Poetry Where You Live

Where once they were brown
his new-grown beard
becoming gray,
growing into his role
elder leader, shepherd
of a growing, aging flock

September 5, 2008
written at the Agape Café coffeehouse
Wesley United Methodist Church
(one of 24 written there that night)

Labels: Agape Cafe, Faith, Family, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, September, sheep, shepherd, Wesley United Methodist Church, Writing Poetry

Maybe not as bad as herding cats
wrangling felines, not that tough
the not yet awake children a bit more compliant
Teachers, aides, administrators (though less so)
herding sheep, willful mind of their own sheep
on the schoolhouse playground
streaming off the buses, out of the cars
out onto the blacktop, at breakneck speed
is that early morning dread I see,
on the face of the veterans
the newness already worn off
five and six, maybe seven year olds
outwitting their elders, so soon
with invisible edges to the area to run
keeping away from the bigger kids
fun watching from the sidelines
keeping score of the ones who got away

September 2, 2008
Pembroke Village School

Labels: America, child, Family, Pembroke Village School, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, schools, September, Shanequa, sheep

Like sheep without a shepherd
wandering in the wilderness, seeking
following him, even as he crossed the lake
He had compassion for them, hearing their calls
heeding their yearning for his healing, to be saved,
to be fed, thirsty, hungry they came
and all were fed, from meager fare,
a sumptuous feast, feeding
five thousand and more
healing the sick, offering hope for all
ministering to the flock, the shepherd they lacked
having compassion, pity, caring for them all
even as he grieved, he served his flock

August 3, 2008
Matthew 14:13-21
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-13
and Matthew 15:32-39
and sermon, “What a Blessing”,
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss,
Suncook United Methodist Church,
Suncook, NH, August 3, 2008

Labels: August, bread, disciples, Faith, heaven, hope, John, John 6, Luke, Luke 9, Mark, Mark 6, Matthew, Matthew 14, Methodist, Offering, Pastor Ruth L. Foss, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Sermon, sheep, shepherd, Suncook United Methodist Church

(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

Labels: angels, Bethlehem, Christmas, eyes, Faith, in the crowd, Luke, Messiah, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, savior, sheep, shepherd, sight, sing

He foretold, in boldness, in truth
the acts of the Apostles, greater than his own
for he was leaving this earth, rising, returning
going back to the father, we to carry on
We timid, fearful followers;
but he knew more of the story
the power of Pentecost, transforming
changing believers into leaders,
hearing the message of God’s love
and the salvation of the savior
feeling the fire of God’s endless love
boundless and without merit
loving us while we are yet sinners
over and over bringing us into his embraces
the acts of the Apostles, down through the ages
bringing the sheep into the pasture
the churchyard of the shepherd
the garden of the master

May 10, 2008
Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost
John 14:1-14
John 14:12-14

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it was there, in that room, in the sharing
of the good news, my brothers around me
feeling a closeness to God
more real than the sanctuary, than
the stillness of the night under the open sky
more than in the solitude of a canoe on a calm lake
late at night, all alone with my thoughts
it was there, sharing with my brothers
that I have felt closest to God
my personal savior, my guide,
my shepherd, my protector

May 6, 2008
Walk to Emmaus

Labels: brother, Canoe, Faith, God, May, Messiah, Methodist, Nature, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, sanctuary, savior, sheep, shepherd, sky, Walk to Emmaus, water

They were given voice
in many tongues
able to speak, to share
to proclaim the good news
the father glorified
by the ministry of the children
the sheep of the shepherd’s flock
those commissioned by the son
emboldened by the spirit

May 5, 2008
Acts 2:1-12
Pentecost

Labels: Acts, Acts 2:1-12, acts 2:1-21, Faith, father, Holy Spirit, May, Methodist, Pentecost, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, sheep, shepherd, son, voice

We are his,
his sheep in his pasture
the green pastures
in which he calls us to dwell
We are the words of his hands,
the living clay of the potter
molded by him in his image,
known by him
Sing praises, joyfully
all the earth
For the Lord is good

April 25, 2008
Psalm 100
Psalm 23

Labels: April, clay, creator, Faith, God, green, hands, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, potter, Psalm, Psalm 100, Psalm 23, Raymond A. Foss, sheep, shepherd, sing

