Jesus still walks in Palestine

Jesus still walks in Palestine

among the dispossessed and poor

accepts the warm welcome
to drink coffee under olive trees

still threatened with  axe

of cruel oppressors

Wind carves the wadi walls 

into soaring cathedrals 

and paints the desert flowers,

His dazzling jewels of wonder,

and pours the mysteries of the universe 

into the eyes of some Bedouin child.

His crown of thorns now razor wire

His back now flogged

with settlers spiked club,

his presence barred by settlement walls,

his loud sobs mingle with the tears

of children weeping from tear-gas bombs

So let us be Christs' hands and mouth
anoint us, to proclaim good news to your poor

to release the captives

in your native land

to proclaim sight to those blinded by dead religion

and let the oppressed go free!

                

Pic Charlie B

Give us each day our daily bread

Heavenly wind breathe into me

your life renewing love

and send me out, fresh made, today

to feed your hungry world with bread.

Give us each day our daily bread

This phrase of the Lord's prayer has a particular poignancy if you are a mother in a refugee camp with hungry children to feed, or a homeless disciple relying on the generosity of those you meet along the way.

 What does it mean for me, living in a particular part of the world where wondering where my next meal is coming from is never part of my daily anxieties? I think this petition is needed more in the affluent west, as we forget the one who is the giver of everything.

We need to be mindful of those who are still in need, those begging on the street and those reliant on food banks. Our request is in the plural, it is not just my daily bread but also my neighbour's. If a friend comes knocking at my door at midnight, will I get up, trampling over animals and children, to give him what he needs?

A story is told of Mother Theresa who heard one night of a poor mother with hungry children who had not eaten for days; so she went out with a bowl of rice sufficient for their needs. However as soon as the mother received her gift, she disappeared into the night to return with only half her rice. She remembered that her family was not the only one that was starving.   

We do well to remember that story as we recite the Lord's prayer.

Of course this phrase of the Lords prayer has deeper meaning than physical bread, although this must remain primary.

The author of the prayer was himself the bread which gives life to the world,  " Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst."

To His first Jewish hearers, the image would be rich in imagery from their own scriptures. Moses asked God to provide for the people who complained about their lack of food and were given bread from heaven, each family had enough to feed them the next day, but they always had to come back for the next day's supply, except on the Sabbath, when there was enough on Friday for the next day. 
The word for daily in the Greek, "epiousios", is found exclusively in the two gospel accounts of the Lord's prayer, so the exact meaning is difficult, but widely translated as an ample sufficiency, which we can trust our loving Father for each day. 
Jesus himself amplifies the phrase with his word picture of an earthly father giving good gifts to his children, so how much more will your loving heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask?
So let us "ask, seek and knock", so that we can become totally dependant on our Loving Father who will give us more than we can ask or imagine. Even the amazing gift of His Holy Spirit filling and flowing out of us to a needy, hungry world.  

        

Where angels catch fire

Lord Jesus set me all aflame,

I would by thee, emblazoned be,

a small flame shining forth your light

into this present threatening night.

Unshod I stand on holy ground 

and gaze upon your shining face,

your purifying quickening love

consuming my proud selfishness.

Heavenly wind breath into me

your life renewing love

and send me out, fresh made 

to feed your hungry world with bread.

Sunset over Lee Bay

I am the God of sunsets, the God of the moment.
I am the God of the horizon, where sky meets sea.
I am the horizon where love meets truth.
I am the God who paints the sunset
in ever changing hues of blue and cloud, layer upon layer of rose tinted pastel hues.
I am the God of a million shades of green darkening into night.
I am the God who meets you in this moment of perfect peace

Lazarus

I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25

I did not hear the rumbling stone,
As it was slowly rolled away
I was not disgusted by the smell of rotting flesh disolving back to clay.

I did not see the tears stream down
His grief contorted face
Nor feel the deep distress of Martha.
Angry Mary's broken faith, passed me by, untouched.

But then the death awakening cry
Rattled round the cold tombs wall
The hand that moulded Adam out of clay
Gently awakened me back to life again

Still bound  like swaddled babe
I strugled forth  to dazzling day
Into the strong but tender arms
Of the man who is my resurrection

Post script

But jade green jealousy aroused
Demands again my life and His
So He must die to rise again triumphant
to greet me, once again, with open arms
Into the Father's everlasting bliss.

I am alive

I am alive

The body that was sunk in mortal earth has been reborn.

Grabbed gently, by nail-scarred hands that made the world,

Reborn in water and Spirit; raised up joyfully,

To have a personal relationship with the God who made me.

Breathed into with a holy fire, that gave me power to speak,

To tell the world of one who made, then remade me,

Rescued from a million deaths and reborn into His immortal presence.

I sing, I breath, I live His life, my Saviour, friend, eternal lover

Ian Hempshall 5 6 2019  

Inspired by a sermon by Steve Daughtery 2 6 2019 https://trinitylewes.org/media/talks/

Resurrection joy.

Beethoven's " Ode to Joy" tune from his ninth Symphony must be one of the most joyful tunes in history, so I thought I would add my own lyrics.

Sing loud songs of exaltation, Christ is risen from the grave.

Gladly bring your adoration, Jesus Christ has power to save.

Satan’s power has been defeated,

Death and hell have lost their sting

Christ’s redeemed rise up together

Joyful alleluias bring.

Now there is no condemnation, Christ has taken all my sin

Gladly on the cross he bore it, fallen humankind to win

Now we have the living Spirit

Giving life to mortal flesh

Filling us with full assurance,

Clothed with Jesu’s righteousness

We are filled with Christ’s own Spirit, clothing us with risen power.

We shall walk the road with Jesus, day by day and hour by hour

We proclaim the gospel message:

"We are saved by Jesus’ love"

Bringing many souls to Jesus,

Linking earth with heaven above.
Tune: Ode to Joy, Beethoven