wake the dead

wordcraft for the feast of all hallow's eve:


wake the dead
with the Word of Hope
honor their ache from times past

stir the shadow’s lingering in the Deep
grace to be theirs at last

join the living
for on a cross did die
Christ Jesus His Heart laid bare

He shouts with an echoing voice that rends
as He gathers us in graceful care

together creation
does hear of His Grace
the weight of which shakes the foundations

before the God of both the Living and the Dead
we all gather in great jubilation

the eclipse of a dark reign

...to be sung as a hope-filled dirge among the exiles moving from death to life:

stolen lives plucked
from the cultivated land
the enemy has struck
clutched in his hand

yet bind the strong man
through the deeper subtlety
of One who lives amongst us
behold: Fidelity

dare we yet hope
for a ransom not scorned
the Son to offer His head
cruel crown of thorns

does His word still stand
as provoked we kneel
Life to truly overtake
in His encompassing appeal

still can redemption be found
for the lost and the least
can redemption be found
for the Powers that ceased
to follow the Most High
a dark kingdom unleashed
lo, a dark kingdom unleashed


perilously dim
is life so distant
how cold the fire seems
enflamed desire persistent

any way is the only way
in the journey’s suffering task
for such evil to lurk
in a dreadful and beautiful mask

yet in the decay of defiled light
my own passions ablaze
when first lured down
wide and crowded pathways

and so we yet pray
as we are gathered en masse
a Redeemer to appear
thus shall it come to pass

a raging lion devours the Lamb
the serpent strikes at His heel
the kiss of death and tree of pain
our Saviour will he reveal
passing from death unto life
crucible braved with great zeal
yes, crucible braved with great zeal


when death swallows whole
with its gruesome appetite
Eternity overcomes
the dictator of the night

the dark reign to interrupt
its eclipse has now begun
in the resurrection of Life
the dark reign is undone

for faint whisper of a Voice
as we lay awake
such souls treading the Way
the dark dominion to break

this joy now persistent
within our songs of lament
forgiveness we behold
to a much greater extent

this music inherent
in the rushing waters so clear
the song of many waters
it echoes so sincere
as i wake to this ode
embraced by He-Who-Draws-Near
thus, embraced by He-Who-Draws-Near

beyond annoyance...deep provocation

most un- or non-churched people nowadays think of christians as annoying and entitled and bigoted...and there is plenty of evidence out there to prove them right (i talked about this in the last of the beyond series: beyond insurgence...deep revolution)

the Church needs to move beyond annoyance to a deeper provocation...to be the prophetic provocateurs, advocating for helping the least and the lost, like the victims and survivors of human trafficking; i believe one of the primary challenges before the followers and disciples of Jesus today is to not be overwhelmed to indifference by the problem of extreme poverty or frozen in fear in the face of extreme wickedness in the world, nor despise the plight of the working poor...nor despise the 'little evils' that populate all of us 'jars of clay'...we need to foster patience for our imperfections, but not lose the urgency of God's call to do the good works He prepared for us to do...

yet too often we are content to send money to some organization to actually do this work He prepared for us to do. rather than following that pattern, i think i need to work sacrificially and missionally among the poor in our own community.to show them the love of Christ in a tangible way, tangible and embodied for them and for me

...but this also comes back to being truly prophetic: announce good news to the poor, to the least and the lost, and advocate on their behalf before the power-that-be...

as i mentioned to a friend recently, this is the missional aspect of 'signs and wonders': we join Jesus on His Mission (and incarnationally gathering locally, whatever that looks like where you are planted), it's not about power so we can get God to bless our stuff, but if we spend ourselves on behalf of the lost and least, if we break the yoke of oppression, if we provide for the poor and clothe the naked...then our light will break forth like the dawn, and our healing will come quickly...then we will be like a well-watered garden...my heart yearns for these things...

this is the pattern i see in all of the prophetic books in the old testament: they give voice to judgment and redemption...justice and mercy...their poetry is great lamentation at one point and powerful hope at another, as one of my favourite biblical theologians suggested.

these two tasks are melodies and harmonies coming to us through the musical symphony of prophetic texts in our scriptures. as i ponder my own walk in faith with God, i can remember clearly times of lament and despair and times of hope and redemption.

