multitude at the Seaside

(In the Crowd)

As so it was, as time went along
we would follow him, hear where he was going
always a multitude, a crowd
milling about, following him,
longing to see him
the Christ, serving, in ministry
walking the land, healing the sick
proclaiming God’s love
a different set of law
All of us, so hungry to hear him
following his message
coming to the seaside,
to the water’s edge
even as he comes ashore

May 18, 2008 and May 19, 2008
Mark 3:7-12

At His Baptism

john(In the Crowd)

Standing on the side of the river
we watched, John standing in the water
preaching to all, to repent
A hard message for some,
those comfortable,
who would not believe
a messiah, fulfilling the prophesies
coming soon to heal the land
to save the people

He came to be baptized
into the water
in his hands, trusting
submitting his body, his will
falling back into the river
washed clean, up out of the water
a voice from heaven, a dove alighting
onto this man of Nazareth,
something we had never seen before
He has come!

May 18, 2008
the story of Jesus’ baptism,
especially John’s version

Road to Bethlehem

(In the Crowd)

I remember seeing them
walking on the road
on the way to Bethlehem
the long dusty road
the two of them,
scared, moving slowly
struggling along
she was heavy with child
He watched over her
holding the rope of the donkey
carrying her,
I could sense their love
their caring for one another
I wonder what their story is
where this journey will take them

May 18, 2008 and May 19, 2008

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Sitting in the Pews

Looking around, sitting in the pews
the words of the final charge,
the call of the savior
the instructions for what
it is to be his disciples
wondering how we can live the words
to be true disciples of the king
go out into the world
and bring his message
to all who will hear

May 18, 2008
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission

Into the World

We are called, given our marching orders
to leave our lives behind, to go into the world
sharing the message of the Messiah,
the risen Lord, walking with us, leading us
by his example, into the world
to bring hope, promise, love
A world so in need of the news,
the freely given grace of the father,
the creator of heaven and earth
willing to sacrifice his son
God having the faith of Abraham
believing God will provide
His love for us complete
saving us while we are yet
even though we are still flawed
broken, chipped vessels,
still worthy of saving
if we are willing to be fitted
for God’s purposes
So we must go out there
into this damaged world
to fulfill the promise of Christ
and bring about the heavenly kingdom

May 18, 2008
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission

Inside the Sanctuary

The words, to share the good news
too often spoke, too easily spoken
more difficult to leave the sanctuary
to put feet and hands, to the work
to bring the message out into the world
leaving the inside of the sanctuary,
the safe comfortable space,
with shared beliefs, fellow believers
To go out into the world,
where there might be friction,
an unkind word,
where we might not be welcome
Where our beliefs may be derided
We must risk, have the faith we claim
and leave the church behind
and bring the good news
where the people live

May 18, 2008
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission

Beyond the Walls

Beyond the walls,
these sacred, formidable walls
that is where the work is, where we must go
not within, the safe, the comfortable
out there, we are called,
to share, to proclaim
to bring the good news,
to the people where they live
not hidden behind
the comfortable walls
feeling good about ourselves
our piety, our personal faith
No, we must go where they are,
all those who do know yet know
the story of the Father, of the Son,
of the Spirit dwelling among us
making us whole, ready to join
the community,
the mansions in the sky

May 18, 2008
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission