One Last Thought

Loneliness can kill.
When God does not answer,
Hope dies.
So does life.

Photo by rocketjim54

Prayer for Endurance

Prince of Peace, who died for us,
Praise to you, Messiah.
May you come again soon.
While we wait,
Let us be your servants on earth,
Just as the saints serve you in heaven.
Give us endurance for the trials ahead.
Forgive our failures
So we can forgive the failures of others.
Keep us alive in times of despair,
And protect us from ourselves,
For you are the one true God.
Amen

Photo by busymommy

Embrace the Trinity

Why do we not see the suffering of others?
Why are we blind to the burdens others carry?
Too much is put on being the individual.
Too much is put on making it on your own.
Too much is put on self-sufficiency.
If we are one with God,
We are not alone.
If we have the Comforter with us,
We see the plight of others.
If we know the Son,
We know that death holds no fear.
Embrace the Trinity.

Photo by double.reed

Forgiveness

One miracle.
I need one miracle.
Do miracles happen today?
Not for me.
All I pray for is forgiveness.
Forgiveness for my weakness.
Forgiveness for my failures.
Forgiveness.

Photo by winterdoll

The Truth

Misery compounds misery.
Small are my problems in this world.
Enormous to me are my sufferings.
Is that not always the truth?
Jesus said,
"Ye shall know the truth,
And the truth shall make you free."
I believe I know the truth,
But I am not free.
Why?

Photo by *madalena-pestana*

The Word Within

I contemplate the Bible,
The record of God's deeds
In times far past;
The written record of the life of Jesus
And the commitment of the apostles.
Is there a record for today?
Does some lonely scribe
Now write words that will inspire
Those in the far future?
Perhaps now the record is written
On the heart of the believer.
Each carries the Word within.
Our duty is to be the book
The world can read
And know our God.

Photo by Paul Keller

Prayer for Tomorrow

Our Saviour, who died for us
And rose to show us
The promise of eternal life,
Praise your example of our future.
Let the Comforter dwell with us.
Let tomorrow be yours
Just as it was
Almost two thousand years ago.
Forgive us our fears of the future
As we forgive those who act out of fear.
Keep our thoughts on the promise of tomorrow,
Not tribulations to come.
Counselor share your wisdom
For you are the key to eternal life.
Amen

Photo by mysza831

Open Gates

Heaven's gates are open.
We forget that Christ's mission
Was to open the way to eternity.
His truth is that
The Prince of Peace is the mechanism
Through which we all enter.
He may have many different names
And many different aspects,
But in Him we reach God.
All we must do is seek the Almighty.

Photo by mind the goat

The Last First

Many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

These words of Jesus
Are ignored at our peril.
We are too concerned
With our position in society.
Do we have the best house?
Is our car the latest model?
We tithe
And make sure everyone knows.
People strive to be on television
For any reason.
What is really important?
How we treat the beggar at our door.
How we treat homeless under the bridge.
How we treat the convict in search of work.
How we treat the sick and weak.
How we treat the elderly in nursing homes.
We do not want to leave our comfort zone.
To follow in the Master's steps,
We must.

Pentecost

On Pentecost, Peter speaks
To those who have seen
The Holy Spirit come this day.
"Repent and be baptized,"
Peter tells the crowd
And three thousand obey.
Those same words are true today.
We must turn from our failure
To be all God desires us to be
And acknowledge our commitment
Before all.
The words make repentance
Sound easy.
True change is never easy.
Only with the help of the Comforter
Can we turn.
Ask now.

Photo by St.Mary's Episcopal...

The Pope at St.Patrick's

I am not Catholic, but I watched this morning's Mass at St. Patrick's cathedral.