She carried with her
the affirmation of a congregation
the approval of a committee
an appointment to serve
and the prayers of a multitude,
family, friends,
members of the community,
the congregation, the fellowship
of those who know her best
All who love her
raising her up for these days
that she would be richly blessed
in this time with the Lord
on her Walk to Emmaus
steps on the path of her life
a pilgrim, a disciple,
a shepherd for the kingdom

April 24, 2008
Walk to Emmaus,
the prayers for Ruth

Labels: April, disciples, Faith, Family, God, life, love, Methodist, pilgrims, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Ruth, savior, sheep, shepherd, Walk to Emmaus

God was there,
in the brilliant flash of light
in the booming voice from on high
speaking to His tormented,
persecutor of His disciples
blinding the eyes
of he who could not see
who would not believe in Him
in the flash of light blinding him
for His purposes alone
Humbling him,
making him dependent
Opening his heart
to the truth of the Way

April 24, 2008
Acts 9:1-22 and
Upper Room daily devotional
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=4&day=24&year=2008&x=107&y=6

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John 20: 1-18

It’s Easter Sunday!!! Christ is Risen! (He is Risen indeed!). This is my most favorite day in the Christian Calendar. It is the day our Lord and Savior rose from the dead. . . conquering sin and death. . . so that we can have a right relationship with our God and King! I don’t know about you but I have asked Ray to tether me so that I don’t fly away! Our wait is finally over. . . the past three days are behind us. We can look forward to the kingdom of God. We can walk in the garden in the cool of the evening with our Creator again as was planned from the beginning. We can have that one on one relationship with God again. Ray and I have the same feeling about Easter Morning. . . he even wrote a poem about it. It is called “Bring on the Morning” and it reads:

Oh, bring on the morning!
so we can shed our ashes, our sackcloth
rise with the Christ, He Is Risen!
The grave empty, the Messiah lives
walking among the disciples, sharing his grace
a balm to their souls, the beginning of our future
a risen savior, at the right hand of the creator
our breach sealed and death defeated

Oh, bring on the morning!
our lives renewed, our grief, our shame
cast to the side, our Savior lives
the sin that caused his pain,
washed clean;
He is shimmering white
our eyes turn to the Master's voice
we are his sheep and he our shepherd

Oh bring on the morning!
the old is past and the new just begun
we are raised, we are risen
join the saints, the throng,
singing Hosanna,
all around the world
Christ the Lord is risen today
Oh, bring on the morning!

And what a morning it is because Christ is risen. . . He is risen indeed!

In the Scripture from the Gospel of John this morning. . . it tells us about that fateful morning when Mary went to the tomb. It talks about that first Easter morning. When I read this scripture. . . I saw two stories unfolding in it. One was the story of Mary and the other was the story of Peter and the beloved disciple (which some say was John). Both of the stories had powerful meaning for me and I thought I would share them with you this morning.

Let’s talk about the first story. . . the one of the two disciples Peter and the beloved disciple. Now after Mary went and told them that the stone had been removed. . . They both go running to the tomb. Peter went in first and then the other disciple went in. Peter saw the linen wrappings and such lying on the floor but when the beloved disciple saw these things. . . he. . . believed. They both did not quite understand yet that Jesus had to rise from the dead. . . but. . . even though they didn’t understand. . . the beloved one believed.

Now. . . Peter and the other disciple are given nothing but the evidence of an empty tomb. But still the beloved one believed. He had no angelic announcement that accompanied the glimpse into the empty tomb. . . no reassuring words that Jesus has risen, that he had gone before them. There was only the stark emptiness of the tomb and the tell tale presence of Jesus’ abandoned burial cloth; yet. . . the beloved believed.

You see. . . he believed because he already believed before the crucifixion. The beloved disciple believed in Jesus and the trustworthiness of His promises about Himself and about God. When he saw the empty tomb. . . he knew what that signaled: Jesus had conquered death. He didn’t need Grissom from CSI. . . he didn’t need the New York Times or the Daily Gazette. . . he didn’t need Geraldo to tell him what was going on. He knew what he knew and that was Jesus said it and it was so! Talk about “blind Faith” or should I say “true faith.” Even though he did not fully understand. . . he still believed because Jesus said it was so. . . to have a faith like that would be a wonderful thing. . . something I am sure we would all like to have.

