The great leveling

After James 1:9-11 

No one advertises this,

you won’t usually read it

or see it on a billboard,

but faith brings a great

leveling. The lowly are

lifted, the rich are reduced.

We slowly learn that

God sees all of us

the same way: a soul

that needs salvation. It’s

what we’re slowly taught,

what we slowly learn.

Position and wealth and

property and fame and 

power and reputation

are left at the door.

 

Photograph by Chris Robert via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Wherever She Goes – Melissa Edgington at Your Mom Has a Blog.

 

The Empty Promises of Sentimentalism – Tin Rosenberger at Mere Orthodoxy.

On the wings of the wind

After 2 Samuel 22 

I ride the wings

of the wind, lifted

from danger and

peril and my own

stupidity and sin,

lifted and cleansed,

brought into presence,

carried through and

over the fire, over 

the storm, arriving

at a place of safety,

of peace, peace within

my own soul.

 

Photograph by Irina Iriser via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

The Mad Farmer on Claude, AI, and the Church – Hayden Nesbit at Mere Orthodoxy.

 

“Idle,” poem by Anne Corkett – D.S. Martin at Kingdom Poets.

 

Psalm 119 in Eight Words – Andrew Wilson at Think Theology.

 

“Lord, Who Throughout These 40 Days,” hymn by Claudia Hernaman – Anthony Esolen at Word & Song.

 

What else does God name? – Seth Lewis.

Carried by blood

After Ephesians 2:13-19 

Lost, far off, you

were touched

by the drops 

of blood, a baptism,

drops becoming

a trickle, a stream,

a river, a flood,

freeing you from

law, carrying you

to grace, recreating

you as new. He

preached peace

to you, peace

between you, and

peace in your heart.

Carried by the blood,

we were no longer

strangers, no longer

enemies, no longer

aliens, but fellow

citizens, kin

to the saints, children

of the household of God.

 

Photograph by Alexandre Boucey via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

The Cathedral of Church History – Ivan Budimlic at Iotas in Eternity.

 

“Dirge for the New Sunrise,” poem by Edith Sitwell – D.S. Martin at Kingdom Poets.

 

Fear Not Fatherhood: The Strength and Glory of Young Dads – Andrew Ballard at Desiring God.

 

God of Grace and God of Glory – Anthony Esolen at Word & Song.

 

Three Castle Head – Seth Lewis.

 

A Sonnet for Ascension Day – Malcolm Guite.

The open curtain

After Hebrews 10:12-25 

The curtain opens,

no longer veiled,

no longer a barrier,

it opens to the holy places

previously unapproachable.

Now we draw near

with a true heart.

Now we draw near

with full assurance.

Now we draw near

with a clean heart.

Now we hold fast

to the promise of faith.

Now we encourage

one another to do good.

Now we walk forward

together, as the One

has made us.

 

Photograph by Nadine Marfurt via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Current Events – poem by Jen Rose Yokel at Rabbit Room Poetry.

 

A sonnet for the Venerable Bede – Malcolm Guite.

 

Things an Evangelical Learned from a Catholic History of Europe – Louis Markos at The Imaginative Conservative.

The tax collector

After Luke 19:1-10 

Is there any man

more hated or despised

than the tax collector?

This one, with joy

in his heart, is so excited

to see him that he climbs

 a tree, the crowds are

so great. The tax collector’s

joy doubles when he calls

to him, telling him he’s

coming to his house.

The righteous ones 

grumble; to stay and

dine with sinners is

beyond reprehensible.

The man smiles; he

knows who has gained

salvation this day.

 

Photograph by Hunters Race at Unsplash Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

The Last Word in the Book of Ruth – Mitch Chase at Biblical Theology.

 

When You Feel Like a Failure – Barbara at Stray Thoughts.

 

Art Proves We’re More Than Dust in the Wind – Terry Glaspey at The Gospel Coalition.

 

The Dangers of Alone: Five Questions for Single Men – Marshall Segal at Desiring God.

The sheepfold's door

After John 10:1-18 

To enter the sheepfold,

you go through the door.

It’s designated; there’s

no other entrance.

One way, only one.

The sheep follow

the shepherd through

the door, because

they recognize his voice.

They don’t know

the voice of others, but

only the shepherd’s.

Hearing any other voice

will cause them to flee.

 

The door is life; to enter

That door is to embrace

life, be given life.

The shepherd knows

his sheep, by name.

And he calls them.,

by name.

 

Photograph by Antonello Falcone via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Live men running

After Ephesians 2:1-10

It comes as a spark,

a change from without,

a touch from the fingertips

of God, a gift, creating

life from death, life

from grace, life from

community of the saved,

plucked from death

to sit in heavenly places.

Don’t miss the central point:

Grace.

That’s what life is about:

Grace.

That is what inspired

the fingertips to move:

Grace.

Nothing that we do,

nothing that we could do,

could rival this gift:

Grace,

the power of live men running.

Photograph by Braden Collum via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Dead men walking

After Ephesians 2:1-10

It’s rather stark and jolting

to be called dead, dead

men walking, following

the pied piper, whoever

he might be at the moment,

or following the owner

of the pied piper, the source

of disobedience and lust

and desire and violence.

It’s rather stark and jolting

to be called children of wrath,

just like everyone else,

nothing special about us, 

children of wrath in our DNA,

our inmost self, our heart

of hearts, our every thought,

until.

Photograph by Jose Lopez Franco via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Inheritance

After Ephesians 1:1-14

The will and testament

is written and read,

the inheritance obtained,

executed exactly as

he planned.

The first to hope

become the praise.

The ones who hear

and believe the word

are sealed for eternity.

And an eternal warranty

is given, a guarantee

of permanence, a promise

of forever.

Photograph by Alvaro Serrano via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Gates besieged

After Micah 5:1-5

The troops besiege

the gates, the city

trembles, seeking

deliverance as

the soldiers scream

and shout and shake

the gates.

A cry goes up:

Who will deliver us

who will save us

from the locust army

surrounding us, ready

to devour us

A voice:

From the small

from the tiny

comes salvation

and the source is

Bethlehem

Photograph by Hakon Sataoen via Unsplash. Used with permission.

We sit in darkness

After Isaiah 33

We sit in darkness,

surrounded, besieged

on all sides, defenses

exhausted, resources

gone, given to appease,

given in vain, nothing

left, nothing to give,

allies vanished, the brave

weeping in the streets,

abandoned and naked,

exposed to destruction.

Only then do we pray

only then do we seek

only then do we throw

   ourselves at his feet

only then

only then does the wind blow.

Photograph by George Hodan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

Life landscape

After Isaiah 40:1-11

Valleys are lifted up

crooked paths straightened

rivers are bridged

mountains smothered

landscape is changed

geography overcome

and this from the one

tending the flock

gathering the lambs

leading the ones laden

with young

knowing the names

touching the faces

holding the treasure, closely

Photograph by Jean Beaufort via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.