Fear him, and serve

After Joshua 24:14-15 

Fear him, the Lord;

fear and serve him

in faithfulness,

in sincerity. Abandon

those old gods you 

used to serve, or what

you believed were

gods. Serve him. You

have a choice; you know

to choose which god

you will serve. You

serve the old gods,

the not gods, or

the gods you see

in the mirror;

they’re all the same.

But me, I will serve

the Lord. My house

will serve the Lord.

We have chosen.

We fear him, and

we serve him.

No other god.

 

Photograph by Jack Sharp via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Turning the World into a Pulpit – Dan Crabtree at The Cripplegate.

 

Baby Boomer Secrets of Power – Aaron Renn.

 

Forgive Us Our Debts – Casey Spinks at Comment Magazine.

 

Rest and Renewal in Christ – Maria Currey at CDM Women’s Ministry.

It's not about equal rights

After Philippians 2:1-11 

It’s not about equal rights

or position; it’s not about 

equality with God.

Self is demanding;

set it aside.

We have the example:

the One who stepped down,

who became a servant,

who set self aside,

who assumed the likeness

of man, who humbled

himself, who became

obedient even to death,

The emptying, the descent,

the obedience led

to exaltation, the giving

of the name above

all names.

 

Photograph by Katherine Conrad via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

When Ball Becomes Baal – Jim Elliff at Christian Communicators Worldwide.

 

“Ode on Solitude,” poem by Alexander Pope – Joseph Bottum at Poems Ancient and Modern.

 

“The Orange,” poem by Wendy Smith – Andrew Roycroft at New Grub Street.

 

John Wesley’s Life-Changing Conversion Experience – Jason Clark at This Is the Day.

Live to be free

After I Peter 2: 13-17

We are to live

as people who

are free, not to do

all we want or

are inclined to do,

but free to serve,

free to serve others,

free to serve God.

We live free

to honor all.

We live free

to love our brothers.

We live free

to fear God.

We live free

to honor

the authority

placed over us.

 

Photograph by Mohamed Nohassi via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

Joseph and Bros Reunion, Genesis 43 – Doug Spurling.

 

An Elegy for Our Fireplace – Seth Lewis

To keep in mind

After Philippians 2:5-11 

More than a thought,

passing, more than an idea,

considered. Instead,

a guiding principle always

to keep in mind, in heart,

in soul, among yourselves:

the person, through God,

emptied himself to serve;

the person, through God,

obeyed to death on the cross;

the person, no longer man,

was exalted and glorified.

At his name, we bow.

At his name, we confess

who he is, who we are,

what he has done.

 

Photograph by Rohan Makhecha via Unsplash. Used with permission.

On the Long Station: 50 Holy Wells, #50 – Paul Kingsnorth at The Abbey of Misrule.

 

A While List of Reasons to Consider Marrying Young – Tim Challies.

 

After the Murder – poem by Luke Harvey at Kingdom Poets (D.A. Martin). 

 

Harry T Harmer, Artist – Spitalfields Life.

A model

After Philippians 2:1-11 

We have a model

for this humility thing.

He didn’t see himself

equal to God. Instead,

he poured himself out

to serve to the point

of death. Bow 

your knee; let

your tongue confess

who he is and what

he did. He’s the model,

the prototype, the one

to emulate, to embrace,

the one to follow and

do likewise.

 

Photograph by Jehyun Sung via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

A Sonnet Sent to Blackness – Elizabeth Melville at Kingdom Poets (D.S. Martin). 

 

Her Present Absence – Karen Harmening at Listening to Him on the loss of a child.

 

Sounds Like Paradise – poem by Roy Peterson at Society of Classical Poets.

 

Can We Tawk? – Paul Hughes at Poet and Priest.

 

A Lisbon Love Story – Tom Darin Liskey at Cultivating Oaks Pres.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Illustrated Edition -- Tweetspeak Poetry.

Complete my job

After Philippians 2:1-11 

If there is any truth

at all here, any comfort,

any affection or

sympathy, anything

at all, complete my job

by having the same,

the same love,

the same accord,

the same mind. It’s

not about me or you;

it’s about others.

Set ambitions aside,

abandon selfishness,

all who are gathered

here. Humble yourself

to count others

more significant than

you are.

 

Photograph by Toa Heftiba via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

These things – artwork by Sonja Benskin Mesher.

 

Single Men with Many Sons: How to Be a Spiritual Father – Scott Hubbard at Desiring God. 

 

Mountain Solitaire: Letter from America, Part 1 – Paul Kingsnorth at The Abbey of Misrule. 

 

On Armistice Sunday – Spitalfields Life.

 

London 11-11-2023 – poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant at Society of Classical Poets.

Two freedoms

What is it I asked

what is this news

he said it is two:

freedom from

freedom to

freedom from what

enslaves

freedom to be

a servant

A contradiction I said

a reality he said

smiling

one does not exist

without the other

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