The other story. . . the other scene. . . that I was aware of was the scene with Mary. She was all upset because she did not know where Jesus’ body was. She thought that someone had come and taken it away. When she had told the angels why she was so distraught it was not the angels that comforted her. It was Jesus Himself. She didn’t recognize Him at first. . . but. . . the moment of recognition was when she hears Jesus call her name. At this point she abandon’s her grief and turns to her teacher expectantly. It is the demonstration of the Truth of Jesus’ promise that He would see His followers again, that their grief in His absence would turn to joy, that He would not leave His followers orphaned. This scene captures all of the joy the church experiences when it exults on Easter Sunday Christ is Risen. . . He is Risen indeed! But. . . I also see something else in this scene. You see. . . Jesus tells her that she cannot touch Him because He still needs to ascend to the Father. Now. . . He could have just ascended and came back later as we all know He did. . . but. . . He makes this “pit stop”. . . to talk to Mary. . . to comfort her. . . while he was on His way up to the Father. Even from the grave Jesus still was showing His compassion on the down hearted.

Easter. . . the Cross. . . you know. . . there are many ways that people look at the cross. Some people look at the embodied cross. . . they feel that the most important day ever is the day that Jesus died on the cross. Others look to the empty cross and tomb. They look at the Risen Lord not the suffering savior. To me. . . without the empty cross and tomb. . . there is no completion to Jesus’ ministry here on earth. In order to conquer sin and death. . . He needed to rise on that fateful Sunday Morning. To me the most important day is Easter Sunday. This is what the poem that Ray wrote, “With out Easter” embodies. It reads:

The cross, the sacrifice, the suffering
taking on our sins, to reconcile us to the creator
that is the story, of Maundy Thursday,
of the good, Good Friday.
But without Easter, the story is incomplete
unfinished, good but not triumphant
the lamb a sacrifice, the humble servant;
but not the king, the lamb upon the throne
We need Easter, the risen Lord,
vanquishing death, the tomb
Rising from grave, walking once more
with the disciples, believers, the faithful
Walking on the Road to Emmaus,
communing with them in the Upper Room
assuaging their fear before his ascension
preparing them for the Pentecost
laying the way for our future
as they would spread his word
to the ends of the earth
a story, ultimately that would be
Nothing without Easter

But is that the end of the story? Is there more that we need to think about regarding this Resurrection morn?

The good news that Jesus commands Mary to proclaim is not that He is risen, but that he is “ascending to my Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” This is not meant to minimize the resurrection, but to note. . . for Johns Gospel. . . the appearances of the risen Jesus are neither counterpart to the cross or the climax of the story. The cross brings the incarnation to a close but the story of the “Logos”. . . the Word. . . the Plan. . . finds its conclusion only in Jesus’ return to God which is the counter part of the descent from heaven. This return makes new life possible for the believing community, because Jesus’ ascent to God renders permanent that which was revealed about God during the incarnation.

The love of God embodied in Jesus was not of temporary duration. . . lasting only as long as the incarnation. The truth of Jesus’ revelation of God receives its final seal in His return to God. Jesus announces His ascension to Mary by saying “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Jesus Himself translates what His ascension means “for us.” Through Jesus’ ascension, the believing community receives a new identity. His ascension is the conformation that the believing community now knows God as Jesus knows God, that Jesus has opened up the possibility of a new and full relationship with God. The intimacy of Jesus’ relationship with God is now the relationship of the believing community can have with God. In verse 16. . . Jesus demonstrates the power of intimacy of relationship with one of His own sheep and in verse 17. . . that power and intimacy is opened up for all believers. . . members of the community. His promises in the Farwell Discourse all pointed in the direction of this ascension announcement that the love that God and Jesus have for each other would be opened up by Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to include the believing community.

It’s Easter Sunday. . . Christ has risen. . . He is risen indeed. Where does the story end? Is it at the cross. . . with the empty tomb. . . or at His ascension? I my eyes. . . the story goes on. Yes Jesus conquered sin and death for you and me. Yes He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. But His story lives on in you and in me. We are now that believing community that has had the bridge built for them. We are the ones who carry on with His ministry here on earth. Praise God for our Lord and Savior. . . the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Whom without His love and compassion we would still be estranged from the best Father we will ever have.

