Poetry for Introspection
- Trust the Author of our Story
My wife and I watch Mandolorian, the new Star Wars show, regularly. In the most recent episode there is a scene where two stormtroopers capture Baby Yoda. Baby Yoda is extremely cute and also helpless, he is being kept in a sack. The storm troopers are hitting the sack every time he makes a noise, and finally one of them punches him because the baby bites him. At this point the watcher of the show feels righteous anger. A giant hole of injustice has just been created and we want it resolved right now. Luckily, we can trust the author of this particular Star Wars narrative. A war robot, who has been programmed as the child’s nurse, then shows up. He demands that the child be given back to him. The storm troopers refuse. The robot then dispatches one stormtrooper by breaking his wrist and hitting him in the face then takes the other by the head and repeatedly smashes him into a speeder bike until both the storm troopers and the bike are broken. At this point we feel like jumping for joy. That giant hole left by the injustice of the stormtroopers toward baby Yoda has just been filled in with justice.
It is hard to find shows or books that we can trust to resolve injustice in today’s world. Today there is an infatuation with showing life how it really is. In this literature people die, slaves are tortured, the world’s justice system is flawed. Everyone just wants money, power, and sex and good doesn’t always prevail. Well, maybe this is a good caricature of how the world really works today, but God promises to make all things right.
This isn’t about whether or not hell is a physical place or how hell works. If this is our question we are missing the point. The point is that we can trust the author of our story. He is going to take the hole that injustice has left and he is going to fill it with justice. And when he does, it will feel right, it will be the way the story had to resolve. We will feel joy at his coming because all that bad stuff that injustice was leading toward will no longer be a worry.
The Bible calls us to live as if the story has a good ending. We have no right to be cynical about what the future holds. We are to have hope in the face of hopelessness and joy in the face of death because we can fully trust our father to make all things right in the end. - B. Blessed are those who mourn
Comfort is Near, a meditation on Matthew 5:4
Judgment comes, mourn for the lost
Sin devours, mourn the cost
Loss steals, mourn its pain
Death swallows, mourn the grave
Jesus comes, all will be right
Good prevails, God is our light
Restoration approaches, all is made new
Resurrection imminent, Jesus alive
God will wipe away every tear
God with us he draws us nearI wrote this poem after putting together a podcast made up entirely of stories and passages about mourning in the Bible. metabolizinggodsword.com/2023/01/06/ep-3-the-beatitudes/. It is a great way to to chew on how the Bible talks about mourning.
- Sudden
Suddenly I fell
Robbed of might
As I await recovery
From pain brought suddenly
Faced with plans futility
And health’s frailty
My productivity
Proves unnecessary
As God lovingly
Spends time with me - Wake Up
In waking up we learn
The early bird gets the worm
Prying eyes awake
Begin movement for love’s sake
Love of self, family, and coworker
Set up to go further
It’s a life skill that stays with us
It makes me think of some I love
Wake from addiction
Wake from lethargy
Pry open your eyes
Wake up to live lifeProverbs 6:10-11
English Standard Version
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man. - Value
Production is not value
Value resides in you
There is more value to presence
Than to opulence
Parents take note - In the Quiet
I often feel guilty to sit at rest
An inner anxiety believes doing is best
Sitting, resting, allowing boredom to sink in
Imagination now rises within
I dream of what life could be
I reflect on how I’ve been
I am challenged to change
Challenged to grow
In the quiet
I perceive my soul
Gently I am nudged
I encounter the Lord - As I Am Beloved
- Thirst
A Good Friday Poem
The Cornerstone perfected
On a hill with olive trees
Abandoned by disciples
Each to his own dreams
Sweating blood in his distress
Says Father if it’s your will
Will you take this cup from me
Not my will but yours be doneBetrayed, marked by a false kiss
A bleary eyed disciple
Now draws sword in his defense
Cutting off a guard’s deaf ear
Jesus stills further violence
He heals the startled man
I am who you’re looking for
He accepts the Father’s planCornerstone of the temple
Rejected by the high priest
The guards beat and mock him
For the pleasure of the throng
Accused by many liars
Yet silent as a shorn lamb
He says Destroy this temple,
I will raise it up again.They cast the stone outside the city
On a hill called Calvary
They drive nails through outstretched hands
Into a good and evil tree
The son of man stands enthroned
The true temple lifted high
Delivering messiah
By jealous men condemned to dieBeaten whipped accused and mocked
Now hanging from the cross
He looks on the whole city
On soldiers and mocking crowd
Casting lots for his clothing
As they bide time till his death
He says Father forgive them
For they know not what they doTwo thieves hang beside him
One thief mocks with the crowd
The other hopes in Jesus
To bring him to paradise
Beneath him stands his mother
Who now must watch him die
He bids his friend care for her
For his mother he providesThe Savior scorned by mankind
And despised by the people
Passing by mocking saying
He trusts in the Lord
What good has that done for him?
