Where two or three are Gathered

(Where Two or Three Are Gathered)
Matthew 18:20



Beside a hospital bed; IVs inserted, monitors beeping,
a hand grasped by a dear friend, carefully, lovingly…
My Name is made real.

In a harried kitchen, relief for hungry comes
by hands busied with a casserole, salad and brownies
made devotedly, thoughtfully…
My Name is made real.

Real in time, gathered whenever past and present meet.
Real in Spirit, intercessing through the years.
Real in Life, instilling trust, hope, confidence in today’s living made real for others.
In Jesus’ Name.

Whose Spirit Upon Us ? / A Pentecost Piece/

Whose Spirit is Upon Us?

The Spirit arrives today.
We know it to be true.
This is not One who appears out of the blue,
whom we do not know and needs a new introduction.

This is the same Spirit we know:
the same wind from the Creation, now renewing lives gone dry.
the same voices driven to Babel, now made clear and plain.
the same love uniting ancient kindred blood, now drawing all
toward the same One from whom all come.

This is the Lord’s voice,
this is Jesus’ heart,
this is the Spirit’s bidding,
for us to hear, today.

A ‘green’ Gospel

How do I measure my carbon footprint
while standing in the light of God?

If even the hairs of my head are counted,
what then for the trees sprawling so high above?

Tracing my steps, sandwiched between
the daily grind
of traffic, energy and waste,
and
my deepest desire
to leave wherever I’ve been better than I found it,
what on earth will
I pass along to my children?

May the faith I share
matter.
May the love I give
carry the day.
May my seed of hope
be realized in daily tasks
of mindfulness
and care of tomorrow’s world.

Dancing Beyond Death

(after re-reading John 14:15-21)



We have a partner
given by God,
we are not alone.

In joys and sorrows equally
we receive as guest
the One who comes, unbidden;

to dance, slowly,
embraced in longing;
to skip lightly across
life in gladness.

Goodbye is not
in your vocabulary, God;
so we wait for you
to ask us to join in your dance.

Your music plays just beyond
our worldly ears,
but as we listen to our hearts,
our feet begin to tap
on this vibrant earth.

Shepherd- led ( after John 10)

When I have fallen,
tumbling down
the rocks of doubt and despair,
You have been there,
crook in hand
to pull me to safety.

When I have strayed
inattentive, unawares,
swerving toward danger,
with Your staff
You have spared me
evil consequences.

When harm has come,
illness, accident, woe,
I have found myself
comforted, forgiven
made whole,
in Your arms.

No Idle Stroll

( from Luke 24:13 ff)

toward Emmaus (where a Roman garrison was located),

away from Jerusalem (the capitol of faith)

they walked, aimlessly

settling for a dead Jesus, a Lord now gone from the scene.

Until, after meeting a stranger, some conversation

during a meal, he broke open the limits of the bread he gave,

his appearance bursting upon them.

They knew now that in following him they would become

better following him than they could ever be on their own.

Startling?

Startling Things...
(What Thomas and the others saw...)
John 20:19-31


Huddled, frightened, behind locked doors,
the Lord arrives.
Bidden or unbidden; God is here.

Barred by fear, doubt, ignorance or
determination,
Christ yet arrives.

Neither scolding
nor gloating,
but simply baring evidence
of what God does,
wounds still present,
Jesus stood
and invited
a touch.

Eyes blessed,
hearts filled with forgiveness
to those doubting
and terrified, alone and helpless,
Christ returns,
accepting and forgiving.
Because God is love.