Making the secular Holy – v4

I weep for my brothers, for sisters

who cannot know this joy

making the secular Holy

standing before the Lord

I know the stark difference

between union and marriage

to stand before the state

and to stand before God

We married outside

under a snowy sky;

Yes, we professed our love

out loud before our God

But the ceremony incomplete

needing the church wedding

the moment when we stood

before our congregation in the temple

Making the secular Holy

the imprimatur of faith

standing in that community

feeling the gift of grace

=====

edited October 16, 2014

Making the secular Holy – v4

(editing original again)

Edited September 8, 2013

“Making the secular Holy – v3”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/09/making-secular-holy-v3.html

Edited September 7, 2013

“Making the secular Holy – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/09/making-secular-holy-v2.html

new poem September 7, 2013

“Making the secular Holy”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/09/making-secular-holy.html

https://www.facebook.com/StandWithFrank/posts/324730717671030

----

This poem is about my wife and me when we got married

in a civil service on December 17, 2004 in Concord, NH in White Park

and then before our church family at

Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord, NH

http://www.concordwumc.org

on April 23, 2005.

----

We celebrate 2 anniversaries because they both mean a great

deal to us, in very different ways.

I grieve for those who are able to marry civilly in so many

states now, such as NH, but are unable to marry in their

United Methodists churches and for the clergy who are put on trial

for choosing to go against the Discipline to marry them.

&

trials of Rev. Frank Schaefer

http://www.unitedmethodistreporter.com/2013/09/rcm-another-clergy-member-facing-church-trial/

and Rev. Thomas Ogletree

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=13119911

and  Rev. Steve Heiss

http://www.rmnblog.org/2013/08/rev-steve-heiss-.html

&

Edited September 7, 2013

For Offering Love – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/09/for-offering-love-v2.html

June 22, 2011

For Offering Love

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2011/06/for-offering-love.html

Love on Trial,

http://www.loveontrial.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-On-Trial/190582754298364

the case against the Reverend Amy DeLong,

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000572962166

which begins on June 20, 2011

http://www.rmnetwork.org/amy-delong/

&

John 8:1-11

&

Samuel Thompson’s

http://www.facebook.com/#!/keleayon

Inclusion Essay

shared at the New England United Methodist Church

Annual Conference

http://www.neumc.org/pages/detail/195

in response to call by Reconciling Ministries Network

http://www.rmnetwork.org/

for essays describing, “My vision for an inclusive church”,

June 10, 2011

&

in part inspired by conversations with

the Reverend John Makokha

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=556451505

Riruta UMC

http://rirutaumc.org

http://www.rmnetwork.org/

Other Sheep Afrika-Kenya http://www.othersheep.org/OSEA_CL_Other_Sheep_Kenya.html

Children of Africa Hope Mission Project in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. http://rirutaumc.homestead.com/children_of_africa.html

&

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

&
Matthew 28:18-20

Great Commission

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 32,820+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.