August 31 moment

a friend arrives today

bringing news from the other side of the mountains

there are very few

with whom words are not needed

there is a quiet knowing

what is in the heart of the other

and yet

today

my ears are hungry

for the voice of his heart

a moment

fishermen

who do not fish

fight

washing moment

Jesus
on Tuesday
uncovered my feet
at the time
I did not fully understand
and even now
am only able to catch a tiny glimpse

this morning
in the street clinic
where it is my deep privilege
to wash
the feet
of my friends
who find themselves
living outside of all walls

these beautiful ones
who have so captured my heart
had quietly arranged
their own agenda

they came together
in all their finery
chains
piercings
tattoos
gloriously colored, spiked and wild hair
boots
nails polished maroon

they came together
in their desire
to wash
the feet
of the one who had come to do the washing

when I asked why
there was a wish to do this
they answered
that they had learned
while having their feet washed
that it is the very best way
to tell someone you love them

so they gathered
on the floor
at my uncovered feet
and as they washed
they allowed me to lay my hand on each head
and quietly speak the Name of Jesus

and I learned
it is immeasurably more difficult
to be washed
than to wash

but I also learned
that this was necessary
to dismantle any remaining wall

there is now no more
me and you
simply
us

and I felt
tasted
heard
saw
the heart of Jesus
as these broken reeds
these lost lambs
these tender shoots
washed
the washer

be still moment

my pain

this deep agony in my soul

has someone else's name on it

who am I

but a fading flower

a breath in the breeze

a wave upon the ocean

who am I

that the One whose voice calmed the sea

would call out through the rain

and calm the storm within me

church? moments

during the last five days
I have spent time with the following:

a woman who believes the seven books that she has written during the last few years are in fact the seven scrolls mentioned in Revelation
AND
that she is the birth mother of the church that is to come

another woman who believes she is a direct descendent of David and is being urgently called to Israel as its prophet

another couple who believe they are the two witnesses described in Revelation

I have not been spacing out on some fringe planet: all the above people are presently within the church

BUT THEN
this morning I had breakfast with a gentle unassuming shepherd who literally walks the floors at night weeping for the sheep who have been placed in his pasture

in the heart of the whirlwind there is quiet

word moment

and what about those

who read the words of God

every day for a lifetime

and yet

never know

the Word

of God

cost moment

salvation is free

discipleship costs you everything

unfolding moment

what would it be like if we lived each day
each breath
as a work of art in progress
a masterpiece unfolding every second of every day
a work of art taking form with every breath

awe is the breath of our soul
and wonder guides our journey

our world overflows our narrow measurements
and begins revealing the dimensions of our God

hand moment

I have been pondering over the last few days
the story of the man with the crippled hand

this story is found in three of the gospels
with only Luke mentioning the fact
that it was a right hand that was crippled
perhaps Luke noted that with his physician's eyes

in any case
some things I have noted

this all took place in the synagogue
on the Sabbath
in the midst of pharisees

there was a man
whose hand was deformed or crippled in some manner
we are not told if this had been since birth
or was due to an accident
or an illness

however
in that time
a deformity of any sort
was a source of shame
and this man
would have been very very careful
to always keep his shame a secret
hidden in the folds of his robes

suddenly there is Jesus

Jesus
asks this man
to stand up so that everyone can easily see him
to stand up in the midst of the pharisees
to stand up in the synagogue
to stand up on the Sabbath

Jesus
asks him to hold out his hand

Jesus
did not say which hand
giving this man the choice
of holding out his good hand
his perfect hand
for all to see

or

holding out his crippled hand
exposing his source of shame
in the midst of the pharisees
in the synagogue
on the Sabbath

and this man
chose
to be healed

to be freed of shame

and what would my response be
if Jesus
asked me to stand up
in the midst of the pharisees
in the sanctuary
on the Sabbath

and expose my crippled hand

trust moment

when God calls

and man says no

is it fear of man

or lack of trust in God

that causes a hesitation

a stopping

Lord

I believe

help me in my ............

lack of trust

communicating moment

The single biggest problem in communication
is the illusion that it has taken place

George Bernard Shaw

calling moment

Jesus

I can hear you softly calling

Jesus

I can hear you call my name

so tenderly

You call me Your beloved

and I am changed

as I hear you say

come walk with Me

in the cool of the day

come talk with Me

let My love enfold you

we will walk hand in hand

through the garden

come away

in the cool of the day

if you listen very carefully

you can hear the angels singing

come, come away

Scott Brenner

coming moments

geese are flying overhead
the leaves of the Maple are changing their color

the winds of fall
will soon erase
the footprints
of summer

one moment

I had a set schedule yesterday of preparing foods, large quantities, for a upcoming gathering of ministry leaders this weekend
When starting to cut and chop suddenly God ambushed me, causing me to see how what I was doing related to the body of Christ
All these different colors, shapes, sizes, aromas, flavors – each one in itself beautiful, providing nourishment

