Actually

The world is full 

of fork-tongued Christians 

speaking beauty and grace 

from one side 

bitterness and strife  

from the other.  

We want to be seen as righteous 

or authentic 

or holy 

or transparent 

...you pick the word. 

And so we don the mask  

that communicates the image 

we wish to portray 

and we accent our speech 

to give Academy Award-winning performances. 

But even in Oscar's gleam 

our triumphant performances  

are still just acting,  

and not our actual selves.  

Unscripted lives  

lived off-stage  

in creation's transcendent drama, filled with  

vibrant hues and murky shadow, 

darkness and light, 

pleasure and pain, 

comfort and suffering, 

reveal the actual colors of our hearts.  

We speak of love, but act with disdain; 

We speak of forgiveness, but reject reconciliation; 

We speak of limitless grace, but withhold it from the undeserving; 

We speak of community, but exclude those who have actually failed us. 

'Tis risky to confront the bard, but I'm afraid 

all the world's not a stage 

and we are not merely players,  

but men and women  

of actual flesh and blood 

...and brokenness 

living in a Kingdom 

marred by the fall 

but being restored by 

its Creator and King. 

What true Kingdom living requires 

is not thespians,  

but actual citizens; 

not masked actors,  

but actual selves; 

not tongues that speak of love 

but actually loving people 

and especially those most disdainful; 

not tongues that speak of forgiveness 

but actually forgiving people 

as often as it takes 

and especially those who have hurt us most deeply; 

not tongues that speak of limitless grace 

but actually demonstrating grace 

not stingily, but effusively 

and especially to the most graceless; 

not tongues that speak of authentic community 

but actual community 

not excluding those sinners and Pharisees  

and especially those who most disappoint us. 

Actual life is not a screenplay 

resolving at two hours and ten, 

but enduring drama 

filled with comedy and tragedy, 

joy and hurt, 

confusion and disappointment. 

There will come a day  

when all tensions shall resolve 

and all trials are dismissed 

when we will actually live 

"happily ever after," 

but until that day 

let us seek to live  

not for the best actor award 

but with actual gospel genuineness 

spurring one another on  

to actual love 

and actual good deeds.

Wet Noise

White noise
     or rather, wet noise
the rustle of raindrops
     splashing upon
          parking lots
     roof tops
           maple leaves
   and Buicks. 

Each splash a unique timbre. 

I walk endomed in canvas,
     a persistent rap-tap-tap
         over my head. 

I look up and see
     effervescent droplets
     tap dancing
          nature's staccato rhythm
above me. 

They joyously entreat me
     to leave my safe space
          and join in the rain dance. 

All life is a poem

All life is a poem
     sometimes comedy
     sometimes tragedy
but always beauty.

Too many fail to notice
     the rhythms
     and cadences
     in their lives,
reading life as if it were
     a newspaper article
     and not a work of art.

But God is a Creator of beauty
     and not just a reporter of fact.

Oh that we would live poetic lives!
     not atonal drudgery
     but melodic dance,
with eyes to see
     evidences of God's creative hand
and ears to hear
     how our own notes
     even when played in the minor key
     are essential to all creation's harmony.

Cornerstone

According to dictionary.com, a cornerstone is "the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed." In other words, regardless of what constitutes something, the cornerstone is the most important piece. It defines the essence of something.

There are innumerable things in Christianity that are not the cornerstone. Let me list a few, so that you have an idea:

• The age of the universe.
• Whether the big bang is true. 
• Whether Noah's flood was global or local. 
• Which translation of the Bible to use. 
• Whether or not (insert random famous person) is/was a Christian.
• Whether there are different roles for men and women in the church. 
• Whether premillenialism, postmillenialism, or amillenialism are correct. Perhaps its something else. 
• Correct church polity. 
• The degree of demonic influence. 
• Who the nephalim were. 
• Whether I may mow my lawn on Sunday. 
• Whether speaking in tongues is a gift for the church today and, if so, what it is. 
• Whether modern worship music is permissible. 
• Whether liberals are Christian. Or conservatives. 
• Who is allowed to take communion / the Lord's Supper / the Eucharist. 
• Whether all dogs go to heaven. 