An elderly man walks slowly
Down the aisle of a majestic cathedral,
Dressed in robes of white.
A miter on his head
Bears a golden cross
Like the one he carries in his hand.
He is stooped with age
Or perhaps responsibility.
He is Pope Benedict XVI.
There is mention of St. Peter.
Suddenly, without premonition,
Tears come
And emotion overwhelms me.
Whether I believe
All his church's doctrines
Or not,
His lineage traces back
Through almost two thousand years,
Back to a fisherman from Galilee
Who knew my Savior.
He is the living embodiment
Of my faith,
A connection to my Lord.
For the moment, he draws me closer
To God.

Photo by Beyond Forgetting

Fog

A soft, gray fog envelopes the morning.
Unhappiness and anxiety shroud my world,
Just as the fog shrouds the trees and flowers.
I wait.
Outside the sunlight breaks through.
Can the Comforter's light penetrate the gray worry of my soul?
Let me know the Deliverer's sunlight in my soul,
Let me share that sunlight with others.
Let me bask in the light of the world every day.
Praise comes with difficulty.
Yet, God is always supreme.
God is always in control.
Praise the peace of God
That passes all understanding.

Photo by spoon

A Prayer for Hope

Our Comforter, who surrounds us,
Praise for your existence,
Praise for your solace.
Let your presence be known to all.
Sustain us as the saints were sustained.
Give us hope.
Forgive our lack of faith.
Help us to forgive the shortcomings of others.
Do not burden us beyond endurance.
Deliver us from despair.
For you can give joy
And strength and everlasting life.
Amen

Photo by Jan Tik

Before We Ask

Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."

Jesus spoke these words
Just before he gives his model prayer.
There is comfort in these words.
Comfort because if God bothers to know
Then God must care.
Today, I need to know that God cares.
Today, I need to feel God's presence.
Today, I need to believe God answers prayer.
Today, I need to keep my faith alive.
Today, I need to accept my life.
Only God can fulfill my needs
And make me whole.
Let it be so.

Photo by ButterflySha

Praise Music

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and with the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

This ancient song of praise
Demonstrates the proper way
To extol God.
Never is the praiser identified.
There is no "I."
There is no "me."
God is the center of this psalm.
Why are our songs of praise
So centered on ourselves?
Praise music extols
Our feelings,
Our desires,
Our accomplishments
In praising God.
Better to efface ourselves,
Better to center on God.
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father,Son and Holy Ghost."

Photo by hoyasmeg

Rain

Rains have come in an unending torrent
To wash away the handiwork of man.
Just as tribulation comes
To wash away our spiritual handiwork.
Let us remember that there is only one builder.
All rests on the Creator's firm foundation.
Give me strength against a rising flood.
Give me hope.

Photo by dozens

Requirements

I am adrift.
I go to church,
But I am a spectator,
Not a participant.
I want to feel part of the Body of Christ,
To know the warmth and security
I have experienced in the past.
Why am I separate?
Why am I alone?
I remember the words of Moses:
"What doth the Lord thy God require of thee,
But to fear the Lord thy God,
To walk in all his ways,
And to love Him,
And to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart
And with all thy soul."
Whether I feel the Comforter's presence or not,
Whether I feel part of God’s fellowship,
I have committed my soul to God’s care,
I will not depart from the Word of God.

Photo by g-hat

My Soul Thirsteth

I need a miracle.
How absurd that sounds.
My life is in shambles.
My health is failing.
Only God can help me.
I pray.
I do not receive an answer.
Yet, I still believe.
I fear God's plan for tomorrow
Because a greater purpose must prevail
At the expense of the individual.
Am I expendable?
"My soul thirsteth for God."
Lord, deliver me.

Photo by iessi

That Which Hath Been Is Now

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been.

Time traps us in its forward flow.
We cannot go back.
God is not bound as we are.
His is the past, the present, and the future.
All are one to God.
The Prince of Peace knows
What was, what is, what will be.
From the beginning until the end,
The Almighty's will prevails.
We must remember
That we move on a larger stage
Than we can comprehend.
Only when the curtain falls
Can we begin to understand.

