drunken sailors protest government spending

coming this sunday...

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

forgiveness is hard...

The Four Promises of Forgiveness (Ken Sande, The Peacemaker):

• I will not dwell on your sin.
• I will not bring up your sin and use it against you.
• I will not talk to others about your sin.
• I will not allow your sin to stand between us or hinder our personal relationship.

I'm grateful that Jesus does this consistently and quickly with me (since he really did it all in the past, how cool).

solitude and community

“Only in fellowship do we learn to be rightly alone and only in aloneness do we learn to be rightly in fellowship.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

a hidden life

O tree,
what hidden life
that birds and worms
and bugs enjoy

A world its own

How observed, O tree
that bustle of bikes
and cars go by
you stand still, yet alive

Who knows, O tree
from whenst life came
the rushing throng of people
the steady flow of creek

You stand, O tree
a testament to Creator
known and knowing
living and dying

A steady full life

And me, O tree
must I a hidden life,
a still and steady life,
known and knowing?

What life, O tree
do you know of for me

resurrection

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

easter hymn: rock of ages

I will let this song speak of my friend Jesus this glorious morning:


Rock Of Ages - Chris Rice

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.


Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.


Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.


While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

death drips juicy

Twisted deception
your curtain veils
what is good
and what I have

Instead, a faulty offer
Your apple
which eye and mouth
and hand and
heart all approve

Death drips juicy
sweet across the lips
as it kills

good friday hymn: o love that will not let me go

This is how I am thinking about the cross today:


O Love That Will Not Let Me Go...



O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

lord and king

A still and steady man
eyes gazing past the present

To see as you see
the world as it could be

A lively and playful man
heart firmly placed in love

To know this love
the joy of eternal embrace

A strong and mighty man
hands not working on their own

To feel a presence beyond yourself
a trust of help that always comes

Behold, the man

contact & conflict

In cultural engagement there's a point of contact & a point of conflict. That's the sharp end of the gospel and where repentance is focused. — Steve Timmis

life returns

Spring is coming
from all around the world
it peaks through death
a blade, a blossom, a buzz
Hints that life goes on
beneath the cold death
life has been living
Always present, always strong
though under attack at every turn
life presses on

When will spring come in me
what seems a cold season of death
has been covering my ground
buried, there beneath my ground
a Spirit cries out for more
a blade of faith
a blossom of love
a buzz of hope

I, like the earth,
am not left in winter
and everything hidden presses
up and through the depths
Bleak limbs bud
and barren hills green
The stream flows
bringing life along its narrow path
And so with me
Eyes opened to the sun
mouth quenched by the stream

Life returns
as it was always meant to be