[aside: i have taken up the habit of journaling my walk with God in the past few years, and it has made a tremendous difference in my own perspective. when i am treading toward despair and vision fades, i can turn to my journal and it helps me remember the specific acts that God has done in my life. i can remember that He has indeed been faithful and true.]

but there are times when we lose hope and cannot bring ourselves to anticipate 'newness' ...mostly because we continually look back and let the past dominate our present, this should not be for those who have made Jesus Christ Lord and Savior in their life. the very ground of following Jesus is hope...dominating the present with the future - as another of my favourite biblical theologians has proclaimed - because we know what He has accomplished/is accomplishing this futture and this is the basis of our hope...hope for a new day, hope that He is coming back, hope that goes beyond to provoke us to remember and to provoke others...

but too many times, we lose sight of this...we think that no matter how we re-arrange the dimensions of our lives that we have known, we are still working with broken pieces that give us no hope...therefore we have modest expectations for our present and little hope for the future. We despair of any newness because it does not make sense to our reason...and life becomes a dissatisfied coping, a grudging trust, and a managing and muddling that dares never ask too much.

but in Christ there is the promise of newness! the prophetic community of the Kingdom of God is called to penetrate this despair of the world with the hope of newness in Christ Jesus. the Power and Presence of the Spirit helps us as we cut through the despair and penetrate the dissatisfied coping that leads to hopelessness.

old testament theologian walter brueggemann points out that there are several ways we can do this:

• offer meaningful symbols that contradict the hopelessness that makes newness unthinkable;
• bring to public expression the hopes and yearnings of people;
  

this is the 'minority report' that goes against the world's majority opinion...and unfortunately the church as well. yet we must bring to bear the language of hope and the ethos of amazement that we know happens when the Kingdom breaks through. we need to announce, demonstrate and embody God's Reign!

as children of the Kingdom, as disciples of Jesus, we can speak of our own experience of Jesus' touch in our own lives. this is our testimony, our collective 'minority report'!

Jesus lives and heals and brings newness and life to the hopeless and despairing people of this earth. This is revolutionary and deeply provocative...as brueggemann points out, those who would be prophetic will need to embrace the same sort of absurd and truly subversive activity that Jesus engaged in before He went to the cross. it's just like what the character 'red' proclaimed in the movie 'the shawshank redemption': "Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing."

the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient seeks to keep the world in his despairing grip (Ephesians 2). but we cannot stand for this! let the newsness of the Kingdom of God break the oppression as we walk into the ministry of the Kingdom: heal the sick...preach good news to the poor...proclaim freedom for prisoners...release the oppressed.

soothing dark slumber

ah, soft fragrance of jasmine
spice throughout the night
ready to soothe dark slumber

Maryland Rally against Modern-day Slavery

well, we got two interpretive dance performances and two opening remarks and ambassador lagon's speech before having to dive in-doors because of the downpour of rain.

it was a good turn-out for the rally - thanks to all who turned out in the rain!

we were packed inside, which is a good sign that more-and-more people are understanding the problem and wickedness of modern-day slavery...

here's to a little hope on a rainy day, where the hearts of those gathered shone brightly in the cloud-cover!

peace

lectio: psalm 34:1-8

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 34:1-8


verse 1 - whether in the joy of praise, the awe of adoration or the bitterness of lament - in all of this i trust in the Lord...and all of this flows from a life that knows and embraces joy underlying the lament. i think the perpetual nature of this is to seek to keep my heart open before God, and not letting it harden, no matter what my circumstances are at any moment.

verse 4 - deliverance from fear...this indeed is what we need at such a time as this. please - O Lord - we seek You to deliver us from all our fears...

verse 5 - what a powerful statement for those of us imprisoned in our 'palaces of shame'. it's almost too good to be true: look at Him and we become radiant; perhaps every experience we have with God - of God - shapes us toward being like Him, toward being more in His image, toward being radiant; like a couple married for a long time begins to become evermoreso as 'one'...

verse 8 - to taste is to live in the moment (one of the messages in our sacred scripture of qohelet/ecclesiastes)...to savour an actual experience; we wrestle nowadays with the concept that YHWH is good...His goodness blows our paradigms of 'hey, it's all good' out of the water...in fact, YHWH had to protect Moses with His Hand on the side of a mountain as His Goodness passed by...