Photo by fdecomite

Green

Around me my world has changed to green
As plants and trees put on new growth.
Green is the color of renewal,
Green is the color of restoration.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul."
Whatever our failures,
Whatever our sins,
We need only turn to God
To receive forgiveness.
Forgiven,
We can strive anew
To become
What God intended.
Forgiven,
We can begin again.

Photo by gurdonark

Lamp Unto my Feet

Praise to the Lord Almighty.
Do you hear my woe?
I pray, but receive no answer.
What is your Will?
What do you want me to do?
How do I decide?
Through your Word
As the Psalmist said:
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
And a light unto my path."
As this day passes,
I will immerse myself
In your written word.
Show me the way.

The Poor and Government

The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

The words of Proverbs speak of a different age,
But are equally true today.
The government that faithfully judges the poor
Shall endure.
A reminder that God's measure is
How we treat the least among us.
Do we care for the sick,
Or do they languish in crowded emergency rooms?
Do we feed the hungry,
Or do the poorest go to bed in want
Because we fear some will abuse our goodwill?
Do we clothe those in need,
Or worry that we do not have the latest fashion?
Do we visit those in prison
Or ignore the fact that your skin color too often determines
Whether you go to jail or not?
I fear we fall so short of Christ's measure.
We are so afraid that we will not have enough
We will not share our abundance.
Just as Christ shared the loaves and fishes
We can share what we have and
Wonder as it stretches into surplus.

Photo by dogbomb

Recipients

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Too often we give
Because we know
Our gift will be returned in kind,
Because we know
That others will admire our generosity,
Because we wish
To impress the recipient,
Because we wish
To gain prestige.
Christ tells us to give
Not for now,
Not for self,
But for eternity.
How difficult it is to escape society
And behave as God desires.
Only the Comforter
Can give us such strength
To follow Christ's command.

Photo by 10 Corso Como

Spring and Life Eternal

Spring has finally come
And the earth renews itself.
A miracle that we accept
As we accept so many others.
Life itself is such a miracle.
Life, which Christ gave up for us.
I do not understand
The necessity for the cross.
I do know that was Christ's choice,
And, just as spring comes,
Jesus rose from the dead
With the promise
That we too shall rise.
Thank God for life eternal.

Photo by jmtimages

I Am With You

"Lo, I am with you always,
Even unto the end of the world."
With these words of the risen Christ,
Matthew ends his Gospel.
This is Christ's promise,
Not to protect us from the world,
But to be with us.
We are never alone,
In sickness, pain, or deprivation.
God is always there,
Crying when we mourn,
Hurting when we suffer,
Laughing when we are happy,
Holding us when we die.
Our companion, our life.

Photo courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Heralds

Rain comes as a herald of spring
Just as John the Baptist came as
The herald of Jesus.
With spring will come renewal,
Flowers and fruits,
Just as the fruits of the Spirit
Come from faith in God.
Thank God for the rains of spring.
Let us remember that the dreary days
The rain brings
Are simply the cover of a book
That once opened,
Reveals the beauty of nature.
Spring reminds us of creation and that
"In the beginning was the Word."

Photo by dozens

Thomas, the Scientist

The apostle, Thomas,
Did not believe the words
Of his brethren
That Jesus had risen.
Thomas demanded proof,
Proof that he could test,
The wounds left by the crucifixion:
The nail holes,
The spear gash,
Just as today scientists
Do not take the word of another researcher.
Each result must be verified.
Jesus gave Thomas his proof,
But Christ made sure that all understood
That faith is the ultimate proof.

Photo by Robin Hutton

Resurrection

He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
These words echo
Through the centuries.
The words of resurrection.
The words of Easter.
The heartbeat of Christianity.




