Author Archive: Craig

Can’t Speak Truth to Power

December 10, 2019 0 Comments

I’m trading my hill songs for street songs.
I’m trading my sweet amens for Lord have mercies.
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

I’m trading my shiny tables for rugged beams.
I’m trading my nationalisms for kingdom crosses.
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

And we say yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord.
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord.

Let’s trade our like-ability for the neighbour’s love. 
Let’s trade our smooth talk for the prophet’s truth.
Let’s lay them down for the joy of the Lord.

And we say come Lord, come Lord, come come Lord.
Come Lord, come Lord, come come Lord.

We hardly know His words from the ground up.
Our quick takes ooze with white house platitudes.
We can’t speak truth to power so our nice words are used.

We are pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
We are blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy’s gonna be our strength

And we say help Lord, help Lord, help help Lord.
Help Lord, help Lord, help help Lord.

We’re trading our hill songs for street songs.
We’re trading our sweet amens for Lord have mercies.
We’re laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

Note about the picture: an inset from Edward Hicks’ work, The Falls of Niagara

Note about a previous song quoted and alluded to in this poem: Darrell Evans wrote the song Trading My Sorrows, otherwise known as Yes Lord.

Poetry

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Prayer of the People – 8 December 2019

December 10, 2019 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

You have brought us into your communion — the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We praise you for this grace. You have brought us from darkness and into your light. Our souls have been made alive by you. In fact — you woke us up.

Praise to the Father.
Praise to the Son.
Praise to the Spirit.
Praise to our God — the great Three in One.

Our souls glorify You; You are magnificent!

Thank you! Jesus when we heard of your great love for us — faith in you rose up in us. Finally There is someone worthy and fully able to heal our souls. 

You delivered us from slavery and into freedom from sin at such great cost. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for taking up flesh. Thank you for laying  down your life for us at the cross. 

Our senses were so numb — we did not know were slaves to sin till the good news quickened our conscience and we grieved the death we could not shake off. Now you are making us new creations. Now our trust is in you. Now we have a hunger for your Word and a desire to do your will.

Come Lord Jesus. Have mercy on us. Grant us the joy of your salvation.

Heavenly Father, we are concerned — for the tasks we have taken up weigh on us. Help us with our studies. This world you have made is so beautiful! There’s more to it than facts and figures — yet there are a lot of those to learn! Help us develop the skills to steward what you have entrusted to us, help us develop the character needed for courageous love.

Lord we lift up people whose dignity and glory as dearly loved and precious creations of God has been forgotten. We lift up the families of ISIS fighters living in camps on the edges of Syria and Turkey. Oh Lord would you reveal yourself to them? Please send your kindness to these children and free them from hate and despair. Let your peace reign that a generation would walk in the joy of your love and delight. Reveal Yourself to them in the night and in the day ‘till hearts are softened and the Holy Spirit has His way.

Now we pray with them and for ourselves with the requests you taught us:

(Please pray the Lord’s prayer with me:)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer

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Dancing with The Middle Kingdom

December 9, 2019 0 Comments

So the dance continues, but no one rejoices. And no one really believes the detainees “have completed their studies, found stable employment with the help of the government and have improved their quality of life and live a happy life.” (The Guardian)

So instead we shall lament for and with the Uighurs. #Advent

Dancing With The Middle Kingdom

New neighbours were sent to be with us. We 
know they can’t stand us.

Throw your doppas down they told us. Your 
songs are forbidden they told us.

Contempt, it rises like a lunar compass
shackling us both in a silk road conquest.

Home comforts have been taken from us. Our 
children are lost so utterly lost to us. 

Who surveils freedom’s death for us? Who 
hears the child’s cry far from us?

With pork dumplings they torment us. With 
baijiu they seek a ruckus.

Divine irony may make them like us. Swine
flu may make spare ribs as rare as mercy for us.

Empire building requires faces barbarous. So 
according to their hearts they see us.

We are nothing except what they want from us. They 
seek a solution for us, a solution for

Poetry

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Who Reads Poetry?

December 6, 2019 0 Comments

While in a prayer meeting this week this question and the answer came quick. I had started with the question of Isaiah the prophet’s poetry which I suppose we can call the Lord’s poetry. Who reads God’s Word deeply? And then question in my mind “Well for that matter, who reads poetry? Who reads poetry?”

The answer came as a picture first and then as words.

Who reads poetry?

Perhaps those who will 
tarry under trees
‘till their souls
rooted in soil 
breathe
again.

#poetry #slowdown #deeproots #atthecross

Poetry

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Prayer of the People, 1 December 2019

December 4, 2019 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

We cry out to you, 
“Come.” Come and be with us Immanuel   – today, 
In this Christmas season, 
In this exam season.  
Be with us in our struggles and in our joys.

We are waiting for You. Reveal to us the glory of being with you in your  communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We yearn for Your counsel, Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace , Your justice and righteousness.  

And yet we are busy, sometimes too busy to stop and pay attention to Your counsel and to receive Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace, Your justice and righteousness.  

Right now we quietly sit before You to reaffirm our longing for You and our willingness to walk with You.  (pause)

We pray over others who are not paying attention to Your kingdom or are unaware of Your goodness, and greatness, light for life;  Reveal to these dear ones in darkness — Your counsel, Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace, Your justice and righteousness.  

We ask for hope and justice for the patients impacted by the Zimbabwean doctor’s strike, for the doctors and nurses. Grant them your wisdom and generosity.

In many places Peace seems far away and pain seems more powerful. We look for You, the Prince of Peace to show yourself to those impacted by shootings in Mexico, by political changes in Namibia, and by struggles in Iraq and Iran. We need Your guidance to steward the earth so people experience your love and care. Come Lord Jesus, Come.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer —

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Prayer

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