New Year's Eve Resolutions

"Finally, brethren, what ever things are true,

Whatever things are honest,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of good report:

If there be virtue, and if there be any praise,

Think on these things."

These words of Paul

Form ready-made
New Year's Resolutions.

I will refuse to

Listen to hatred,

View the vile or

Contemplate evil.

I resolve to cleanse my mind

By focusing on the

Honest,

Just,

Pure, and

Lovely.

Photo by emilianohorcada

Prayer for 2010

Daddy, who lives beyond our senses,
Your name makes us shiver
In happiness and awe.
Make 2010 the completion of time.
Let us know and do your will
As those that have joined you
Know and do.
Forgive our missteps and stumbles
As we forgive those
That stand in our way.
Keep the candy of life out of sight,
Carry us over the obstacles
That would make us fall.
For you are time and space
And love eternal.
Make this year ahead one where
We know that you hold us close
And wrap us in your love.

Photo by Mel B.

Happy Birthday!

We have much to thank God for:

For a baby born some two thousand years ago,
For the man that baby became,
For the teachings of the Son of Man,
For his sacrifice on the cross,
For the resurrection,
For the Comforter that dwells with us.
Thanks, too, for the food, family and fellowship
We will share this day.
Christmas can be summed in three words:
Happy Birthday Jesus.

Photo by Ardyiii

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve has arrived
With blustery winds
And driving cold.
Not the season of
Our savior's birth
But the time of our celebration.
Shepherds were in the hills
With their flocks;
The night breezes were warm
When Jesus was born.
Spring,
His time of birth,
His time of death.
Better to celebrate with joy
And anticipation in winter's chill,
Than obscure the Easter message.
Shepherds.
Flocks.
Lambs.
The Lamb of God is come.

Photo by nz willowherb

The Advent God is Brown

Kittens tumble under the Christmas tree,
Black, white, gray or orange
Born to a calico mother.
Cats see no difference because of hue.
Why are we not more like these furry creatures
And see only the humanness of others
Not the skin tint passed by generations?
What color were you, Lord?
Not the pale hue of northern climes.
In a land scorched by the sun
You were neither white nor black.
We cannot choose the color of our skin,
But you could.
Why do we forget?

Photo by adrigu

An Advent Tree

A
Star
Glistens
At the top of
A tree trimmed
With objects held dear.
A symbol of life everlasting
Erected in remembrance of God.
Festooned not with glitter and glitz
But with hope and the promise

Of

Love

Photo by mtungate

A Bow at Advent

Christmas carols fill the air.

The Hallelujah Chorus rouses us from our seats

As we follow a tradition set by an earthly king.

Christians say we acknowledge no king but Jesus.

Do we really know Christ as our sovereign?

Does God govern our lives?

Let us understand the sovereignty of God,

And understand that in His kingdom

No one is diminished who bows before
Isaiah's
Wonderful Counselor and
Prince of Peace.

Photo by stevendamron

Advent in the Gospel of Mark

"And it came to pass, in those days,

That Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,

And was baptized by John in the Jordan."

Thus Jesus appears for the first time
In the Gospel of Mark,

At the start of his ministry,

A man grown.

And God speaks:

"Thou art my beloved Son,

In whom I am well pleased."

From birth
Jesus knew God's love.

How wonderful to have that love proclaimed.

At Christmas may we all

Know God's love

And have that love proclaimed
In our hearts.

The Word At Advent

"In the beginning was the Word,

And the is Word was with God,

And the Word was God."

"And the Word was made flesh

And dwelt among us..."

These quotes from the Gospel of John

Speak the message of Advent.

Christ is God in action,

The instrument of creation,

The instrument of salvation.

God shed his majesty to experience

The world

As one of those made in his image.
As human,
He could experience death.

Resurrected,
He demonstrated everlasting life.

What greater gift can there be?

Photo by bahoootah qtr

How Many Wise Men?

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea

In the days of Herod, the king,

Behold there came wise men from the east..."

The Bible does not count the wise men,

But we do.

Why?

Are we so determine to quantify the world

That we fail to know the quality of our surroundings?

Is a person's worth counted in dollars or

How well they serve others?
We look to a person's wealth
To define their character.
God looks to how a person treats
The least among us.
My prayer at Advent must be

"Lord, make me a servant in your image,

today, tomorrow and forever."

The wise men did bring three gifts:

"Gold, and frankincense,

And myrrh."

As Christmas comes,

Let me offer gifts to God:

Love,

Faith,

And Humility.

A Light to the Gentiles

"Simeon was devout and righteous,

Waiting for the consolation of Israel..."

Christ promised to return,

But do we believe He will?
His followers believed
Christ would return within their lifetimes.
Every generation needs to share that belief.