AMEN

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Luke 24: 13-35

Have you ever passed by something a hundred times and all of the sudden it looks different to you? Has anyone ever said to you “hey. . . look at that design in that rock”. . . you keep looking at it and don’t see anything and then all of the sudden. . . you look at it from. . . a different angle and see exactly what they are talking about? I know I have. There is this figure of a fish that it is the side of this rock formation when you get on to rte 93 from my house. I think I have talked to people about it many times and it takes some of them a while but. . . eventually they see it. We never know what we are missing sometimes because we. . . kind of have these. . . blinders on.

This kind of reminds me of these two men walking the road to Emmaus. They were so consumed with what had happened in the past that they were missing the glorious thing that was happening in their present time. The “RISEN” Lord Jesus Christ was walking along with them. They even had a burning feeling in their heart that they ignored because they were focused on what had taken place in the days before. I wonder how many times “WE” miss our Lord walking with us because we are too concerned with what is going on or has gone on in our life instead of the blessings we receive abundantly each day.

This story of the appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is the most developed and the most beautiful of the appearance stories. Its plot is centered on the failure of the two men to recognize their fellow traveler. The suspense builds in the story until the moment that they recognize the risen Lord and He disappears. . . vanishes. . . from their presence.

Emmaus. . . it was a little-noted town. Luke doesn’t say why the two disciples were going there. They may have been going home. . . going there on business. . . or just going there to get away from the terrible things they had witnessed in Jerusalem. The risen Lord meets us on our road to Emmaus, in the ordinary places and experiences of our lives, and in the places to which we retreat when life is too much for us. The story warns us, however, that the Lord may come to us in unfamiliar guises, when we least expect him.

This reminds me of something that happened in my life years ago. It was when I was a “new believer”. . . just after I had rededicated my life to Christ. I was in the grocery store and I had one of those cubes that tells the story of Jesus’ life. I don’t know if you have ever seen one before. . . I wish I could find one, I lost mine a while back. . . they look like those Rubik Cubes that were so popular a few years back. Well. . . the High School kid that was bagging my groceries was really interested in it. He asked me about it and I told him that is was a cube and when you flip it around it told the story and went along my way. Well. . . I no sooner got to my car and felt like I had missed divine appointment. I went back to find him and show him how it worked and tell him the story but I couldn’t find him. . . I swore that I would never pass up a chance to witness ever again. Was this High School kid the risen Lord standing before me and I didn’t realize until too late. . . I guess I will never know. But. . . that lesson has stayed with me for many years.

One thing I find interesting about his passage is that as soon as they recognized the risen Lord. . . He disappeared from their sight. God’s presence is always elusive, fleeting, dancing at the edge of our awareness and perception. Now let’s be honest. Do you really feel a constant, steady, predictable presence of God? If you do I envy you (oops sorry. . . that’s one of the Big Ten). I know that there are times in my life when I am praying “Lord I feel alone and confused. . . I need you to be here with me right now”. . . and there is silence. . . but in those silent times. . . in those times that I am walking through that desert place. . . I know that God is watching me and that there is a lesson to be learned. I know that He will pick me up if I fall. . . brush me off. . . and say “Let’s try that again. . . this time my way”. But there is this. . . silence. Maybe. . . this silence is a good thing. If we all felt the presence of God with us at all times. . . we may take for granted that God is always with us. We may not have the joy we feel when we feel God’s presence because it would be too common place for us. I have learned through my life with God. . . to treasure every moment that I feel his presence. I even have learned to look for Him in my day to day dealings. I even think back on the moments when I felt God’s presence when I am going through that dry arid desert and remember how it was. Even the two disciples looked back and remembered. After the Lord vanished they said to one another “Did not our hearts burn within us?” Even the women at the tomb (with the angels prompting) remembered the words that Jesus had told them while He was still with them. They remembered back to a time when the Lord was with them. One of the secrets of a vigorous spirituality and a confident faith is learning the importance of meeting God in the past as well as the present. You need to remember.

Memory. . . we all have it (OK. . . so some are better than others but we all have one). In the Scripture from Acts this morning. . . while Peter was preaching to the people he sparked their memory. Peter reminded them of all the good Jesus did. . . of how Jesus performed miracles and wonders which God did through Him. He reminded the entire household of Israel that with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. They remembered what had happened and realized what they had done. Their “blinders”. . . the scales. . . fell away from their eyes. The scripture went on to say “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers what should we do?”” They had been blinded of what had taken place but were reminded and they remembered Jesus and who He was. As a matter of fact. . . as we read. . . those who welcomed his. . . Peter’s. . . message were baptized, and that day three thousand persons were added. Talk about your altar call!