Admittedly, these issues can be important to a greater or lesser degree. They are worth discussing, even passionately, in an attempt to seek truth. But how often do we colossally miss the point? Often people devote themselves to drilling down into one or more of these issues, losing sight of what is most important. Let me suggest that when any of these secondary issues eclipse what is principal, we do ourselves and others a great disservice. 

So, what does the Bible teach us is primary?  

• Alluding to himself, he told the Pharisees, "the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." (Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17)
• This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.--Acts 4:11-12
• For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. -1 Corinthians 15:3
• The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.- 1 Timothy 1:15

Listen, Jesus is the cornerstone of everything related to the Christian faith. Do not become unduly distracted by secondary issues during those times when you have trouble seeing clearly the principle issue. Keep Christ your focus. He is the crux of the matter. 

"Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior."--John Newton

stirred

Let us think hard about how to stir one another up to love and good deeds. Let's make sure we continue to meet together and encourage one another, even though some have stopped doing so. Let's redouble our efforts at this as the Day of the Lord draws near.--Hebrews 10:24-25 (paraphrased)

What is the purpose of the gathered church? Certainly, communal worship is a significant part. We join together to raise our voice in prayer and praise to our King. It is also a place where we commune together around the Lord's table, reminded of our bonds to one another and to Christ, established and maintained by the blood of Jesus.

The author of Hebrews shows us another purpose: to stir one another up. Gathered saints are community in action, a place where we learn love and other-centeredness. We are encouraged to give thought to how to provoke and challenge each another to love and serve one another more deeply. It seems to me that we wouldn't have to think too hard about how to love those who seemingly never fail us. (In truth, the only ones who will never fail us are Christ and those with whom we never get beneath the surface). So we have to wrestle with how to do this in true community. We have to consider how to love those who are at times unlovable. We have to think about how to serve, with other-centeredness, the most self-centered among us. In truth, our sin-nature is defined by self-centeredness, so this describes us all at times, yet because Christ is in us, we are capable of true love and service.

Yet absent community,we will not be able to plumb the depths of Christ's love reflected in relationship. God's plan for His people is not isolation nor abandonment, but true community, not made up of perfect people, but led by a perfect Christ.

A Poem: Peace and Grace

Grace and peace
     peace and grace,
fill up my life
     with Jesus's ways.

Pour out Your grace
     in spite of my sin,
make me gracious toward others
     when they fail me again.

Give me Your peace
     when my world is a storm,
with the ballast of Christ
     unshakable form. 

Holy Embers

Flame ignites
rising high
tongues of fire
licking the sky

they extinguish fast
barely touching the wood
black marks left
but only upon the surface

fuel present
spark too
it must be air that's missing...

God's Word is my fuel

holy desire my spark 

yet apart from the breath of His Spirit

it is nothing more than fireworks

...gone and quickly forgotten

may holy embers be kindled

fueled by Your Word

enflamed with holy desire

Your Spirit's breath unceasing

bringing heat and light

An ambassador's prayer

As a citizen in Your kingdom

an ambassador at Your gates

may I manifest Your Son

with word and deed

a faithful representative of Your throne

committed to justice, beauty, and righteousness

cloaked in a garment of humility, gentleness, and peace

eager to listen

slow to speak

and when I do open my mouth

may my words

breathe Your grace and truth. 

Forest guide

Wandering the dark forest trail
     my children venture out alone
          dangers, seen and unseen
               are ever-present.
                    Temptations present
                         at every bend.
                 Guideless, they try to make their way.
           Is it any wonder
       if they become lost
    or ensnared?
          Yet I hold the map
                and I have the light.
                      They have watched me study it
                                every day.
                  What good will I be to them
         if I don't enter their journey
    and teach them to read
          and know the map
                as they walk the dark path?
                       May God grant me courage
                             to enter dark places
                                   the wisdom to know the snares
                                         and the dependence on the Spirit
                                                 to bring us safely home.

june the second

They attack the windows
again and again
so frequently, I wonder, "is it rain?"

But it isn't 

Kamikaze beetles
emblazoned red
dive bomb my windows
a hopeless mission

Tomorrow, lifeless fuselages 
of the June bug squadron
will litter the ground
Mass casualties

Yet they will return again 
tomorrow