Let his God deliver him
Jesus cries, my God, my God
Why have you forsaken me?The Christ hangs, mouth dry and parched
Remembering his purpose
Breath ragged, he says I thirst
Vinegar on hyssop branch
The Savior drinks the bitter draught
He looks on those he loves
Humanity surrounds him
He declares, it is finishedDeep darkness covers the earth
Despite the sun in sky
The veil over glory tears
He cries out with a loud voice
Father into your hands
I commit my spirit
Saying this he breathes his last
Those who mocked now beat their breastStone tree temple now converge
Recall Moses as staff strikes
Living water bursts forth
From temple, stone, tree of life
Living water flooding free
Growing deeper as it flows
Healing both land and sea
Giving life, now come and drink - Joy of Repentance
Approach repentance with all joy,
Through its work, grace is deployed
A direct line to the Emperor of all we see
To ignore it is to live life foolishly
We have eaten the fruit, tasted our lies
It drips from our chin, it stains our lives
Cowering in the bushes, dressed in our shame
Ignoring the one who is calling our name.Come walk with me in this garden of delight
Come walk with me till the stars shine bright
I made you, I formed you, I know who you are
Come walk with me, I will heal your heartPeering out of the bushes, juice staining our lips
Perhaps next time, once I can control this
This dirty feeling of sin on my face
If I was clean, then I would ask Him for grace
We peer from the bushes as he walks by
We turn away, we run and hide
How can I face him when I am so impure
Next time maybe, I’ll be better for sureCome walk with me in this garden of delight
Come walk with me till the stars shine bright
I made you, I formed you, I know who you are
Come walk with me, I will heal your heartPeering out of the bushes, covered in juice
I’ll say it wasn’t my fault, I was given the fruit
It wasn’t my fault when I took that first bite
It wasn’t my fault I gave into lust, hate and pride
These people around me, they’re dragging me down
It’s your fault God! Look who you put me around
We peer from the bushes, excuse on our lips
As He walks by we continue to sit.Come walk with me in this garden of delight
Come walk with me till the stars shine bright
I made you, I formed you, I know who you are
Come walk with me, I will heal your heartWalking out of the bushes, covered in juice
We hold out our hands, still holding the fruit
I did it Lord, look at my hands
My misdeeds are as many as the sands
He looks at us, straight in the eyes
This mighty king, who for us once died
He washes us, with water and blood
Our shame wiped away, we experience loveWe walk with Him in His garden of delight
We walk with Him late into the night
Our shame is gone as we walk by His side
We then wonder, why did we ever hide - Identity in Christ
Light of the world, Shatter the clay
Be lifted up turn night into day
Salt of the earth, flavor the whole
Bright blessing and truth, fill to the full
Kings and queens, rise up stand
You are a blessing, heal the landHeirs of the kingdom, stand on your rights
Subdue the earth, bring darkness to light
Bring order and justice, the High King’s way
No power, no kingdom, can stand where you stay
When you take your rest, life seeps into the ground
A tree of life, were fruit can be foundA branch of the vine, contagiously whole
Life speakers, a city on a hill
What is it that gives us our worth
God has made us, a blessing to earth
Bind the darkness, show up to fight
Speak His words, shine our light - The Idol is Me
No, we don’t worship idols in the states
Josh Cushman
Our civilization is far too great
We drive cars like palanquin
Live in temples with lawns so green
Rooms with mirrors, shrines to our corpulence
Our highest value is our happy abundance
O crap
The idol is meA few weeks ago I was sitting with some friends from several different countries. India, Myanmar, and Cambodia were represented, along with myself from the USA. My friends were talking about the odd things that were worshiped in their countries. My friend from India, shared about cows, trees, and rocks that were worshiped in his country. My friend from Myanmar, shared about his grandfather who had been a very successful witch doctor and regularly made animal sacrifices to the spirits. Here in Cambodia, every store front and house has a shrine or a spirit house. After the others had shared, Moody asked me, “what do you worship in America?”
Without thinking, I answered, “we worship ourselves.”
Afterwards in thinking about our conversation, I realized just how right that answer is. In Church we talk about idols, we talk about money and cars and image. These are idols certainly, but I would suggest they are merely products of the much more insidious idol of self worship.
There is no more sneaky false god, than our own being. After all, isn’t that the sin of Adam and Eve? When we have placed ourselves, our happiness, our feelings, our value, on the throne of our hearts instead of God, we can go a lifetime without recognizing our mistake. Evan as Christians in the west, we are liable to make our worship of God subject to our own self worship. Without even knowing it is happening. We stop going to a Church where we were growing because we found a message offensive. We overextend our budget and miss some tithe payments because we bought ourselves a newer better car. We skip Sabbaths to pursue our own interests. We look down on the people surrounding us in Church because we assume we are better. We don;t see anything wrong with where our heart’s at, because we feel happy.
God doesn’t share thrones. We are either subjecting ourselves to Him as our king, or we are not. He doesn’t force us, but He does beckon us. He invites us. He longs for us to stop giving Him lip service while in truth we worship ourselves. Evan attending Church can be simply one more avenue to get something for ourselves. We are not capable of being God. Even if we try to just be our own god, we will find ourselves inadequate. We can achieve happiness, or satisfaction for a while, but when life gets real, and we are faced with our own mediocrity, tragedy or death, we will know our need to hand over our throne to the only one who is worthy to be our king. The question is, will we still remember how? Or like Pharaoh, a self styled god in his own right, will our hearts be too hard?
- Life of Worship
Called to live, not to survive
Joshua Cushman
When lifting voice, when lifting a shovel
Through thick and thin, in Christ abide
In rest, in work, in mansion or hovel
Living water springing up inside
Under roof, with God’s holy people
On a jobsite with dust and boards
On our knees alone, feeling feeble
Worship, living as the Lords
Rising up on wings like eagles
It is God’s view that we attain
In church, in prayer, in day to day
living subject to His name
It’s not the words we say, or pray
In Christ’s life do we remain?