Memories. . . to remember something. . . sometimes it is good to remember things while other times it may be painful. Sometimes our memories help us through what we are going through and other times they may cause us to fear. But. . . we can always find a lesson in our memories. For the two disciples and the people that Peter was preaching to. . . their memories helped remove the “scales from their eyes”. It is in our memories. . . when we meditate on what has happened. . . we can see the picture of life more clearly.

Easter was not over when the day was over. It stretches into the rest of our lives. The two disciples might not ever meet the stranger from on their trip to Emmaus again. But. . . that didn’t matter. Their life was changed. The Gospel story we read from Luke has a theological insight when it stretches Easter day into the series of experiences that happened after. The Lord is risen and He comes back to meet us on our road to Emmaus. Opening our eyes to see Christ in our midst is a challenging step on the Christian journey, but this is the step that leads two disciples to recognize the risen Christ. However, opening one's eyes is only a step; for after their experience, the disciples made known to all that had happened to them. We need to share our stories too.

When we read the bible. . . . There are times that our “heart is strangely warmed” (as John Wesley would say). Christ meets us there on our road to see more clearly and understand what God’s has to say about our lives. We recognize Him when we celebrate communion in the “breaking of the bread.” We meet Him in our daily lives unaware, as did the two disciples, until it is too late at times. We need to remove our blinders. . . have the scales fall away. . . so that we can see Him more clearly in our daily lives. You never know. . . the next stranger we encounter may be our risen Lord in disguise. We may meet Him in an unfamiliar place or right in our own back yard.

Amen.

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1 Peter 2:2-10

How many of you remember that old Prudential Insurance commercial? There was this beautiful background scenery of mountains and the Rock of Gibraltar was right in the middle of it. You remember that Jingle that they had? “Get a piece of the rock” (sing). It was the best insurance. You could stand on this rock for all of your insurance protection needs. The scripture from 1 Peter this morning talks about another rock. . . a living rock. . . a cornerstone to Christians. That rock has a name and its name is Jesus. I don’t know about you. . . but this rock is the one I want to trust in times of trouble. When I need assurance in life. . . it is this stone that I turn to. . . not some insurance company that makes promises they would rather not keep.

This feeling of trust in my “foundation” is eloquently put in a poem from my favorite author, Ray Foss; it is called A Foundation of Love. It reads:

In the beginning
there was God's love
upon this strong foundation,
this rock, all else stands
God's love, His ever hopeful grace
we can depend on, we are assured.
God will open wide
Her arms of love, ready
to welcome us
when we return home.
Upon this strong foundation
we build our lives
of purpose, of service,
spreading the Creator's love
Building Your church

It is upon this Rock that I take refuge.

What is this Rock. . . this living stone. . . that Peter talks about? Well. . . let’s take a look at Peter’s letter to get a glimpse of his understanding of this Rock and Living Stone. How does this letter relate to us as Christians today? This is a Pastoral letter written by the apostle Peter to the exiles in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. Scholars say that the letter was actually written by one of the disciples of Peter. They used Peters name because they wanted to establish the claim that its teaching reflects that of Peter. The letter addresses a critical situation. The people had become marginalized and abused since their conversion to Christ. The society they once belonged to now treats them as an unwelcome, even dangerous sectarian movement.

This reminds me of how we as Christians are unwelcomed and abused in many circumstances in this world. Some of our friends look at us differently after we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. They call us Jesus freaks, they are afraid to be “themselves” around us because they are afraid that we will “start preaching” to them. We are ridiculed and made fun of for our beliefs. The letter offers realistic encouragement and instructions to Christians attempting to live faithfully in such a situation.

The writer talks about Christ being like a stone, a foundation to build one’s life on. He calls Christ the living stone. Not cold and motionless like a rock but is the life giving quartz we need in life. As the scripture states “as you come”. . . it represents the circumstances under which believers are being built into a “spiritual house”. As the believer comes to Him. . . they are being built. . . being made into. . . the body of Christ. The passage shows the difference. . . the contrast. . . between mans thing of value and God’s thing of value.

++ Man rejected the stone as if it were dead and worthless
++ God has chosen this stone as living and valuable.