++O Lord, You alone are worthy of our praise. O Deliverer, You rescue us from evil. Salvation and Redemption are with You. We take refuge in You, let Your Face shine upon us! Amen.++

oak of righteousness

prickly roots dug deep hug the fertile earth…
as i am stretched,
swaying in a gale force wind…

…a tempest rushing
with rock and sand and grit
scattering across the valley…the valley

the valley of decision…

the wind whispers: whom do you trust?

now, serene and tranquil
(after it passes)

perchance out of breath,
yet holding on, digging deeper
…ever deeper…touching the well-spring…my source

hence never concerned
with the heaviness of heat,
with the scorching drought,
with the storms of life

bearing my fruit as ages pass by…

the controversy of zion

the willows, they do weep
and the river runs dry
shrug off the weight of sleep
can’t you hear the wind cry?

a storm, it is approaching
thick darkness upon the land
the generations are reeling
who can stand in the shifting sand?

draw near, O you nations
all peoples prepare your hearts
it is the Ancient of Days
from the high heavens He departs

whence cometh the Anointed
to resolve the controversy of Zion
when kings will be hunted
and angels released from prison

for a people bearing His witness
where is the recompense?
a trumpet notifying the menace
God judges the offense

how is justice done truly
while loving mercy enough
walking humbly with our God surely
while the fallen stir mischief

with an echo, Your vindication
the wind whispers in my ears
of a life of faithful dedication
while enduring patiently until Christ appears

some folk, they trust in power
to their own bitter shame
a Righteous King comes to conquer
His eyes and heart aflame

following the Voice on the wind
into a life borne anew
i see the blood on the robes tinged
O, the Day many will rue

a Day when the hosts of heaven fall
and the sky rolls up like a scroll
fallen powers no more to enthrall
the Lord of Glory shall we extol

therefore, pay heed to the voices
on the wind do they proclaim
glad tidings in which we rejoice
God’s people good news exclaim

then, the judgment on the horizon
will hold no fear for you and i
an end to the controversy of Zion
the Son of Man cometh in the sky

re-imagining the holy spirit: quo vadis?

my concluding contribution to the re-imagining the Holy Spirit series hosted by jason clark (lead pastor at the vineyard church sutton in the uk) at the deep church blog…is up to stir more conversation around engaing with the Spirit in emerging and missional contexts as we move forward in our journey with Christ...here are links to my posts from the entire series:

1. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: What is past is prologue
2. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Butterfly effects...and all that jazz
3. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: the emergence of a positive deviance
4. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: lingua franca
5. my final post is called: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: quo vadis?

steve burnhope also contributed to the series, here are the links to his contributions:

1. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Emerging into a post-charismatic world?
2. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Hearing the Gospel
3. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: The 'face' of the Spirit in Trinity and community
4. Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Our Interpretaive Points of Reference

read the posts and check out the conversations (they are really, really rich) and join todays conversation!

peace

lectio: mark 10:35-45

James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. "But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:35-45

Jesus' radical re-orientation of leadership echoed in the midst of a cup and a baptism of suffering love. these passages are threatening to our present way of life, to the very paradigm of consciousness that we have bound ourselves to presently. may the Lord open our eyes to His Paradigm, His Kingdom...


verses 38-39 - the cup that He drinks and the baptism He is about to go to is suffering, torture and death on a cross; i have to ask myself the question Jesus puts to james and john: are you able? sometimes we are deluded into believing that only Jesus had to suffer and die. the assumption of sacred scripture is that if we follow Jesus we will suffer and die...yet i am to trust in God...am i able to do just that?