Worship, filling, completing, expanding
Knowing, submitting, choosing His will
Dying to self, to our striving, attaining
His guiding purpose, life instilled
In our lives, the King is reigningThe Three Types of Daily Worship
Worship is a term often misunderstood by Christian’s. Often it is understood as what we do on Sundays, or simply the acts of singing to God. We listen to worship music, and attend Churches that have an order of worship. Oftentimes this understanding keeps worship at arms length from our daily lives. We have made the mistake of restricting it to a time and place, or an act. Biblically, there are three distinct types of worship. Corporate worship, at Temple and synagogue, homes and city gates. Private worship, under the shade of trees, in prison cells, in palaces, in tents. Perhaps most importantly, there is the worship of a life well lived, in submission to God. Worshipers that swear to their own hurt and follow through. Who are submissive to masters, and take responsibility for their workers. Who can clean toilets with a smile, or direct a nation with humility. A lifestyle of worship is the product of internalized corporate and private worship. One could say that the three modes of worship are so intertwined and interlinked to often be nearly indistinguishable from one another in the life of a mature believer. It becomes hard to tell where one ends and another begins. Certainly there is a natural flow to our growth. It is in the corporate setting that we are introduced to the Bible, prayer, and our relationship with God and others. This then flows naturally into time spent alone, reading our Bibles, praying, meditation and rest focused on God. We then find that the Bible, our time in prayer, our relationship with God and with fellow travelers begins to permeate every aspect of our daily lives. Biblical worship is to choose God first in every area of our lives, in act and dead, in prayer and in song. To worship is to submit to His will, and to ascribe to Him the value, glory and honor he is eternally due.
Biblically, corporate worship is the place where we become a member of God’s holy, set apart, people. In teaching and exhortation, in song and in prayer, in our weeks, months and years. Our first observation in attending a Church for any length of time, is how messed up everyone else is. However, as we stick it out, we discover that perhaps we too may have some rough edges. Once we understand this, we begin to see God at work in the whole congregation. We see the reality, that God loves these people, that Jesus died for them, and that the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives. In song, we lift our voices, a quire with one purpose, to submit to who He is and lift up His name. In exhortation, we and our fellow soldiers are put through boot camp, often painful, but all with a common goal, to follow Jesus. We learn to come alongside one another, to lift eachother up, to help one another over insurmountable obstacles. As we read and are taught the Bible together, we discover that the Bible was written, not just to me, but to us. We see that the believer sitting next to us has a perspective and an understanding of some passages that we do not, and vice versa. In this, we are encouraged to grow, and to internalize what we read. In the corporate setting, our calendar is bookended with Worship.
Our private worship is where everything that we learned begins to become metabolized. We begin our day with a prayer and a verse. We thank God for our meals remembering that he is our provider. We tithe, submitting or finances to His provision. We sabbath, refusing to be slaves to work and money, choosing instead to trust God and his faithfull provision. As we read our BIble, as well as other books, our imagination is set on fire, set aflame as we ask the question, God, how should I live? We begin praying for coworkers, for bosses, for parents, and aunts and uncles and siblings, even the distant relatives of close friends. We pray for world leaders both the good and the tyrant. As we do this, we find we are not helpless. Whatever life throws at us we have access to the most high God, and Jesus as our advocate. We are a slave to no man, though we are a servant to all.
As our imagination grows, we begin to see that we are no longer merely occupations and responsibilities. We find that we have a vocation and a calling. Our work becomes a place of worship. We grow in our ability to do the menial with Joy, and the grand with humility. We see that whatever task we do, we are doing us unto the lord. In business dealings, we are honest. In communication, we are patient. We see the people around us as fellow creatures made in the image of the creator, and though we may find them infuriating, we ask God, what do you see in the person in front of me? We pray for them and behold, our perspective begins to change. At home, we begin to see our children and our spouse in the light of who God is. We serve one another, puting one another first and see the value that God placed in each one of us. It is often in work, and at home, not in church, that we have the opportunity to grow most in the mind of Christ. It is in the worship of lives lived in submission to Christ, that our hearts are made ready to receive more, both in corporate and private worship.
My point is this. Healthy, true worship, produces a lifestyle of worship. Look at the Bible, you will find that in every book that contains instruction for corporate worship, you will also find practical laws or instruction for how to live out the day to day. If we are to grow in maturity, the three modes of worship must become nearly indistinguishable to us. We will see how sabbath, worship, and righteousness are intended to permeate every area of our lives. Whatever our call may be. The Bible is full of people living lives of worship. shepherds, judges, kings, tax collectors, fishermen, diers of purple, tent makers, apostles, teachers, advisors, winners at beauty pageants, prophets, gleaners at the edges of fields, tanners, builders, musicians, historians, singers and carpenters. The number one thing they all have in common, is doing their work in submission to God. An act of worship in itself.
It concerns me when I hear people talk of a desire for revival as though we can get there through corporate worship, or private devotion. The gateway to revival is neither of these things. It is Holy living, worship that has permeated every area of our lives. Read the prophets, you will not find one telling the children of Israel to worship better or more. They all say, as though with one voice, live better, and choose to put God first in your whole life. Corporate, and private worship are the means to drench our lives with worship. It is the lifestyle of worship walked out that brings revival. It is possible to make Christianity popular through advertisement, performance based worship, and powerful oration, but unless holy living is produced it can hardly be called revival.