Are we devout and righteous,
As Simeon was?

Do we look forward to the Second Coming
As Simeon looked for the First?
As Christmas approaches let us

Remember the joy of Simeon

As he held the baby Jesus in his hands.

"For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

And the glory to thy people, Israel."

These are the words of Advent:

Christ comes for all.

Advent 2009

"And the angel said unto them,

Fear not; for behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy,

Which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day

In the city of David

A Savior,

Who is Christ the Lord"

The words of Luke's gospel echo through the ages.

In this season do we hear that echo?

I fear not.

Carols fill the halls and malls of commerce

Until we no longer comprehend the words.

Today,

I will listen with my heart to Luke,

And know Christ excludes no one from his love

For he came "to all people."
There is no exclusivity,
No unique faith,
Just the manifestation of God
In a baby
And"great joy."

That is the message of Advent.

Photo by aharden

Celebrate Advent

Christmas approaches
With the burden of our traditions.

The city is covered in glitter and lights.

We search for gifts amid the crowds.
Shouldn't we read the prophet's words?

Shouldn't we search for the Bethlehem babe?

Shouldn't we listen for the angel's message?

"Peace on Earth."

Let us remember
That a child born two thousand years ago

Changed the world.

His message is simple and unadorned.

Love God

And Love your neighbor as yourself.
Listen for His words.
"I am come."

Photo by daveiam

Prayer for Deliverance

Creator who dwells beyond time and space
We worship you in our dimensions.
Merge all reality into one,
So your plan is consummated
In all your infinite expanse.
Impart to us the energy of existence.
Help us when we fall short
As we reach out to those who disappoint us.
Keep us safe within the fold
Where evil cannot reach us.
For you are our deliverance,
Here and
Beyond the horizon of the universe.
Now and
Beyond eternity.

Photo by Clearly Ambiguous

Rejoice in Meanness

A message came today.
This missive rejoiced that
The number of Muslims
That worshiped on September 25
Was less than the number hoped for.
Grief overwhelmed my soul
When the sender took credit
For this result.
She proclaimed control of God
Although she did not know it.
Because she thought her prayer answered
She took credit for harm
To those in worship.
Prayer is a mystery.
Jesus told us to pray
And gave us a model.
He told us to pray in private
Yet churches pray in mass.
I believe God wants us to focus on Him.
Prayer is a way to do so.
God is a father
Who wants to hear his children babble.
God is love
Not magic.

Photo by jaxxon

Fear Not

A message came today
From a member of my church.
In stunned awareness
I read a missive of intolerance and fear.
A call to prayer the message claimed
A deeper meaning beneath the words of faith.
Others seek to have a day of prayer
That we must counter
Lest the evil hidden in their belief prevail.
Are we so unsure of our God
That we must demonize those
Who call Him by a different name?
Jesus told us to love God
And our neighbors.
Who is our neighbor?
Christ's example was the Samaritan,
A man of a race most despised by Jews.
Perhaps today the Word would choose a Muslim
Instead of a Samaritan.
Love those that gather
In Washington, D. C.
Pray that their entreaties be answered.
God knows the hearts of men.
He will not answer prayers that harm.
Pray that we gain understanding.
God's angels told us to fear not
When Christ was born.
His coming was for all men.
We need to remember those words.
God is omnipotent.
Christ is the message:
We have already won.
Fear not.

Photo by MonkeySimon

Listening for God

Lord, I need to know Your will.

I pray,
But do not hear the echoes of Your voice.

Perhaps I am so busy babbling

That I am not aware of Your presence.

I will try to listen for Your answer
To my prayers,
To my entreaties.
I will seek to be still and hear.

I know that Your answer may not come in a great wind,
Nor through the trembling of the earth,
Nor in words of fire,

Nor even in whispers of smoke,

But through the actions of those around me,

Or a chance encounter with a stranger.

O God, Creator, Comforter, and Word,
Make me aware that You answered.

Photo by James Cridland

Prayer for Civility

God, who reigns in eternity,
Praise your everlasting patience.
When we in person bow before you,
Accept us, please.
Give us the temperament to receive your bounty
And acknowledge that it comes from you.
Let us treat others with civility,
So that you will treat us well.
Teach us the etiquette of belief,
So that we are examples to others.
Rudeness is the gift of Satan,
Stay our souls from accepting that gift,
For you care how we treat our fellows.
Politeness is the child of your lovingkindness.
You are love in all its glory.
Your grace is there for all.
Forever.

Photo by derek7272

Hoping for Nothing Again

"For as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them.

