Eternal Echoes

delight...

In a moment of clarity I saw truth,

I am nothing without you, but with you

ALL THINGS, ALL THINGS are possible,

you accept, honour, love and delight in me,

YES, YOU delight in me...

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YOU DELIGHT IN ME

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those words seep into

the dry ground of my soul

and fill my empty heart

as a healing balm,

bringing me new life

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YOU DELIGHT IN ME

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I cannot escape 

the wonder of these words,

not the challenge of them

for they call me to newness of life,

to cast off all that hinders,

to freely enter

the dance of life

wrapped in rhythms of grace....

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 I find my feet longing to dance,

and I can dance, to my delight

I can dance, and all because

YOU DELIGHT IN ME....

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I have stumbled upon the secret,

YOU TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN ME.

 God—you’re my God!
    I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
    traveling across dry and weary deserts.

So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
    drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
    My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
    My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

Psalm 63: 1-4

 

love... (pondering 1 Corinthians 13)

... this is love,

wide and expansive,

welcoming,

giving and receiving,

asking nothing offering everything,

...this is love,

tough and enduring,

wild, passionate, fierce,

willing to go the extra mile,

to seek, to serve,

to nurture,

to hope...

love looks for light in the darkness,

even the deepest darkness,

and waits

patiently waits

for love's heart cry

to respond...

go deep... (pondering Luke 5:1-11)

at the edge of the deep

I met him,

and he called to me

leave the safety of the shore,

"put out with me" he said,

so I took his hand,

stepped into the boat

and together we put out

into the waters,

and I was not afraid,

but again he said

"put out, go deep"

so we went to 

the deepest place

where he surprised me,

bringing an abundance

where once there was only lack,

and I was overwhelmed

with his overflow

of goodness,

I fell to my knees

and begged him to depart,

afraid that he would give me more,

but he brought me friends

to share with

and together he called us,

put out,

come deep,

trust me...

each word... (pondering Luke 4:14-21)

each word

a God breathed

invitation,

filled with

love and power,

each word

life bringing,

empowering,

opening a new door,

offering a new day,

each word

a gift,

given for a purpose,

anointing,

healing

setting us free,

as our spirits know

the Spirits breath

within,

oh still small voice 

of calm...

 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. ¹⁷ The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
¹⁹     and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”

²⁰ He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.²¹ Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

 

 

 

 

I reach out....

Pushing past fears,

pains, and disappointments

I reach out,

I reach out,  beyond my doubts,

through deeply ingrained insecurities

I reach out, and press on

towards fullness and healing,

holiness and compassion,

too long have I believed the lies

that surround me and those

I tell myself, naming me

 broken, and despised,

 rejected and unloved…

so I reach out for mercy

and fresh vision

for grace-filled

 love laced

glory edged promises,

I reach out

for life and unity,

wholeness and healing,

I reach out to where the

impossible becomes possible again.

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I reach out

in surrender to the one

who is making me

complete.

I reach out,

I can do nothing but

reach out…

I reach out,

this is my prayer…

Holiness....

Holiness, your life

in me, your mercy

bursting through

the clouds, unstoppable

as the sunrise rolling

back the darkness, and

painting rainbows

in the rain.

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Holiness, your promise

unfolding in me

as you enfold me

in loving arms

accepting the offering of

myself

as a treasured gift,

seeing only my potential.

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Holiness, your grace

in me, weaving

colour and flavour

into the limited palette

of my days,

making me more,

inviting me

to become holy in you.

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Holiness, your blessing

in me, making the impossible

possible, freeing dreams

releasing gifts

empowering holiness

in me, blessing me,

releasing me,

to be a blessing...

overflow 2 (pondering John 2: 1-11)

When all they had to offer was gone,

when all they faced was embarrassment,

shame and disgrace,

he took the offering of the lowest

and transformed their lack

into his glorious abundance,

the best had come,

overflowing provision

took place of emptiness,

and all were surprised by joy,

and celebrated anew!

Extraordinary by Tim 

overflow, a prayer...

God of abundance,

and overflowing grace,

God whose mercy drenches us

like early morning dew

sparkling in the

first rays of the dawning day,

God whose life and light,

power, and compassion

weave a gossamer 

web of love around us

holding us, keeping us safe

even in the deepest valleys,

help us to know you,

help us to see and perceive you

as you are,

help us to turn to you,

to call upon your name,

for we are immersed

in a sea of many demands, insistent voices

claim our attention

and we easily forget

that we are loved, that we are cherished,

and that your plan for us

is that we might be healed and whole...

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God of abundance,

and overflowing grace,

hear our prayer,

help us, awaken us, stir and discomfort us,

until we long for you again,

then create in us

your overflow of grace...

 

Picture: Epiphany  by Tim

depths....

I plunged to the depths,

and there in my despair

I met you, for the darkness

did not hide me from

your loving gaze

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I plunged to the depths

and there in my despair

I met you,  and you lifted me

from my knees and showed me

new depths of love and grace

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I plunged to the depths,

and there in my despair

I met you,  and you called me

treasured, precious, honoured

 beloved child,  your chosen one

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I plunged to the depths,

and there in my despair

I met you, and in that place

and there you set me free

in you again...

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the invitation....

this is the path,

will you walk it?

will you come

take my hand,

follow me?

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will you enter in,

take my yoke

and dance 

through eternity

as the Spirit song

draws you, weaving 

 the rhythm of  grace

around your heart, through

your steps?

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this is the path

will you take it?

will you leave your burdens, 

will you let me take them?

will you come,

will you dance

with me?

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( pondering Matthew 11: 28-30 and the theme of perichoresis) 

another poem along similar lines here

Many thanks to David East for allowing me to use his photograph.