- Speak Life
See creative potential
Point out strengths
Engage conversationally
Ask good questions
Kind thoughtful words
Lift up interests
Inspire confidence
Find common ground
Encourage - Love Your Neighbor
There is less richness in McDonald’s signs
Ruling the earth by franchise
Than in a cottage industry
Where loving hands work in simplicity
There is less fullness
In church productions
Than in home cooked meals
With scripture and friends
Less wisdom in a thousand books
Than in “Love your neighbor” understoodA few months ago our family was in a Cambodian village on outreach. Of the twenty people on our team we were the only couple with kids. Alyssa and I found ourselves really trying to keep up with everyone else, but the added pressure of parenting and caring for four children often made that impossible. Just up the street from us a Cambodian lady did laundry out of her home. She had a single washer and lots of racks to hang clothes out in the sun. Twice a week I would walk over with a pile of laundry. Invariably one of the family members would be sitting in a hammock just inside the fence that surrounded her property. She would take our laundry with a big smile, and with a few words explain to us when we could pick up the laundry depending on the weather. If it was rainy, which often happens in Cambodia, we would have to wait a day or so longer. We would return at the appropriate time, and she would have our laundry neatly folded and bagged waiting for us. One day my wife and I got there a few minutes early and we were given chairs while she and her daughter folded the laundry. We walked away marveling at the care and pride she took in her work. Her kindness, smile, and excellence not only relieved the extra pressure of laundry for six from our plate. We walked away feeling loved and valued in a tangible way. It was her that I had in mind when I wrote this short poem. For me she is a fine example of someone who is participating with God in ordering the world.
- Cultivate Earth With Heaven
We’re not machines,
Defined by work
We image God
Inhabiting earth
Infused with divinity
Precisely in our humanity
In charity, kindness, compassion
Cultivate earth with heaven - Walk With God
Walking the streets before dawn’s light,
Feeling the city’s pulse slowly rise.
Roosters crow, dogs bay
Humanity greets the day
Walking, listening, feeling the creators delightAs I went for an early morning walk here in Montana, I found myself missing my early morning walks on the village streets in Cambodia. Here I am surrounded by beauty. Quiet snowy woods surrounded by towering peaks. I walked with only the compony of my dog to the river, and saw no one, except a few deer. My prayer time was quiet, subdued, introspective, sensing my smallness in the grandeur of creation. In Cambodia, the ambiance is quite different. The streets are nearly never quiet. Dogs, chickens, cows, birds, and bugs set up a natural racket. The people often talk and sing late into the night, and many rise early to begin their work. The natural beauty is often marred by trash, dilapidated structures, and harsh smells. On my walks there I found myself attuned to creation in a different way. I found myself participating with God praying blessings over those I saw. My prayers were not introspective, instead it was quite the opposite. My attention was drawn to the needs, lives, and joys of the people around me.
It is true that Jesus often went into the wilderness to be alone surrounded by the beauty. It is also true that He walked through towns and villages on his way there. It is true that his heart was moved by the needs of the people, and that he wept over Jerusalem.
Both introspective and extrospective prayer are visible in Jesus’s life as they should be in ours. Where ever we find ourselves may we be attuned to the Spirit as we walk and as we pray.
- The Farmer and the Pastor
There once was a rice farmer. He spent many days bent over, walking backwards in calf high water planting rice. At the end of the day, he would sit and pick the leaches from his feet before going home with his wife.
There once was a pastor who ran his church successfully. His diploma sat before him as he diligently worked, He ran programs, taught and kept up his image. He had his shoes polished every night.
The farmer took care of his family, and was blessed with two children. He received a worn out copy of the gospel of Mathew. Each night he read to his family, each morning they followed him to tend the rice. Sometimes he found the readings hard, but he applied them to his life.
The pastor managed his church well. He had hundreds in attendance but he hungered for growth. He hosted seminars, he lectured from his vast education on Sundays, and attended meetings all week. He researched demographics and crafted sermons to keep people coming back.
The farmer grew older, wiser, white hair with many lines around his eyes. When he looked upon his children he was filled with fatherly pride. He now had a Bible to read to his family each night. On Sundays villagers gathered in his home to read, sing, and pray. During the week he tended the rice.
The pastor grew older. He developed lines around his mouth. When he looked at his large church, he strove to make it larger. He delegated tasks, he ran meetings, he taught Saturday and Sunday and wrote several books. He gave seminars and lectures on how to grow your church.
The farmer and the pastor, when once both had died. It was found whose work was worthy and who had walked in pride. One was found faithful, tending his Lord’s sheep. One was found unworthy to wash the other’s feet.
- He Calls Us Friends
Friends sit on the couch
Time free of expectations
Content to be
Acquaintances converse
Forced smiles, constant speaking
Awkward in silence
Friends are who they are
Fishing, working, or sitting
Pretense far away
Jesus Called us friends
We confess, we petition
Do we rest content?
Do we rest with Him?
Fishing, working, worshiping
Pretense far awayAs I was listening to a teaching on our call to relationship with The Holy Spirit, I found myself convicted. Imagine a friend who only wants to talk when he wants something from you.
“Hey man, can you forgive me for running over your cat? By the way, I really want a new couch.”
Perhaps this person also thanks you profusely.
“By the way, these pants are amazing! I am so thankful for them, thanks for taking me to the thrift store and helping me find them. Also can you forgive me for eating the last scoop of ice cream last night? Don’t forget I’m still waiting for that new couch. See you later.”
