Sing a new / old song

After Psalm 67 

Sing a new song

sing a new song

   may you be gracious

 

Sing an old song

sing a new song

   may you bless us

 

Sing a new song

sing an old

   may your face shine

   shine upon us

 

It rises, a chorus

of praise, ringed

in gladness, in joy,

un expectation

of justice, of guidance,

of blessing and increase

 

We are blessed

so that those

around us

will see him.

 

Photograph by Austin Neill via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

The Latecomers – poem by Seamus Heaney at Kingdom Poets (D.S. Martin).

 

Life is Too Brief to Waste – Jon Bloom at Desiring God.

 

Why Church Membership Matters – Alistair Begg at Truth for Life.

 

What Does God Listen For? – Seth Lewis.

 

King Jan Sobieski of Poland and The Lord of the Rings – Dwight Longenecker at The Imaginative Conservative.

A promise made and kept

After Revelation 7:9-10 

A promise was made,

a promise was kept,

a command to go,

a command was kept.

And through that keeping

came the blessing, 

the blessing to the multitudes

no one could number, multitudes

from every nation, every tribe,

every people, every language,

standing together, one body,

clothed in white, waving

palms, crying out salvation,

the salvation that belongs

to God, the salvation 

that belongs to the Lamb.

 

Photograph by Farrinni via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Interplay – poem by Joy Lenton at Poetry Joy.

 

The 3.5 Uses of the Law in Romans 7 – Dan Crabtree at The Cripplegate.

 

If the Men Aren’t Singing: 5 Questions for Worship Leaders – Jon Bloom at Desiring God.

A call to a new land

After Genesis 12:1-3 

A call to a new land,

a command to leave,

to turn away from the unknown,

the familiar, and turn

toward the unknown,

the unfamiliar, the different.

Leave your family, and

go. And my promise is this:

all the families of the earth

will be blessed. Those who

bless you will be blessed;

those who curse you

will be cursed. But

through you will come

the blessing for all.

 

The call to a new land

is not unlike the call

that happens generations

later, the call to leave

the fishing nets,

the tax table,

the tentmaking, and

embrace the unknown,

the strange, the unfamiliar,

and through those called

will come a blessing 

for all, a blessing called

salvation.

 

Photograph by Kameron Kincade via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

The Leper – poem by Brian Yapko at Society of Classical Poets.

 

Can a Story Change a Soul? – Annie Beth Donahue at Story Warren.

 

Sing, My Tongue, the Saviour’s Glory – poem by Venantius Fortunatus at Kingsom Poets (D.S. Martin).

 

Grief Can Be So Lonely – Tim Challies. 

 

True Story: The Surprise Ending is Joy – Andrew Klavan at The New Jerusalem. 

A blessing

After Hebrews 13:20-21 

The story doesn’t end;

it continues onward

and forever. It’s but

a pause, this blessing,

this blessing that 

the One of peace, 

the One who raised

His Son from death,

this Son who is

the shepherd, keeping

faith, fulfilling

the promise, that One

will provide you,

equip you with

every good thing,

so that we will share

that blessing,

to His glory forever.

 

The judge has become 

the savior.

 

Photograph by Guillaume de Germain via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

Welcoming Angels – poem by Pat Schneider at Kingdom Poets (D.S. Martin).

 

The Census Taker in a Church Pew, Part 6 – Mark Botts at Front Porch Republic.

 

Just Decide to Walk: Learning from Kierkegaard – FYI with Chris Martin.

Outrunning the Rain – Seth Lewis.

 

Elijah asks, “What have I done to you?” – poem by Anna Friedrich at Rabbit Room Poetry.

 

A sonnet for St. Benedict – Malcolm Guite.

Naming and blessing

After Ephesians 3:14-21

One gives us our names,

and that naming implies

family identity and

ownership, or sovereignty,

if you will, from which

later turns into a waterfall,

a torrential downpour,

an antediluvian blessing

flowing directly into

our souls, so that 

the Son of One moves in,

and inhabits, dwells, and 

occupies our hearts,

cultivates our hearts,

rooting, grounding,

nurturing, growing

us in love.

Photograph by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. Used with permission.

The Blessing's in the Small Things

It's one of those stories that could only happen on the internet.

Lesley Moon, aka @moondustwriter on Twitter, introduced a few of her mutual friends to each other. One of those friends is Jason Bourne, who blogs at Jason's Spinal Bifida Journey. Jason works in the Public Information Office of the city of Marietta, Georgia, as a writer and photographer, and he's got a lot of special things to talk and write about.

I'm guest posting over at Jason's place, talking about the blessing being in the small things. Take a look and let me (and Jason) know what you think.