These Christians, like Christ and ourselves, are rejected by the world around them but they, and we, are elected. . . chosen. . . and are precious in God’s sight. Christ is the living stone and Christians are living stones as well, full of life and life giving.

Stones are built into houses, but houses are also temples, and in temples holy priest offer spiritual sacrifices. Spiritual sacrifices are surely a reference to the whole shape of the faithful life. . . the life of holiness. It underlines the close relationship between what God has done in Jesus Christ and what God is doing in these Christians and is still doing today through believers.

All Christians are living stones, built into the edifice. But the cornerstone is Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone because the whole building rests on Him. He is the cornerstone because the building takes its design from Him. Ergo. . . no Christ. . . no building. The chosen and precious turns the allusion in verse 4 into and explicit citation.

++ Christ is chosen - reminds us that the whole pattern of salvation is part of God’s electing plan from the beginning centering in Christ but including all believers.

++ Christ is precious - reminds us of the pervasive distinction between valuable and tawdry goods, the things of heaven and the things of this world.
God’s faithfulness requires responding faith. Those who have faith know that the stone is precious but those who do not have faith, the same stone is not a cornerstone. . . they reject the stone and lay it aside. . . as if it was worthless and it becomes a stumbling block in their lives.

You know. . . all this talk about rocks has gotten me thinking. This reminds me of the transforming work of God in our lives. You see. . . metamorphic rocks are rocks that have “morphed” into another kind of rock. These rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks. Now. . . how do sedimentary and igneous rocks change?

Well. . . the rocks are under tons and tons of pressure, which fosters heat buildup, and this causes them to change. If you examine metamorphic rock samples closely, you’ll discover how flattened some of the grains in the rock are. We as Christians. . . as living rocks. . . are put under pressure at times from the “outside.” We are in the process of being formed into. . . being morphed into. . . the likeness of Christ. We may feel the heat at times but it is in those times when we are being shaped into what God would have us be in Christ. . . not what the world would have us be without Christ. We are being built into God’s temple so that we may become ambassadors of Christ. It takes many shapes and sizes of rocks to build a house but they all fit exactly where the “plans” have put us and are all equally important to the whole building. We become a “new kind of rock.” God is continually at work in our midst and is ever building the character of the church and of the individuals who are followers of the Way.

The scripture from 1 Peter this morning reminds us of the difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that we see different things differently but that we see. . . we view. . . the same things differently. We both see Jesus Christ, the rock. But as Christians, the rock we see is the cornerstone, that living stone, of our lives as individuals and as a community. But. . . non-believers just simply reject the rock. The difference between the two views of the same scene is faith.

In this letter from Peter, they great story that feeds faith is absolutely public. It is a word that is declared aloud about the deeds seen clearly. The story of Jesus is not hidden. The language about Jesus is not esoteric, confined to insiders, like the secret languages of lodges or clubs. But when different people hear the very public story, each responds differently. Those who hear the story in faith praise God for God’s wonderful deeds while those who do not hear the story in faith laugh and stumble.

All Christians are called by God to a royal priesthood and all are called to offer sacrifices. Not the sacrifice on the alter (as they did long ago. . . that final sacrifice has already been made by Christ Jesus) but the sacrifice of faithful obedience and the life of love that goes with it. The sacrifice that Christians are called to live is a life without malice, guile, insincerity, envy or slander which 1 Peter 2:1 says we have to put off with our faith.

For believers, Christian identity is our identity. Christian community is our community, and Christian family our family. Especially in a time of ongoing racial tension, Christians (not Caucasians, African American, Hispanic, or Asian people) are a chosen race. For Christians that take 1 Peter seriously, the line on the application that asks for race ought to filled in: “Christian.”

I would like to end my sermon with another poem by my favorite poet. It is called Stones for the Kingdom, it really embodies what the body of Christ should be.

Each of us, irregular stones,
living stones, for the kingdom
each with a place, a part to play
to build up the foundations, the walls
the body of Christ, revealed, proclaimed
living in the church, in each of us together
quartz and sandstone, onyx and sapphire
clay and coal, diamonds and granite
Everyone has a niche, a spot
in the wall, the building
the living stones,
brothers and
sisters of
the cornerstone
our Lord Jesus,
the rock
on which we stand

May we always be that living stone for Christ’s Church, may we always know that we are precious and chosen in God’s eyes, and may we always do our part for the Kingdom of God here on earth. As Christians. . . our motto. . . our slogan. . . in life should not be “Get a Piece of the Rock” but “Become a Piece of the Rock.”