For if ye love them who love you, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also love those who love them.
And if ye do good to them that love you, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;
And your reward shall be great,
And you shall be children of the Highest;
For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

Why if you need money are you unworthy of help?
Since I have been poor,
I have found this to be true.
I tithed for many years without expectation of return,
Just as well for there has been none.
I know God's answer is that He will be with us,
Not that He will reward us.
Yet I need so little,
But even that is begrudged me.
I long to feel God's lovingkindness,
But it is absent from my life,
All I taste is my own tears.
Those who profess to be Christians do not lend;
They only admonish.
I will turn my attention to those outside the fold,
So that they do not feel alone.
God be near.

Photo by tao zhyn

Moses and Ted Kennedy

The last of the Kennedy brothers is gone.
Ted Kennedy struggled for years
For health care for all.
Yet he died before his goal was reached.
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt
Into the wilderness.
He died without entering
The promised land.
The Israelites wandered for forty years.
The uninsured and poor have suffered
For at least forty years.
Joshua became leader.
Obama became President.
Has the struggle been placed in Obama's hands?
Is he Kennedy's heir
In health care reform?
Let it be so.
Let Obama be Joshua
For those who suffer.

Photo by Lilachd

Blessings?

What do we believe are the benefits
Of becoming a Christian?
Wealth?
Happiness?
Health?
I have no wealth, only sadness, and many ailments.
Am I a Christian?
I say I am a follower of the Word.
Would my fellow churchgoers agree?
I think not.
In their world, God blesses Christians now
With material goods, a happy life, and a healthy body.
In their world, intercessory prayer controls God.
If true prayer warriors pray for you,
You will be blessed.
I believe that Christ demonstrates God in action.
That he is the highest, truest revelation of God.
Therefore, I must believe in Him.
He did not promise
Riches,
Happiness,
Health.
He did not promise to do our bidding.
He promised to be with us
In an imperfect world.
He promised to be with us
Through suffering, grief and death
As well as
Through peace, joy and life.
He promised another existence
Beyond this world.
He portrayed God's Love for all.
So I must try to love as he did.
Try.

Photo by Hamed Saber

Bank of America Imitates the Unforgiving Servant

My dealings with the Bank of America
Remind me of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
The Master forgave the servants debts,
The United States gave Bank of America funds
When the Bank was in trouble.
The servant did not forgive another's debt to him
And treated him harshly.
Bank of America froze my deposit for eight days
When I needed that money for medicine
Because the week before my account was overdrawn.
There was no help when contacted.
"It is legal" was the answer.
Legal, yes,
Moral no.
Banks given help
Now punish their customers because they can.
The Master threw the Unforgiving Servant in prison.
Who will punish the Banks?

Photo by Zevotron

Summer Heat

Summer came early
Stealing spring.
The heat builds.
Now every day is extreme.
Is this heat our doing?
Is this the first step to extinction?
We do not know,
But science points to our missteps.
This Earth was God's great gift.
We must not squander it.
We must protect it.
Give us the strength and wisdom
To nurture the water,
To cherish the earth.
Make us meek
That we may inherit this creation.

PhotobyUncaMikey

Prayer for Survival

My Creator, beginning of all.
I revere You in all Your splendor.
Eternity looms and stretches into imagination.
You under gird existence.
Nothing stands apart from You.
Provide sustenance to our spirits
And protect us from ourselves.
Lift the judgment of nothingness
As we recognize our brethren are everywhere.
Guide our path with Your wisdom.
Protect us through the Comforter.
For You are Life for the ages.
And the infusion of spirit in all.

Photo by diongillard

The Beginning

"In the beginning was the Word,
And the Word was with God,
And the Word was God."

For me this verse is the heart
Of Christianity.
We worship only one God
And Jesus is not separate from the Creator
Because Jesus is the Word.
He is God in action.
Too often we speak of him as separate from God:
"Sitting at the right hand of God."
Better to think of him as the right hand of God.
Through his manifestation of God we enter Heaven.
We may call him different names,
Worship him in different ways,
But when we die,
Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Other,
The Word welcomes us.

Photo by Felipe Venancio

For With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible

"For With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible."
An angel speaks these words to Mary.
Do these words speak to me?
Do I believe?
This is the battle within.
Learned as a scientist,
Can I reconcile knowledge and faith?
I must.
I can.
Science tells me how.
Faith tells me why.
God stands outside of time.
All is one for him.
Nothing is impossible.

Photo by carulmare

Prayer for Beginning

Creator of all Life,
Who fills the Universe,
Your existence fills us with awe.
May all creation bow to you.
Nourish us with knowledge.
Protect our lives
As we protect the lives of others.
Deliver us into eternity
As our mothers delivered us into this world.
Do not let our science lead us astray,
Let the knowledge that you impart,
Deliver a world free of disease, of suffering.
For you are the Infinite Mind,
All knowing, all powerful,
All Love.