Thankfully God is much more patient than I am, but if someone treated me like this I would see it as a very needy and shallow relationship. I would see the person as at best an acquaintance, and at worst, the bain of my existence. Unfortunately, this is also a caricature of how I have often prayed.
Jesus calls us friends. He desires a real relationship with us. Sometimes people define real relationships as friends you can talk about the hard things with. This may be partially true, but a real friend is someone you can simply just be with. In a true friendship, being together is both the result and the objective. Whether fishing, eating, working or talking the friendship is content in the being.
- Connected
Choose,
Lay down the phone
Connect
Right at home
Undistracted, undivided
With your family
Be delighted - Intentionally
Setting out to be alone
With the one who sits enthroned
Upon the heavens
Setting out to quiet my soul
It’s always hungry striving to rule
Over my perceptions
Hoping to encounter rest
Drive roots into Christ’s presence
Free of aspirations
Leave my riches behind
From Him the treasures find
Whole emancipation
Bear circumstances without sin
Maturity growing in discipline
Heavenly progression - The Dead Tree Flowers
Symbol of Roman power
The dead tree flowers
Resurrection at work
Living waters renew earth
The tomb cracks, water bursts forth
Life springs up where it flows
The cross itself begins to leaf
Bearing fruit, come and eat!
The place of death is now paradise
New creation, re-creating,
Through death
Resurrection life
I highly recommend this book from a from Donnel O’Flynn, a local pastor in my area. I just finished his book, Holy Cross, Life Giving Tree. It is a wonderful, scholarly book that explores the historical understanding of the Cross as a life giving tree, and it’s implications to life and worship today. - Gethsemane
Midnight approaches. Darkness envelops the earth. Three sleep oblivious of one’s great suffering. Agony wracking his body. Stress squeezing blood from pores. He sees imminent suffering, resulting, destruction. Releasing desire. He embodies Fathers love. Accepting death. Acquiring resurrection, beginning re-creation.
- Run For Deliverance
Behind stone walls,
Silent dark crypt,
Fermenting shame,
Addiction swallows time,
Joy recalled,
A different life,
Once lived outside,
In vanquished memory,
None could love me,
If they knew me,
If they saw me,
Husk of humanity,
These lies, shackles,
Obstructing hope,
Choose truth, choose life,
Loose the key in your mouth,
Confess defeats,
Reveal shame,
Die to yourself,
Accept resurrection,
Your loved, wanted,
Known, sought for, missed,
Run towards deliverancePsalm 51:10 and 12
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. - Name
A poem based on Isaiah 62:2-4
Written for Fandango’s One Word Challenge, FOWC with Fandango — Name
Isaiah 62:2-4
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name,
which Yahweh’s mouth will name.
3 You will also be a crown of beauty in Yahweh’s hand,
and a royal diadem in your God’s hand.
4 You will not be called Forsaken any more,
nor will your land be called Desolate any more;
but you will be called Hephzibah,*
and your land Beulah;†
for Yahweh delights in you,
and your land will be married. - All In Poem
- Fatherhood
- Fly Away
- Home and Marriage
- Humility a Sadly Lacking Grace
#fpq written for a Fandango Provocative Question
This poem is a response to a quote from Bertrand Russel, a philosopher and mathematician from the last century. This was a writing prompt posted by #fpq. Recently I spent time in Cambodia, a place still suffering from the effects of the Khmer Rouge regime. During the Khmer Rouge roughly one quarter to one third was killed when a segment of there intelligentsia took over assuming they knew best. This was in no way a unique event in history.
In many ways I see the truth to this quote from Russel. I wrote this poem however thinking of those who would use this sort of quote to support the tyranny of the educated class.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world, the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubts.” -Bertrand Russell
Perhaps in pondering less
Of what one doesn’t know or can’t know
One can ponder what one does knowThere is more wisdom to a garden well tended
And loving neighbors without conditions
Than rechewing regurgitated questionsWe mistake knowledge for wisdom
facts for truth, education for intelligence,
Our society is confusedIt is true, “the majority is always wrong”(Mark Twain)
And the stupid tend to sing the loudest song
Doing what is right in our own eyes all alongThe problem is pride, usurping God’s place
The stupid take pride in knowing, the intelligent in doubts
Humility a sadly lacking gracePerhaps if we know truth, and feel the soil in our hands
Recall the wisdom of the wise who have walked the land
Living humbly, loving those we canPerhaps the intelligent will be satisfied with answers
And the stupid will learn to doubt - Trust
- Asking Why
#fowc
- Attempt
- Trust
Much better
At doing than being
At praying than believing
At talking than hearing
At walking than waiting
At looking than seeing
Lilies, sparrows, trust
Rarely appealing““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? “Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.”
Matthew 6:24-34 WEBUS - Grow
Great height
The soaring green
cool shade rests under leaves
Majestic shelter, place of peace
Visible
Below
Roots tunnel deep
Quiet, private, unseen
Gently gather nourish, uphold
Great height
Quiet time
Alone with God
Soaking in abiding love
Humbly prepared to sustain
Great height“He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.”
Psalms 1:3 WEBUS#FOWC
- Marriage
Choosing
Life together
Holding hands venture forth
Engage daily in fresh romance
Abide.“Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24 WEBUS - Parenting
Present
Expanding dreams
Nurturing confidence
Metamorphosis in your home
Fly awayProverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
- Ep. J10 The Beatitudes in Poetry
A Podcast Meditation on the Beatitudes in Matthew, Through Original Poetry.
Metabolizing God’s Word
Meditations for Bible fueled living
The Beatitudes in Poetry.