I noted the exact positioning of the seeds deep inside and how there appeared to be tears when the womb was opened preventing the seeds from releasing the life within them

Once chopped up, all these pieces were thrown into the pot – although the pot was very full, each piece remained separate from one another – each color separate, each flavor separate, each aroma separate, the nourishment provided from each piece separated from the piece next to it







It is only when the heat was turned on that each piece softened, that the edges, the walls, of each piece started to break down.
And after that, it was necessary that everything be blended together, a grinding process until I could see anything individual, only the whole


And the color of the whole was made up of each piece
And the flavor of the whole was made up of each piece
And the aroma of the whole was made up of each piece
And the nourishment from the whole was made of each piece





And then the leftovers, the cores, the skins, the stems, the seeds – there was a choice to throw them into the garbage or throw them into the recycle bin so that in their dying they will provide life








And how this is all like the body of Christ
We each are a piece
With a flavor
With a color
With an aroma
Able to provide nourishment

And how we resist the heat that is necessary to soften, to break down our walls
And how we fight against the grinding process, the rubbing against one another, the blending with one another
And how quickly we cut and dice and then throw one another away

And how Jesus so desires that we be one, that we meld with one another, that we give of ourselves to one another to provide nourishment for the hungry, that we be the bread for those who have no bread.

The aroma is in my kitchen but there is a passionate longing in me to experience that aroma outside all walls

neighbour moment

we become neighbours

when we are willing to cross the road

for one another

dawn moment

I

your Lord

will turn your bitter tears to sweet perfume
mend your broken heart
pour warm, fragrant oil into the deep wound
My heart is fused with your heart
in your grief I am one with you
I will fill the vacant place
My arms will hold you and you will not fall
My grace will sustain you and you will not faint
My joy will fortify your spirit
My smile will dispel the shadows and My voice will speak courage
I will keep you and you will not know fear
your feet will rest on the threshold of heaven and I will hide you in My pavilion
you will have My constant care
I will not leave you for a moment
I will keep you from despair and deliver you from confusion
by your light others shall be led out of the valley
by your courage the weak will be lifted up
do not look back
keep your face toward the sunrise

for I will rise fresh daily in your soul with healing in My wings

never stifle the cry in your heart; I put it there
My joy springs forth most abundantly in souls that have been soaked in tears
the tears of devotion and longing for Me
My grace will be poured out like a tumbling waterfall
you will wear My love like a cloak

and I will whisper My words in your ears

journey moments

the destination is in the journey
we are not conditioned for this type of journey
and can only water the road with our tears

we need to desire to journey well
bringing honor and glory to Jesus

too many do not live in the present moment
either looking ahead
or looking behind

instead of finding God in the present moment

there is a place in Jesus

where the past and the future leave us
the meaning of our lives emerges

in the surrender of ourselves
to an adventure of becoming

who we are not yet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the sucking sea tugs at my feet
the cold cry of the seagulls
waves steal the footprints of summer from the sand
beneath the silver moon

the stillness of the stones
the sea polished stones
welcome me as I wade ashore

an unseen Hand

places communion bread on my tongue
and peace seeps into my soul

and He will hold out His hands to us
and we shall fall down before Him
and we shall weep
and we shall understand all things
then we shall understand all
and all will understand

Lord, thy kingdom come

yet more ordinary moments

this moment

loving is not something that I do
rather it is something to become
and becoming that
I become a little more of who I am

all that matters is what you love
and what you love is who you are
and who you are is where you are
and where you are is where you will be when death takes you across the river
you can't avoid the journey but you can wake up now
and see where you've been
and where you are going

love is the willingness to give up a part of yourself you think you know
to discover a part of yourself you never knew existed

when you love
you complete a circle
when you die
the circle remains

if you listen to the smallest flower growing from a crack in your heart
you will hear a great song
you will feel it touching you
around you
embracing you with light

move outside
where you can feel rain
and sun
and wind
where you can begin to climb the tree that is growing in your heart

Friday moments

life can become a bow whose string is broken
and from which no arrow can fly

when everything is being crushed out of you
sing and match each note with a tear
drown in the sorrow of the song
and in the song of the sorrow

a living cathedral
dedicated to God’s glory