verses 41-42 - classic situation where Jesus takes a tense situation with the twelve, sees clearly the issue at-hand, and makes it into a teachable moment that echoes down even to us...maybe especially for us.

verses 43-44 - this is Jesus' radical redefinition of power and authority...we would be wise to heed His instruction and put it into practice;

verse 45 - while 'son of man' is a typical idiom denoting humanity or human being, here Jesus uses that title for Himself resonating with that great scene from daniel: I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man [kibar 'anash], and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. thus, even one such as a son of man that is witnessed in this glorious scene, even He did not come to be served, but to serve, and He gave Himself for us.


++Lord Jesus, we want to see you in your glory. We know that we will follow you and drink the cup that you drank, and be baptized with the baptism with which you were baptized, to serve as you served. Empower us to endure in suffering love, exercising servanthood. Amen++

wind whispers wisdom

in the drum-beat of rain
the wind has a story to tell
while fire crackles in the hearth
storm swirls in a thunderous groundswell

the faintest hint you can catch
if you tilt your head just right
the wind whispers wisdom
and howls with insight

it tells of the coming
of a Redeemer clothed with might
yet also of a deceiver
fallen like lightning from heavens height

script of prophets and sages
the wind speaks anew with foresight
a hoped-for future breaking through
as a people gathers and unites

for a King from highest heaven
descends to take up the fight
for all creation enthralled
by the deceivers deadly delight

yet the Lion and the Lamb
did break through in the daylight
a Saviour’s redemption in death
and new Life in resurrection ignite

take hold of this redemption
the wind will not requite
and neither will His Love
as God judges all aright

thus a final battle rages on
but it’s coming to a close
as the birthpangs of a new age
the wind with ancient wisdom echoes

dissonance disturbs

in the eye of a holy tempest
the deep waters deviate
from the swirling waves surrounding

and this dissonance disturbs
as the wind howls in my head

a deep groaning beyond expression
erupts all around

echoing afar in my oblivion

re-imagining conversation this week...

...continues; as i mentioned the last few weeks, i am contributing to a blog series on the Holy Spirit, hosted by jason clark (lead pastor at the vineyard church sutton in the uk) at the deep church blog…

my first post was entitled: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: What is past is prologue

my second post was: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Butterfly effects...and all that jazz

my third post was: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: the emergence of a positive deviance

today, my post is called: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: lingua franca

peace

lectio: job 23:1-9

Then Job replied: "Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. "But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

- Job 23:1-9

the felt absence of God can be a terrible burden, especially when we are groaning and in misery. how long O Lord...how long? i have felt this in seasons of the dark night of my own soul. bitterness indeed weighs my complaint as life weighs heavier...

verse 3 - how can we find the dwelling of God, when God-is-with-us? what do i do with that when i feel the absence of God? i thought He came to live in me, the Spirit to dwell forever deep within me...

verse 6 - my actions (and re-actions) do not always align with what i claim to think/believe in my mind. i too have wondered how God will react in times of distress, and in a season of complaint and lament; will God react to me like a great cosmic killjoy? will He just crush me? yet even in lament, we turn to trust in Him...to hope in Him, despite our circumstances. it is just so hard...and sometimes almost too good to be true.

verses 8 and 9 - searching for God and seeking His Presence and not finding can trample our hope and faith and love. sometimes i am suffocating because i cannot find Him, cannot see Him, can catch no glimpse of Him. i want to believe somehow this is an experience of the cross - and i do. i believe sometimes this is God testing us, proving us, as He does like a father with children. and my faith in Him and my faithfulness to Him has been tested in these times, and although reflecting back afterwards i can see and feel the strength garnered in pain...it still sucks. i also know it will happen again.