In this meditation I have deviated from the style of the rest of this series. The rest of these meditations on the Beatitudes are made up nearly completely of scripture. This meditation on the other hand is made up of my own thoughts. After putting together each of the previous eight meditations I wrote a poem to try to capture what I had seen revealed in scripture as I worked on this project. I hope these thoughts are edifying as you too seek to internalize the Beatitudes.
Matthew 5:1-12
Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Who is Poor in Spirit
She may have wealth
She knows that God owns the earth
She may be wise
But she knows that God knows all
She may be kind
But she knows God is love
She may suffer
But She knows God is good
Humbly following Jesus’ lead
She takes up her cross
Her life is in heaven
Her presence on the earth
The kingdom of heaven
Presence on earthBlessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn
Judgment comes, mourn for the lost
Sin devours, mourn the cost
Loss steals, mourn its pain
Death swallows, mourn the grave
Jesus comes, all will be right
Good prevails, God is our light
Restoration approaches, all is made new
Resurrection imminent, Jesus alive
God will wipe away every tear
God with us he draws us nearBlessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted,
Who is Meek?
He who stands before kings
But Trembles before God,
Who makes no promises
But is diligent in love,
When the armies cower
He stands up straight
Slingshot ready to crush
The head of the snake,
Who is meek, but he who is fearful of God
His fear has removed his fleshly façade,
Revealed royalty
Empowered to loveBlessed are the meek, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
Love, refreshing as cold water
Joy, coffee to start the day
Peace, a late morning brunch
Patients, Delectable as holiday chocolate
Kindness, a fragrant homemade soup
Goodness, sweet as grandma’s cookies
Faithfulness, desirable as fine wine
Gentleness, hot tea before bed
Self control, your daily breadBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled,
Merciful
Know the value of clean water
Bake bread when faced with hunger
Sew when you sees nakedness
Make a bed for the homeless
Wash and bandaged every wound
Great the orphan on the street
Protect the window from greed
Sit with the elderly and listen
Visit new friends in prison
Enter in, shed light on suffering
Pray, find strength walk out mercy
Sacred service to the hurting
It is Jesus you are servingBlessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,
Pure in Heart
Listen and obey
summary of Jesus way
Loving God in word and deed
Loving neighbors without greed
Obedience your heart reshapes
Flesh heart from stone awakes
Wake from the matrix of sins hold
Smell, taste, touch, feel, behold
See God’s glory in creation
In humanity despite devotion,
To false god’s we’ve bow the knee
gods of war, sex, and money
Chose now, love, chastity, charity
Perceive God’s heart with clarity
Purity of heart
Life set apartBlessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,
Become a Peacemaker
Become a peacemaker
Take up the torch of our savior
By life, death and resurrection
He changed enemies to sons
By presence, humility and hope
Make His peace wherever you goBlessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God,
Those who are Persecuted
Have you caught the vision
He is greater than your pain
More lasting than concerns
More certain than the grave
Blessed are those who enter
Heaven while on earth
They see worldly pleasures
For what they’re really worth
They lay down desires
They lay down their pride
Their eyes remain on heaven
Even as they dieBlessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,
The Beatitudes in summary
Jesus words
Take up your cross and follow meSeeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- Healing unto Wholeness
Your purpose is wholeness
Not our health
You seek our growth
Not our comfort
Your are Lord
Then our healer
We will seek you,
Resting in grace
In our groaning flesh,
We will seek your face
Heal us Lord,
This we prayI have heard it taught several times over the years that God always wants to heal. This sentiment, while at first sounding good does not stand up well to an honest reading of the Bible. Jacob had his hip permanently damaged when he wrestled with God, Job experienced extreme suffering with God’s permission. Jesus waited and allowed Lazarus to die. On the road to Damascus, Jesus struck Saul blind. When Saul became Paul, Jesus refused to heal Paul’s thorn in the flesh.
It is true that healing is a major ministry of Jesus, The Apostles, and the Church. The Bible and history both are full of accounts of God’s miraculous healing. However, when we say that God always wants to heal, we are distorting The Gospel. God’s goal is not to remove all suffering from our lives. He is saving us. God’s is after our wholeness. He is restoring us to true humanity made in His image. He always wants us to be growing into His image. He always wants the Spirit to be bearing fruit in our lives. He desires love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control to be visible and evident no mater what our circumstances may look like.
When training a dog for service work the dog must be introduced to hundreds of circumstances and environments. In every new environment the expectations for the dogs behavior remain consistent, but the added distraction create new challenges. When a dog is fully trained and mature, it reliably does his masters will no mater the circumstance.
God is training us. He is teaching us to abide in Christ whatever our circumstances and environment may look like. When we suffer, God is with us, training us, making us whole, in times of plenty and great joy, Got is with us, training us, making us whole. In no way does this downplay the suffering, but it quite possibly shifts our perspective on how we are to walk through times of trial. In those times we are often growing most tangibly into the image of Christ.
- Creating Anew
Not my maturity, or my righteousness
Healing, a product of your life in us
Not my working, striving or behaving
Simple faith you rose from the grave
You formed us in our mothers wombs
Healing defined, you creating anew
When we trust you with our hurts
We wait expectant of creation at workThe book Miracles, by C. S. Lewis has really stuck with me. In one of the chapters he shows the miracles of Jesus in light of creation. When a broken bone heals, it is the creative work of God; our eyes are formed in the womb, it is the creative work of God. When God immediately heals it is still His creation at work.
