Time

How are we
Using our time,
And are we making
The best use of time?
Do we leave time
For God
Or do we use
All our time
In other ways?

Partners

Can we all learn
To be partners
With God?
Can we all learn
To be responsible to God
For everything created here
For all our use?
Can we learn
Not to overuse,
Taking only what we need?
And can we learn
To replace what we use
So that future generations
Will be able to enjoy
God's creation?

Blind

To what are blind?
Is there anything
That we will not see?
Will we ever let God
Take our blindfolds off?
Are we blind to others
Because of differences
And do we know that God
Loves all other around,
Even in our differences?
And will we let God
Heal our blind areas?

Differences

How many are chased away
From the churches
Because of differences?
How many will put divisions
In the body of Christ, the church?
And how many would
Keep dividing the church
In spite of
The teaching of the Bible?

Different

Are we willing
To be different
And to let
Other people know
That we follow
A different path?
Can we see
That God is
Also with those
Who are different?
And are we willing
To let God work
Through us
To reach those
Who are different?

Peace

Let us pass peace
Onward to all people.
Who do we know
In our world
Who does not
Know peace?

Fear

Why do we let
Fear and anger
Control us?
Can we ever
Learn that God
Is always near us
And we need not fear?
And does our anger
Show God's love
For all people?

One People 4

Ephesians 4:4-6
And as you are
All mine,
You should be
One people,
One in spirit
And body;
For you have
One hope,
One baptism,
And one love.

One people 3

I Corinthians 8:6
I am here for you,
I gave you life
And all my love
Is yours to have.
I sent Jesus
That you might
Know what love is.

One People 2

John 17:21-23
Let all become
One people,
And know the love
That is theirs to have.
Let all divisions
Go away,
For all are mine.

One People

Isaiah 6:3-8
Let all nations
Come to me
For all people
Are mine.
No one will be
Turned away.
All who come
No matter who they are
Will be accepted.

Eagle's Wings 3

Philipians 4:13
Because you, Lord,
Dwell with me always,
I can do whatever
Is needed.
Because you give
Me the strength
And all the love
That I shall ever need,
I will fly high
Above the troubles
That try to overset me.

Eagle's Wings 2

Galatians 6:14
Though I fly high
On eagle's wings,
You, oh Lord,
Are the wind
Beneath my wings,
The strength
That upholds me.
I have no cause
To boast in anything
But your great love
That has been shown
In Jesus.

Eagle's Wings 1

The 3 pieces today are for all those with mobility problems of any sort.  They go together.

Isaiah 40:30-31
I get weary
And my body tires,
But God is with me
And His love
Surrounds me always
So that it does not
Matter what condition
My body is in,
I will soar
On eagle's wings
Because God
Upholds me always.

Friendship

Friendship is:
Learning to trust,
Coming to know
Something about
Who a person is.

Friendship is:
Learning about love
Without any strings,
Knowing that the other
Will be there.

Friendship is:
Trust and love
So intertwined
That you cannot tell
Which is which.

Support

Support one another,
And give love and praises
To all around.
Help each other
To fin the path
That belongs to us
And leads us onward
To find where
God is.

Truth

What is truth,
How do you speak it?
What words
Do we say?

What is truth,
How do we
Keep it safe
For all people?

What is truth,
What does it look like?
How do we know
When it is spoken?

Let There be Peace

I kept thinking yesterday during Peace Day of the song, "Let there be peace on earth." Peace here is to begin with ME.  If all people could find their peace within, then just maybe we will have peace on earth. Let peace begin with all the mes all over the world!!

Peace

Peace will begin with a child;

For a child has not learned

To hate and fear

What he or she

Does not understand.

Peace will begin with a child;

For children do not know

That they should

Hate and fear

People who are not

Made exactly like them.