We cannot speak in platitudes
Of spiritual resurrection.
All four gospels leave no doubt.
This was the resurrection of the body,
Not some nebulous spirit,
Not some wished belief.
The disciples, lost and grieving,
Change in one day.
Now they will spread the news
Throughout the world
For they know the truth:
Death has been conquered,
Christ is alive.
We celebrate his resurrection
And his promise
That we too shall have eternal life.
We confront the living God:
Creator, Word and Love.

Photo by Seamus Murray

The Missing Day

Jesus is dead,
That is what his disciples believe
On this day the apostles are absent from the gospels,
This missing day.
Their world is ashes.
Their grief is immense.
They fear for their lives.
They hide in the upper room.
Only the women dare to go out.
Jerusalem is strangely quiescent.
Tomorrow their world will come alive,
But not today.
We must remember that day
When sorrow fills us,
When we are afraid,
When we hide from the world.
Those that knew our Savior best
Did not escape their human frailty,
Neither can we.
We know that with the morrow
Came relief and jubilation.
We have the risen Christ,
Not the missing day.

Photo by The Wandering Angel

Good Friday

Jesus walked to Golgotha,
The place of the skull,
To be crucified.
He would die on the cross
Unable to breathe.
His mother and other women
Stood at the foot of the cross.
Where was God?
On the cross.
In heaven weeping.
With the world
In this darkest hour.
The sacrifice was complete.
As Jesus said,
"It is finished,"
The miracle had just begun.

Photo by David Paul Ohmer

The Lord's Supper

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Jesus and his disciples ate their Passover meal
In an upper room.
There Jesus instituted the Communion
We practice today.
This Easter Sunday many will partake of
The Lord's Supper.
When believers gather for this rite
So, too, does the Spirit.
Bread and wine,
Flesh and blood.
Remember the sacrifice.
Remember the man.
Remember the Word made flesh.
Remember God.

Photo by hoyasmeg

Peace I Leave With You

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus speaks these words
On his last night with his disciples
After the passover supper.
He knows what is to come.
Judas has left to betray him.
Christ seeks to reassure his followers,
But he also speaks to us.
In times of turmoil,
In times of war,
In times when death hovers,
In times of sorrow,
Jesus offers peace,
Peace of the spirit.
A serenity that can buffer us
From the horrors of this world.
We cannot escape life's events,
But the peace of God is ours
If we believe.

Photo by audreyjm529

Jerusalem

Jerusalem, City of Faiths.
Three great religions
Honor your streets.
After three years of ministry,
Jesus chose to come
To Jerusalem At Passover,
Even though he knew that
Death waited.
Why?
We can only speculate.
We know with certainty
The choice was his.
We know with certainty
He knew what was to come.
When we follow Christ,
We must not turn from
The challenges of life,
Nor ignore the death
That always lurks in our future.
His example leads us forward
Through life and beyond.

Photo by hoyasmeg

Easter Basket

Easter baskets hold brightly colored eggs,
Childhood treasures discovered in the grass.
Perhaps adults should have Easter baskets
To hold the treasures we have found:
Friends of all ages and colors
True wealth to be nurtured;
Family brought to us by God,
No choice ours who carries the same blueprint,
Cherish the differences,
Cherish the love;
One final treasure,
Greatest of all,
The Love of God
Bestowed unwarranted,
Treasure above treasure.

Photo by -Lori-

Palm Sunday

Christ rode into Jerusalem
On the back of a donkey.
Before him the crowd put clothes
And palm fronds on the ground
For his donkey to walk on.
They greeted him with "Hosanna."
They welcomed him as a king.
One week later when Pilate asked,
They said "Crucify."
Are we like those fickle crowds?
When we first encounter Jesus,
We are overcome with joy.
As his yoke settles on our shoulders,
We wish him gone.
We must remember Peter who denied him,
Was greeted with open arms.
Jesus waits,
No matter what our transgressions,
With open arms for our return.
We are his forever.