- Authority
Creator God, all authority is your own
Your raised us up, gave us a throne
To rule, and protect our garden sanctuary
Name the animals, call out purpose to diversity
Our authority, a shepherd’s staff in our hands
But we allowed a serpent into our land
The seraph spoke, it filled us with lies
Did God really say? Will you surely die?
We walked with that sariph, in the heat of the day
Missed out on our walk, in the cool of the evening
We dropped our authority, our shepherd’s rod
Taken up by our new master, cruel and hard
Beautiful seraph, cast to the ground
Rising up, wearing our crown
Murder, oppression and war, now the norm
God acted for us, by sea and by storm
Generations continued to walk over the land
God chose a people, slaves on Egyptian sands
The rod was cast down, and ate pharaoh’s serpents
That god king was no match for God’s servants
The rod was raised up it split open the sea
The rod brought down, revealing a living stream
Moses stood, he leaned on his rod
He promised one coming who would reveal God
By the Ark of the covenant, a new branch flowered
A picture of the messiah, to come in power
Jesus went down to were John was sent
Dunked into death, rising he saw heaven rent
He walk into the desert to begin recreation
There, still holding Adams staff, stood the satan
The satan tried, speaking half truths and lies
But Jesus himself, the new rod in disguise
Jesus snapped seraphs rod over his knee
Where ever Jesus goes, the satan must flee
The branch of the tribe of Judah revealed in power
All authority is his to this very hour
We lean on Him as he walks by our side
With Him we walk in re-creation life - F. Pure in Heart
The Beatitudes in Poetry
Listen and obey
summary of Jesus way
Loving God in word and deed
Loving neighbors without greed
Obedience your heart reshapes
Flesh heart from stone awakes
Wake from the matrix of sins hold
Smell, taste, touch, feel, behold
See God’s glory in creation
In humanity despite devotion,
To false god’s we’ve bow the knee
gods of war, sex, and money
Chose now, love, chastity, charity
Perceive God’s heart with clarity
Purity of heart
Life set apartI put together a podcast, Podcast Meditations Through the Beatitudes. In each podcast I have fallowed one of Jesus saying in the beatitudes found in Matthew through the narrative of scripture. This poem and the others found at The Beatitudes in Poetry are reductions of what I have learned through this process.
- D. Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Love, refreshing as cold water
Joy, coffee to start the day
Peace, a late morning brunch
Patients, Delectable as holiday chocolate
Kindness, a fragrant homemade soup
Goodness, sweet as grandma’s cookies
Faithfulness, desirable as fine wine
Gentleness, hot tea before bed
Self control, your daily breadIn this meditation on Jesus’s words in Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. I have associated each aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit described by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 with something delicious. In doing so I hope that I have captured a little bit of what Jesus meant when He said we should hunger and thirst for righteousness. Sometimes this verse is associated with those who long for their community to be righteous. While there is certainly some room for that line of thought in the Biblical narrative, primarily we should be longing for our own righteousness. We should be longing to have the plank removed from our own eye before we ever dare to point out the speck in the eye of our brother. It is when we long to walk out love, to embody joy, to be at peace, to be kind, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and full of self control that we will be filled with those good thing.
I put together a podcast that is a meditation on the meaning of Matthew 5:6. I have pulled scripture together from all over scripture in order to try and grasp the richness of what the whole Biblical narrative has to say on this subject. Ep. E5 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness
- Life of Worship
- Present
Turn off the TV
Face the palpable silence
Mind, unentertained
Turn down the radio
Now face the quiet you dread
Your mind free to think
Now you remember
Ears tingling, unburdened
Who and where you are
Free to imagine
Free to breathe, create , explore
Present, in your brainTrying to fulfill the obligations of Discipleship Training School while also parenting four kids can at times be challenging. However, despite the busy schedule, I have found that I still have the mental energy and desire to be creative. I believe this can largely be attributed to two things. having few sources of entertainment and having no real way to make or spend money. In this we have been cultivating the experience of being undistracted. Certainly entertainment and money have their proper place in our lives. That said, this experience has helped me to rethink the place they have been holding in mine. The week I wrote this poem our lectures were on intimacy with God and hearing His voice. A major part of developing our relationship with God is simply being able to stop and listen. So many, myself included, often live afraid of boredom. In our gluttony for productivity and entertainment, have we lost the ability to be at rest? It is only when we stop doing, striving, and consuming, that we can fully participate in listening, maturing and growing.
- E. Merciful
Know the value of clean water
Bake bread when faced with hunger
Sew when you sees nakedness
Make a bed for the homeless
Wash and bandaged every wound
Great the orphan on the street
Protect the window from greed
Sit with the elderly and listen
Visit new friends in prison
Enter in, shed light on suffering
Pray, find strength walk out mercy
Sacred service to the hurting
It is Jesus you are serving - C. Who is meek?
Who is Meek, a meditation on Matthew 5:5
He who stands before kings
But Trembles before God,
Who makes no promises
But is diligent in love,
When the armies cower
He stands up straight
Slingshot ready to crush
The head of the snake,
Who is meek, but he who is fearful of God
His fear has removed his fleshly façade,
Revealed royalty
Empowered to loveI wrote this poem after putting together Podcast Meditations Through the Beatitudes. Each podcast is a meditation through the whole narrative of scripture on each beatitude.
