Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 6

Deuteronomy 8

Man does not live on bread alone
thus causing hunger, God humbles

the proud on discipline’s stone
man does not live on bread alone
lest he forget salvation’s home
is in God whose manna mumbles
man does not live on bread alone
thus causing hunger, God humbles


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 5


Blossoms 

The small girl saw the rocks below
but between them blossoms


Knees are easy to bend and stand on
Hands clasp together, fingers entwine
Heads bow like friends in concert


What matters
are not the words, wishes or whatnots
What matters
are not the floods, fishes or flatfoots


The real thing
is to sing
    to God
in a voice of one’s own.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 4

haiku

dark blowing tendrils
blot out his tender gazing
rock strewn earth below


Saturday, February 25, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 3


In Vitro Son

Amid her bones the child prepares to be
a spark of the both combined into one
past unmade, unformed, for where is the need
in fertile node where he becomes their son

No thought is thought, alas no deed this seed
he floats like light on a blue bubble tongue
growing and gaining, the moment to heed
movement of birth, spoken promise his own

Waiting, his two spent days with vivid dreams
of fetal face and denser decisions
marking time til choosing their paint
pink or green, blue or cool aquamarine—
when a noise arose to foul the visions
and break the heart of each and every saint 




©2012 Judy H. Eurey

Friday, February 24, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 2

Wind In
The movement so strong
    as to sling leaves by like bullets
    as to suck breath asunder
    as to bend the backs of bridges

The pressing so fierce
    as to stutter the storm door
    as to fidget the frantic chime
    as to worry the family dog
      whose ears stand high
      whose eyes grow bold
      whose nose is posed for the passing scent

Into my soul, I pray my Lord, blow.
Into my dank dimness, I pray my Lord, force the fresh fragrance of the Holy.



 

©2012 Judy H. Eurey


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Wilderness Journey, Day 1 (A Lenten Poem)

Rather than up, I go down
Rather than out, I go in
  Spirit lead me to the space of my soul;
  the space you inhabit,
     and I extol
as wilderness.
            
                  Oh! See the
frank failures confront us
little leagues of errors that skirt like kits around our knees
mislaid plans hobbling to and fro upon knobby crutches
outdated intentions depositing their duty corner by corner
meager offerings dangling like so many market-bound beef sides

                 This wilderness reeks,
its darkness cool, dank and needy
its air poor, used and wanting.

©2012 Judy H. Eurey



 

Friday, February 10, 2012

February...the month of Passion


               Ah…it’s February, the month we devote to things such as love, Lent and looking for spring! On the shelves at Wal-Mart, the Dollar Tree, and Belks, we see all things Valentine: stuffed animals, candy packages, and that grace of any day of love…chocolate! Yummo!

              This time of year when we celebrate the special love we have for our Valentines, most of us pause to think about that person. We will remember those first days, months or years of passionate pursuing we engaged in in order to gain the attentions and love of our one and only. Women and men have been known to do some pretty insane things to win the love of their intended.

              On Sunday, January 29, along with a faithful bunch of Pisgahites, I attended the Gastonia District Leadership Conference.  There were workshops provided on many areas of church leadership. The workshop I chose to attend was the one called Revitalizing Churches.

Among many things we learned was the one vital component to maintaining vitality or revitalizing a church. It was PASSION! The workshop leader said that in order to be a vital growing church anywhere and at any time, the members must be passionate, not for the church, but for Jesus.

              Passion is one of those words that have many meanings, some good and some not so good. Passion can be defined as the burning desire for a particular person, thing, or activity. I know people who have, and actively develop a passion for such things as bow-hunting, history, music, golf, pottery, and such people as Justin Beiber, Mother Teresa, and Abraham Lincoln. (People also have passions for drinking, cussing, and carousing.)

              When we Christians think about the word passion, often the betrayal, suffering and crucifixion of Jesus comes to our mind. That story which is clearly depicted in the gospels is known as the passion of Christ. I have wondered just how the word we use for ultimate love, the word we use for the burning desire for something or someone could be associated with such a horrific event. Was it that Jesus experienced a passion for the cross? Did he have a burning desire to suffer the humiliation and the pain of what happened to him? No.

              I believe that the passion that Jesus had was not for the torture he endured. I believe that the passion Jesus had was for something else, actually someone else. Jesus’ passion embodied the all-consuming desire to save humanity, no matter the cost. The passion of our Lord was for us! There has never been a greater love exhibited for anyone or anything than the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

              When we commit our lives to Christ, we commit to placing our passion in him. We commit to do the things that Jesus wants us to do in order to complete the passion of the Lord; that passion to save all of human kind.

Passion for Jesus amounts to passion for the lost, those who are not connected to God. Passion involves suffering for their cause. Suffering for anything doesn’t “preach” very well, but the truth is, Christians do suffer in various ways to bring the good news.

We are the souls who embody the passion of Christ in the present. We have to ask ourselves, how much do I love Jesus? How much am I willing to suffer? How far will I carry the cross? What insane thing am I willing to do in order to share the good news with a hurting soul?

              Someone asked the question yesterday. Will we ever be able to finish our ministries? The answer is: we will be done, when all have heard about Jesus' saving grace.  Until then, we will continue to embody the passion of the Christ. 

Our suffering will be rewarded. One day I will meet the Lord face to face. All of us will. The Lord will ask me, what have you been doing in the world? What answer will I have to give Jesus, whose passion was completely focused on me? What answer will you have to give your Lord, whose passion was completely focused on you too?