Photo by alibree

Easter Memories

I remember Easter's past
When so very young,
Coloring hard-boiled eggs,
Leaving those bright-hued wonders
In a basket with plastic grass
For the Easter bunny to hide,
Searching early Sunday morning
For the missing eggs.
When a little older,
Dressing for Easter Sunday,
Gloves and hat required.
A crowded church, an endless sermon.
Home to eat a sumptious feast.
Where was Christ those Easter mornings?
Laughing with the children.
Walking down the church aisle
With the couple who come only once a year.
Holding the hat of a sleeping child.
Passing the lamb at Easter dinner.
Always with us.
Always love.

Photo by ButterflySha

Easter Parade

When we hear the words
Easter Parade,
What do we picture?
Women in fancy hats and
Men in top hats?
Children with Easter baskets
Hunting for colored eggs across green lawns?
Better to remember
The Via Dolorosa.
Better to remember
The women
Carrying sweet spices
To the tomb of Jesus.
Better to remember
Peter and John
In a foot race to the tomb.
Best to walk ourselves into
An Easter morning worship.

Photo by Toast to Life

The Followers of Jesus

As Easter approaches
I think about the followers of Jesus;
So close to him,
But so unknowing.
Their hope was for a another David,
A conquering hero
To set Israel free
From the Roman yoke.
His disciples did not expect Jesus
To die like a common criminal.
Their vision portrayed the Messiah
At the head of a great army
Mounted on an enormous charger.
What they got was the Son of Man
Mounted on a donkey.
What is our vision of God?
Do we expect the Lamb of God
To conform to our portrait?
I fear so.
At Easter,
We must seek the risen Christ,
Being, Love, and Action.

Photo by tomatochild

Easter Prayer

O Risen Christ,
Who has conquered death,
Praise to you,
The Lamb of God.
May your message spread everywhere.
May your love reign on earth
And in heaven.
Let us partake of your bread and wine
In remembrance of you.
Let us acknowledge the Suffering Servant,
As we become servants to others.
Protect us from ourselves.
Help us to protect others.
For you are the beginning and the end,
The Prince of Peace.
Amen

Photo by size8jeans

Servant of All

Ye know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you; but whosoever will be great among you; shall be your servant; and whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man came, not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus struggled
To make his disciples understand;
He did not lead them
To the kind of greatness that they desired.
His was the path of the suffering servant.
His disciples would not comprehend
His sacrifice until the resurrection.
We look back two millenia
To the crucifixion,
To his suffering,
Because it is so incomprehensible.
But we must focus on the resurrection
Just as his early followers did.
We must remember
That he calls us
To the path of servanthood.

Photo by david55king

Lazarus Rising

We studied the story of Lazarus today:
How Lazarus died
Because Jesus did not come
When summoned;
How Jesus raised Lazarus
From the grave, even though,
Lazarus had been dead
For four days.
This miracle sets the stage
For Jesus' confrontation
With the religious heirarchy
In Jerusalem.
That will lead to the Crucifixion.
This miracle is the forerunner
Of Jesus own resurrection.
Lazarus rising
Is the threshold to Easter.

Photo by hoyasmeg

Celebrate Easter

Easter comes in a two weeks.
Where is the celebration?
Where is the preparation?
Christmas arrives with decorations,
Music and parties.
Easter has little of that feeling.
Should not the Christian
Make Easter the greatest day of celebration?
Christ died for us.
On Easter, he was resurrected.
Death was conquered.
Eternal life is ours.
New clothes and Easter eggs
Are not enough.
We must dedicate ourselves anew
To the service of God.
Christ is risen!

Photo by jmurawski

Easter Approaches

Easter approaches.
We turn our thoughts to those events
That lead to the Resurrection.
How Judas betrayed You.
How Peter denied You.
One died by his own hand.
One died Your servant.
What was the difference?
Judas never knew forgiveness
Peter received your blessing.
Why?
Because Judas acted while Peter waited?
Is that the answer?
When the world around us is darkest,
Must we wait for your guidance
And not act on our own impulse?
Give me the strength to wait upon the Lord.

