The Journey
At a recent Sunday open meeting, some of writers' group shared words they'd written on the theme of the journey (following on from the Sunday mornings that Chris and Alun had led taking us on a journey through the Old Testament).
The journey
The journey threatens to shatter me
To break me down so that there is nothing left of me
Except a blank canvas on which god can paint a masterpiece
An empty vessel that god can fill with love + goodness + patience + kindness
But I am holding on tight, to what I feel is me
That distinctive mark that makes me me
+ I will try to do my bit for god
if I can squeeze him in
between the job, the kids, the tv, the wife, the golf, I could go on
there’s no space
there’s no space
god, I’m sorry, I’ll see you later, and do your stuff tomorrow
what’s that, you want to be in it all
not fitted in, but in it all
I’m frightened of letting go
I’m scared of losing control
what might you do
what might I do when you work through me
oh my pride, my pride
it is my idol, my golden calf
that I worship, no umm, prioritise
I cannot overcome
Despite escaping Egypt, seeing our enemies drowned
The immediate is grasped and the eternal is stalled
Put off till tomorrow, next week
The journey is to listen and obey
To walk with god and not for him
To be the blank on which god’s pastels of fury can alight
I die
God lives
I will die
God lives
will I die?
Jez Sampson
As I grew up - at playtime, in school, at work - some seemed confident; seemed to have it; seemed to know how to get there.
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all clearly as God sees us, knowing HIM directly just as HE knows us. 1 Cor 13 v12 (The Message)
A JOURNEY
Right from the start, without hesitation, they seemed to know,
where they were going, how they would get there.
Those up the front there, those over us, they always appeared … in charge!
Each one loaded, strong and certain. They had power, they had direction …or did they?
We would follow, we would obey, we would do as we were told …or should we? …
On the journey we began to see a mistake or two, a hesitation or two …may - …be …?
No! Surely they must know; surely they … did know? …
As time passed by, we could see more clearly … now …
and as we looked back.
They were following their ideas, their plans, carrying their loads.
His Way was NOT their way. We had been following them NOT Him!
Our burdens had made us stagger. Their burdens were destroying them.
At last we looked, no longer staggering, no longer searching;
We had found it; NOW we knew.
We are walking the ONE TRUE WAY!
Our loads lighter – shared by HIM!
Our journey guided – loved by HIM!
Neil Thomas
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Cor 13 v 11& 12 (NIV)
Journey
Busy going no-where
Going round in large uneven circles
Round and round, round and round
Out of Egypt. Yes, but Lord…?
OK…Egypt was bad, but this?
Why?
To learn what?
I don’t want to be here in the wilderness.
I have plans. Not selfish plans.
It hurts to be here and not just me.
The unexpected potholes
the storms that leave you drenched and cold.
the unsurmountable mountains
the heat and the flies and the blistered feet aren’t getting any easier.
What is the point of a fly?
Of course there are lessons to learn in everything
but I’m fed up learning lessons about how I am inadequate.
Busy going somewhere?
But not in a straight line
Out of Egypt. Yes…and yet Lord
although Egypt was bad
sometimes this is bad too. Sometimes it’s worse than bad.
Learning is hard and it takes so long
and it hurts to be hurt time and again
and I know it’s not just me.
I know God has plans for us and not just in heaven
I won’t be here in the wilderness for ever
So it’s plodding on forward day after day
trying not to be burdened by Egypt or the journey
But in the in between times the glimpses of the promised land are there.
the unexpected view around the corner
the fellowship of the accompanying traveller
the hospitality of strangers
the tiny berries at the side of the road which explode on your taste buds
even the occasional sunset
…a little bit of heaven
and then, one day, we will arrive at the promised land and find what the journey was all about.
Glenn Miles
Her last recorded words
Her last recorded words -
at the wedding in Cana.
An embarassing situation:
guests continue to drink
but the wine has run out.
Could Jesus help?
Would Jesus help?
Servants await instructions -
here is the advice
(and it applies to you and I)
from Mary, mother of Jesus:
'Whatever He tells you to do -
DO IT.'
Gary Gregor
Some promised land
A woman shuffles into a queue, waiting for a bus to the promised land
Gets on the bus, sweating profusely
Gets off, finds her target audience in downtown Jerusalem
Boom, blows herself up and takes a load of Israelis with her
Shrapnel and body parts every where, She thinks she’s gone to paradise
Some promised land
No food, no water, you’ve brought us out here to die Moses
At least in Egypt we had some food
Where is this promised land?
This barrier stretches for miles
It keeps some out, It protects the others on the inside who live in fear
Some promised land
This angel of god holds them back
They cannot pass, he keeps us safe
The way is open, through the sea we tread, on dry ground
Toward the promised land
They launch their missiles, we send our troops
We cannot relax with enemies surrounding us
We won’t give up our promised land
We march round Jericho, that’s what we do
Do what god tells us, that’s what we do
The walls fall down on trumpet sound
The land is ours, the promised land
We’ve stoned the prophets, we’ve killed the righteous men
We’ve discarded the Christ at our peril, But we’ve held onto the land
The precious, promised land
You stiff necked pharaoh, why wouldn’t you bow
Realized who you were up against
Let god’s people go
You’ve done it now you’ve paid the price
Tears and bloodshed in egypt’s worst night
The promised land, but what was promised?
Conflict, death, stonings, rebellion, barriers, walls, holy ground
Salvation among the blood and rubble
Saving grace among the pain and tears
Milk and honey in missiles and vengeance
Jez Sampson
posted by Linden @ 4:55 AM
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