Photo by Venom82

Betrayal in the Capitol of Texas

I have walked the corridors of power
In the state of Texas.
I have found untruth and betrayal.
A senator, a Methodist, promises
A new alliance.
Help her and she will do nothing to hinder our cause.
Behind closed doors,
She betrays the alliance.
We offer our support for her legislation.
She accepts with words that indicate no malice.
Days pass.
Her perfidy is found.
Her goal is our defeat.
Her methods as low as Judas'.
Christ said to love God
And love your neighbor as yourself.
Where is love in betrayal?

Photo by Bruce Turner

Life Begins

When does life begin?
This question defines our age.
Do we protect a fertilized egg
With all the might of government?
Do we wait until that egg
Implants in a woman's womb
To provide the protection of the law?
The psalmist tells us
God knit us together in our mother's womb.
If that is true, then life cannot begin in a petri dish.
Science tells half of all fertilized eggs do not implant.
If a soul is present when sperm meets egg,
Then half of all souls are lost before they can live.
I do not believe the Creator is so capricious.
I must believe that life begins within a woman.
Without the union of fertilized egg and womb,
There is only tissue.
When life begins,
Then science and faith must unite
To protect God's most precious gift.

Photo by Clearly Ambiguous

Promise for Tomorrow

We are created in God's image.
How can that be?
We look so different
One from another.
The image is within.
Our minds are shadows
Of the one great Mind.
Our intelligence
A tiny reflection of our Creator's.
Our challenge:
To use our mind to do God's will.
To aid our fellows
As the Good Samaritan
Aided a stranger.
What are our limits?
Good can turn to evil.
Hope can turn to despair.
Our minds can open the way to God
Or the path to oblivion.
Let our minds discern God's promise,
The promise of a tomorrow without suffering.

Photo by jeffk

Illness

Malaise creeps over me without notice.
My body has changed,
But I am only vaguely aware.
Night comes and with it fever.
My joints cry out.
Warmth is gone.
I shiver.
The fire returns.
The cycle begins again.
Life seems fragile.
Illness reminds us we are not in control.
"A strange flu," the doctor says.
An antiviral given.
The fever never returns.
Slowly as a creeping tortoise,
Wellness regains control.
A gentle reminder that health is to be treasured.
We must value every day.
Thank you God.

Photo by kretyen

Prayer for Health

Great Physician, who fills Paradise,
Praise Your Presence.
Let Your Essence fill us all.
Let Your mercy reach earth,
As it does all parts of Paradise.
Heal us this day.
Reprieve us from the ills we deserve for sin,
As we reprieve those who make us suffer.
Do not let us find the sickness of the soul
That we are so prone to do.
Minister to our wounds
And repair our souls as well as our bodies.
For you are the Great Physician,
The Healer of all,
The Doctor of Souls,
With all the skill of infinity
And no limits.

Photo by mckaysavage

Lend

"For as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them.

For if ye love them who love you, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also love those who love them.
And if ye do good to them that love you, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks have ye?
For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;
And your reward shall be great,
And you shall be children of the Highest;
For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."




Why if you need money are you unworthy of help?
Since I have been needy,
I have found this to be true.
I tithed for many years without expectation of return,
Just as well for there has been none.
I know God's answer is that He will be with us,
Not that He will reward us.
Yet I need so little,
But even that is begrudged me.
I need to feel God's lovingkindness,
But it is absent from my life,
All I taste is my own tears.
Those who profess to be Christians do not lend;
They only admonish.
I will turn my attention to those outside the fold,
So that they do not feel alone.
God, be near.

Photo by Wonderlane

Looking for the Lost

"The Lord is my Shepherd..."

Those words echo in the soul of every Christian.

There at too many times when I feel

Like a sheep that has wandered astray:

Alone,

Lost,

Afraid.

Let me be a sheep in God's fold:

Warm,

Secure,

Surrounded by others.

If that cannot be,

Then let me remember

The parable of the lost sheep:

That the Shepherd will leave the ninety and nine

To look for the lost one.

Look for me, O Lord.

Photo by Fif"

Heaven

Where is heaven?

I have studied the grand emptiness of space.

I do not see the face of God,

But only the miracle of Creation.

Where does God dwell?

I know that question has many answers.

I seek only the answer that brings me closest to the Everlasting

For now, I must be satisfied with the words of God's Book,

And the knowledge that the Almighty is present everywhere,

In every moment of my life,

I must trust that death is the gateway to heaven,
The gateway to a dimension without time.

Someday as I cross that strange threshold
I will hear God say,

"Welcome home."

Photo by jimkster