AMEN

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Standing beside her,
before the congregation
feeling their love for her
washing over me, in reflection
hearing his voice saying it was unanimous
a living affirmation of her call
My joy made real, in their belief in her
something I have known for so long
She is called to your ministry
to be your shepherd, in community
bringing your love, for the rest of her life
Proud, I am, to be the Pastor’s (wife) husband.

April 21, 2008
Results of the Church Charge Conference,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH
40 to nothing, saying yes, Ruth is ready
called for ordained ministry

Labels: April, church, disciples, Faith, Family, God, life, love, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Ruth, savior, sheep, shepherd, voice, wedding, Wesley United Methodist Church

The words rolled off the page, off her tongue
oh so familiar joyous words
words of the scriptures, ancient and alive
for us in the congregation, words of assurance,
of God’s love, of God’s call,
of the challenge to be disciples
to be parts of the body, to live out our faith
in the community of believers
each a part of the creator’s plan
the hands, the feet, the parts of the body
ever bound in community
better together than apart

April 21, 2008
Acts 12:12-20 and sermon, “Ever Bound in Community
by Caroline Wiggin,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH

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Joy welled up, filled our cups to overflowing
a day long sought after,
Being affirmed by our family of faith
in the sanctuary, in community
feeling their love, their certainty
Hearing their support, their faith
in her call, to ministry, their belief
She is called by God to the pulpit,
to service, to care for a flock
to bring God’s message, as an elder
a shepherd for the savior
His messenger of love

April 21, 2008
Results of the Church Charge Conference,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH
40 to nothing, saying yes, Ruth is ready
called for ordained ministry

Labels: April, church, disciples, Faith, Family, God, love, Messiah, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Ruth, sanctuary, savior, sheep, shepherd, Wesley United Methodist Church

Another hurdle, a step on the path
to ministry, to her calling
They met in the sanctuary, somber, orderly
But joy was in the offing, in the results
the vote of affirmation, unanimous
all the gathered community
affirming her call, now,
those who have known her
who know her heart, her faith
her trust in God
saying yes, she is ready
She can lead a flock
She is called to be a shepherd

April 20, 2008
Results of the Church Charge Conference,
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH
40 to nothing, saying yes, Ruth is ready
called for ordained ministry

Labels: April, church, Faith, Family, God, heart, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Ruth, sanctuary, sheep, shepherd, Wesley United Methodist Church

In remembrance, bread and wine
your sacrifice, of your life for all of ours
your body broken for the sins of man
the creator becoming the savior
the shepherd the sheep
obedience to the master’s voice
going even to death, because of the master
his faith strong enough, despite awareness
knowledge before the passion
We break the bread we share the cup
so we can see Jesus, as Cleopas and the other did
sharing with Christ the holy meal
Bread and wine, simple food
blessed are we when we share

April 16, 2008
Psalm 23
Luke 24:13-35

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I pray she finds him
by her side
walking that dusty road
With the disciples
on the road to Emmaus
Walking with our Savior
feeling his presence
hearing the story of his grace
as if for the first time
The love of God
wrapping around you
like a prayer shawl
Your life changed forever
by the walk with Christ

April 10, 2008

Labels: April, Christ, disciples, Faith, Family, God, life, love, Messiah, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, Raymond A. Foss, Ruth, savior, sheep, Walk to Emmaus

Open the door, step through the threshold
enter the house of the father
accepting his gift of grace
his reconciliation, relationship once more
saying yes to the father, living in his grace
confession and repentance
becoming his sheep, his disciple
being the hands and feet, the voice
of the savior, the living Christ
for the world

April 13, 2008
Luke 24:13-35, the Walk to Emmaus,
and the sermon by the Reverend Lori Eldredge,
“Seven Miles to Eternity: Recognized Him”,
Wesley United Methodist Church, Concord, NH

Labels: April, Christ, church, disciples, Faith, father, feet, hands, justifying grace, Lori Eldredge, Luke, Luke 24:13-35, Messiah, Methodist, poetry, Poetry Where You Live, prevenient grace, Raymond A. Foss, savior, Sermon, sheep, shepherd, voice, Walk to Emmaus, Wesley United Methodist Church