++We search and seek for You, O Lord, even in our bitter complaints. We want to have faith that even when we feel Your Absence, You are with us. We believe...help our unbelief!! ++

the middle age of an old soul

O, the insistence of hope
an unrelenting caress
as i scratch
at the remaining ashes
of a once brilliant fire
scoring ash
with my crooked stick
Ah, the inertia inherent
in the arrested development
of quiet nostalgia
weighing me down
as significance slips past
the edge of consciousness
the descent barely noticed
by one pausing in
reverent melancholy
O, the desperate scorn of hope
i resent thy wasted wonder
weary and forsaken
what is this spectre
taken hold of me
suddenly shaken
with a deep foreboding
for memories of hope deferred
have poisoned my well
nevertheless a covert rebellion
still stirs deep within
like a lost and hidden ember
crouching among the ashes
this yet-to-be-acquainted stranger
watching my anguish
endures for an opportune moment
to spark the apathy
and seize life
at the summit
to be done with the mockery
i have made of my desire
and in a distant echo
speak with precision
a confrontation
held at-bay
emerges from the depths
yet calling me to descent
beyond the pale
what is it that you want?
life that is truly living
echoes forth
my quick response
wisdom that is truly wise
love that is truly loving
dare i yet take up this crossing
beckoning me to lay it down
to embrace this passage
with fear and trembling
to stir a renewed journey
of deep devotion
yet again
as the whisper in the wind
summons me to a place
inhabited by persistent love

Re-imagining series: the emergence of a positive deviance

...and it continues again this week. as i mentioned the last few weeks, i am contributing (posting monday’s for the next 6 to 8 weeks) to a blog series on the Holy Spirit, hosted by jason clark (lead pastor at the vineyard church sutton in the uk) at the deep church blog…

the conversation has really been enriching with much more to come...

my first post was entitled: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: What is past is prologue

my second post was: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: Butterfly effects...and all that jazz

today, my post is called: Re-imagining the Holy Spirit: the emergence of a positive deviance

lectio: psalm 26

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,
And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Examine me, O LORD, and try me;
Test my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
I do not sit with deceitful men,
Nor will I go with pretenders.
I hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
I shall wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your wonders.
O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells.
Do not take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with men of bloodshed,
In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.

Psalm 26

i'm all about God vindicating me, but this psalm tends to trouble me. maybe i just don't identify with some of the language like, "i trusted in YHWH without wavering", knowing my own wavering. i feel more like a man of unclean lips among a people of unclean lips...

verse 1 - i used to get stuck on the English translation of this one, especially the NIV translation. they translate "walked in integrity" as "led a blamesless life", which to me just isn't the dynamic equivalent. integrity is something i walk towards, even though i am broken and wounded. in fact, it's because i am broken and wounded and yet walking toward integration (not dis-integration) that i find out more and more that i can trust God even in my wavering...

verses 4 and 5 - when i was young my mother told me to be careful whom i choose as friends, they would rub off on me. she got that from proverbs 12:26. and i think that was wisdom for a young, impressionable child. it also called me to be discerning. as i've matured somewhat, i do see that in following Jesus i might need to befriend those who would deceive, come alongside pretenders and beckon them to authenticity, even to know the condemned evildoers. yet they might not be my friends, but certainly they aren't my enemies either...and i am called - in Christ Jesus - to love them. but discerning who speaks into my life and who i model myself after, that is a key nowadays...even as it was in my youth

verse 7 - i have a friend who is celebrationally-challenged. seriously, they don't know how to celebrate. i think this might be a good starter for countering being celebrationally-challenged: proclaim with thanksgiving and delcare the wonders of God. when i begin doing this, even right now, the wonder and awe and celebration seems to bubble up...

verse 12 - what is it to bless YHWH? how do we bless YHWH? when i want YHWH to bless me, i think of fun stuff and good gifts He can give me, both what i need and what i want. i think this can go for blessing YHWH-Elohim also: what is the fun stuff and the good gifts He wants? He loves when we thank Him and praise Him. I think He gets utterly excited when we give ourselves to Him in worship. i also think He totally loves moving with us in Kingdom-ministry...doing-the-fun-stuff with Him.

++O Lord, we bless You and we love You. With You, we walk toward integration and not toward dis-integration. Help us in our weakness, for we seek You in all Your Glory! Hallelu-Yah!! Amen.++