- All In
Reputations slave, petulant diligence
Showing no weakness, frailty despised
Slave of money, that theft of time
In the heat of the day, cold sweats in the night
Slave of comfort, subject to circumstance,
Joy and kindness, victims of want
Lord, I am tired of being my own slave
My life, my purpose, its you I crave
My reputation, fulfilled in your delight
Counterfeit outside your design
My security, safest in your hands
My comfort, Lord, who do I think I am?
Thankfully Lord, I give you my all
Gratefully climbing off my throne
Bowing, postured before my Lord
Your purposes, they are higher than mine
Fulfilling your plans, the meaning of lifeMy family, my marriage, my reputation,
my comfort, my control, my life’s dedication,
my stuff. Lord, it is yours.
To carry your image,
to serve you and to know you,
Privileged in lifeThe week I wrote this poem our DTS lectures were on the cost of discipleship. It is also called Lordship Week in some DTS’s and sometimes All In Week. It is a week intended to search out those areas were we have not allowed Jesus be Lord of our life. This poem is a meditation on the truth that in not allowing Jesus to be Lord, we end up choosing slavery to something else. If we find meaning in life from anything other than God’s purposes, fulfillment will be a distant dream. For short times we can find meaning in work or family, reputation or comfort, but at some point we are crushed when we discover that those pursuits are not structural enough to build a life on. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said “ salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.” If we want to follow Jesus, we are going to have to die to ourselves, and give him every area of our lives.
- A. Who is Poor in Spirit
She may have wealth
She knows that God owns the earth
She may be wise
But she knows that God knows all
She may be kind
But she knows God is love
She may suffer
But She knows God is good
Humbly following Jesus’ lead
She takes up her cross
Her life is in heaven
Her presence on the earth
The kingdom of heaven
Present on earthI wrote this after putting together a meditation on the meaning of Poor in Spirit throughout the Bible. For me, poetry is a great way to write something down densely. It is a great way to capture a moment of thought and preserve it for a latter date. You can find the meditation here Ep. B2 Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. The picture above is of our YWAM DTS outreach in Cambodia. Our friend is telling the creation story to Khmer students who have never heard it before. We had spent the morning working with the students cleaning up garbage in the city. She had been grabbing armfuls of garbage and smiling the whole time.
- Rest For the Living
There is a beauty in sickness
Feel mortality’s Approaching grasp
Locked away in a room alone
Time now slows down, Discontent rest
All our labors, they’re placed on hold
Unproductive, Yet time unfolds
World continues spinning along
Society’s fine, Continuing on
This day what would we be doing
Diligent work, Constant moving
This perpetual busyness
Never ending,
Behold The fool
Waiting to rest, till tasting deathI wrote this poem a few weeks ago while in quarantine, sick with Covid. I was thinking about all the times I have been so busy working, that the only days I rested were days that I was simply too sick to do anything else. Certainly God designed us for work and purpose, but those ingredients to who we are must be framed by rest and relationship. When we seek work and purpose outside of rest and relationship, we become slaves to our own doing.
- Discipleship Costs
This poem is written for pastors, youth leaders, teachers and parents. It is written to anyone who has ever poured freely into someone’s life, only to come face to face with rejection either of yourself, or of the truths you have tried to instill. Rejection of truth takes on many forms, addiction, divorce, unfaithfulness, suicide. Many of us carry emotional scars from discipling relationships that have met with one or more of these tragedies.
Discipleship Costs
Josh Cushman
Lowest lows, I’m told there’s highs
A lonely painful road
Discipled by the crossI used to wonder why pastors are statistically so lonely, but I don’t wonder any more. Walking with people and discipling them in the way of Jesus leaves us emotionally exposed. We pour into relationships freely, naively expecting that the road to wholeness always leads to mountaintops. The valley often catches us completely unaware. When a life or marriage ends, we blame ourselves. Because we love, because we have walked alongside, we assume that at some level, failure is our fault. These are the times when the price tag of discipleship is revealed.
The temptation in the valleys is to guard ourselves. Part of us, perhaps all of us, just wants to spend our days fishing and forget all the brokenness and rejection ever happened. Our relationships become distant, and that is just the way we like them. However common this scenario may be, it is not God’s heart for us. We were designed for relationship. For relationship with God and for relationship with people. Deep relationships, discipling relationships require that we invest, not just time, and energy, but emotionally and spiritually as well. We must continue through the valley to the foot of the Cross. At the foot of the Cross, looking at Jesus, rejected, we are faced with the cost of discipleship.
It is only with this revelation behind us that we can truly follow Jesus on the road of discipleship. Every time we invest in a relationship, we do so knowing that we could end up facing crucifixion. We don’t know if the person God has led us to is a Judas, a Peter or a John, but we can know that God has brought them to us. We know that he has loved them just as he has loved us and we are called to freely pour into their lives.
In this we must learn something as well. We are weak. We are not called to make disciples of ourselves, we are called to make disciples of Jesus. As we invest into relationship, we are never to feel a disciple belongs to us. We have come alongside, we are walking with them, but just like us, they belong to Jesus. We are to pray for them, and to regularly give them into God’s hands. We are to be faithful with whatever responsibility God may give us. In the end, they are not our disciples, they are His. Whether they turn out to be a Judas, a Peter or a John, if we have been faithful in the responsibilities that God has given us, their failures, or their victories for that matter, do not belong to us. They have their own relationship with Jesus and are accountable to Him.
Follow the way of the Cross. Live on the edge, praying for revival while exposed to death. In discipling we are privileged. Privileged to be discipled by the Cross.
Metabolizing God's Word 
Leave a Reply