Photo by robbie jim

The Word of the Lord

The north wind blows
And my world shivers at its touch.
Winter plays among the blossoms.
Let me remember
"The grass withereth,
And the flowers thereof falleth away,
But the word of the Lord endureth forever."
Whatever goes on around me
I have your word.
I have the Bible.
Thank you, Lord, for that Book.
A tangible link to you.
Through it the prophets speak
Through it I learn to pray.
Through it I meet you.

Photo by joka2000

Give Thee Peace

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee;
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Last night, I saw politics in action.
Neighbor glared at neighbor.
Tempers flared.
At such times, these words of the Old Testament
Remind us how we should act toward
The members of our community.
We need to bless those that dwell near us.
We must want the best for neighbor.
God did not say to Moses:
Bless those that agree with you.
God said:
Bless all the children of Israel.
Let me remember that.
Remember I must continue
To live among all who vie
For their candidate.
Bless my political opponents
And keep them safe;
Be gracious unto them
And give them peace.

Time to Speak

...a time to keep silence and a time to speak.

Is it my time to speak?
I do not know.
Only in my church have I been outspoken.
Then, only in support of my pastor.
Should I now speak my political beliefs?
I ask God for guidance:
If I am to speak,
Give me the correct words
To convey the truth.
If I am to be silent,
Give me composure
In the midst of argument.
Lord, show me the way.

Photo by Nieve44/La Luz

Choice

We are in the midst of selecting
Our next President.
How do we know who to choose?
Study.
Pray.
While I may feel
My choice is God's choice,
My neighbor may feel likewise,
But vote for someone else.
Jesus said to love your neighbor:
Republican or Democrat.
When we demonize the other,
We break Christ's command.
Forgive us our political passions
As we forgive the political passions of others.
Deliver our nation from evil.
Let this nation's choice be yours.
Remember God can use anyone.

Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Praise Prayer

Our Creator who envelopes us in love,
Praise you.
Praise the Word of God.
Praise the Lamb of God.
Praise Christ the Lord.
Praise the Deliverer.
Praise the Light of the World.
Praise Lord of Lords.
Praise the King of Kings.
Praise the Good Shepherd.
Praise the Morning Star.
Praise the Prince of Peace.
Praise the Everlasting Father.
Praise the Mighty God.
Praise "I AM."
Let your presence fill our hearts
And your will be ours.
Feed us the Bread of Life
That we may never hunger.
Forgive our evil deeds.
Give us the will to forgive
The evil deeds of others.
Protect us in this world of deception.
For you are existence.
Without you, there is oblivion.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Photo by hoyasmeg

The People

In the multitude of people is the king's honor; but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

These words from Proverbs speak
To the world of today.
We know that the fortunes of the ruler
Should be tied to the fortunes of the people.
The ruler needs people to support him.
Without people the ruler cannot exist.
Those that seek power today need the people.
But they should remember
That once they have power,
They still need the people.
Do those that run today's businesses
Respect those that work for them?
Do those that head our government
Respect the people that voted for them?
Not always.
We, the people, must choose wisely
When we vote.
We, the people, must demand that those that toil
Are rewarded justly.
Christ told us we will be judged
By how we treat
"The least of these my brethren."
We, the people, must remember.

Photo by scubadive67

David's Firstborn

Today, I read about David
And his sin with Bathsheba.
The Bible says their first born died
As punishment for David's sin.
Let me understand, Lord,
Why the baby suffered when he had not sinned.
Where were you, Lord, for that child?
I know the answer:
With that unnamed baby,
As you are with us when evil comes.
I know Jesus' answer that bad things happen,
Not because we are good or evil,
But because that is the way of this World.
David's sin did not cause the infant's death.
Even so, David's story is so difficult,
But I must remember that through all his tribulations,
David remained your faithful servant.
Let me remain yours, Lord,
For now and for eternity.

Photo by Raphael Goetter