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

Maternal Prayer

Mommy, Mommy!

Mother of the universe,
Into whose lap we wish to climb,
Praise your kind presence and love.
May your grace envelop the world
So that all will heed you
Just as your cherubs do.
Provide wholesome food each day
To nourish our bodies,
So we may seek you to nourish our souls.
Do not spank us when we stray.
Let us remember your forbearance
When others choose to stray
And make us stumble.
Take us by the hand,
Lift us away from danger.
Rock us in your arms
Because you are love, comfort, and nurture,
Eternity's Mother,
Forever God,
Amen.

Photo by David Paul Ohmer

Renewal

"This is the day which the Lord hath made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."





Life moves on;
The wish for oblivion fades.
Life is bearable,
But still sad.
Each day must be faced alone.
Friends do not comprehend
That hope is fragile,
Too easily crushed.
The crisis gone,
Their lives engulf them.
I am alone.
God's presence is lost,
But his promise of renewal
Is still with me.
Each day
I recite this Psalm
And face the dawn.

Photo by austrini

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-