3 Prayers - 3

Oh God, immerse me so much in your love that there is no one
who I can hate or think can be outside of your love.  Fill me
so full of your love that no matter who the others are or what
they believe, I will remember that your love is theirs, also,
even when they disagree with me.  Help me to love others, for
it is so much easier to love family and friends than to love
others who are so much different.AMEN

3 Prayers - 2

Dear God, I'm sorry, but I'm not doing as well as I should. I
find that there are still some people who I would like to
hate, or at least think that you do not love them. These people
think too differently than I do, and I cannot handle that.
Remind me again that those who are different in any way are
still your children, created by you. Help me always to remember
that your love cannot be restricted to just some people, but
is inclusive of all. Stay always near me, and help me to learn
your love. AMEN

3 Prayers - 1

Loving God, thank you for reminding me every day that you do
love me.  But you also remind me that you love all other people,
too.  You have told me that it does not matter what people
look like, who they are or what they believe.  You told me
that you still claim them as your children, and you love all
of them.  You have said again and again that there is no one
who is outside of your love.  Please keep reminding me until
it is so much a part of me that there is no one who I can hate,
for I do not want to ever do anything that is outside of what
you want. AMEN

Doubts

I doubt myself
And fear to trust
That your strength
Will be there for me.

I doubt myself
And often
Do not see
That your hand is there.

I doubt myself
And forget
To turn to you
For the love I need.

Heal

Come and heal my child,
Touch her now
And make her whole.

Come and heal my body,
Touch me
And make me clean.

Come and heal my soul,
Let me know
That I am loved.

Is the Church?

Is the church loving itself?
Is the church loving God?
Is the church loving its neighbors?
Does the church go out and help others?
Is the church serving its neighbors?
Is the church remembering that God loves all people?

A Prayer for Peace

Oh dear God, can we ever learn to live together in peace and
harmony? How long will we make of our differences reasons to
fight each other?  And can we ever learn to live on this earth
in harmony with all that lives here?  There are too many wars
here, what can we do to stop our going to war?  Help us now,
and show us a better way to live so that our children will
inherit a vital, alive and growing world. AMEN

For Peace

Let us come together
For peace.
Let us pray
For peace.
Let us meditate
For peace.
Let us work
For peace.
Together,
All around the world
Let us be together
For peace.

On Sept 21, at noon or your time adjusted to 12 noon, Pacific time.

Peace

Let peace come,
Together, let us all
Pray and meditate
For peace, now.
Ah - that all wars
Should cease
And all the people
Of our world
Should learn
To live side by side
In peace.
Join me in working
For Peace.

Marginalized

Forced out to the margins,
Ignored by other people
And I don't know
What is being said.

Living in the margins,
And the others
Do not see me
Or care what happens.

Pulled back from the margins,
By the others there
Into the center
Because there I belong.

Who Am I?

Who am I,
This person?
I am an individual,
A person who matters.
But who am I?
No one can tell me
Anything about me.
God's child
And a special person
Is who I am.

We Talk

We talk and talk
About what is needed
But then we resist
Doing what we are told.

We complain daily
About all our problems
And forget to love
As Jesus loved.

Are We

Are we listening
For God's word
For us?

Are we doing
What we are
Led to do?

Are we going
The way
That we are told?

Guilty

I am guilty, Lord,
For I have sinned
If only in the little things.
I have told
A small lie.
I have kept someone
Away from you.
I have turned along
A path that was not mine.
I have forgotten that love
Is there for all people.
Ah, forgive me, Lord,
For all the little things
Done wrong.

Love

Love, the rock
To which I cling.
Love, the strength
Within my weakened frame.
Love, the power
That gets things done.
Love, the gentleness
That helps us live.

The Candle

There once was
A candle small
That tried to light the world.
But the world
Was much too large
And the darkness
That covered it
Too thick
For that one little candle
To break through
On its own.
But then it lit
Another candle
And that one lit two;
And as the flame passed on,
The world grew brighter still
Till at last
The dark was banished
From the world
Forever more.

Fools

1964
Oh Lord, what fools we be!
We go along life's highway
Believing our own strength
Sufficient to any task
That might confront us,
When only you can give
To each of us the strength
To bear the load
That has been given us.

Oh Lord, what fools we be!
We try to make ourselves
The highest and the best
Of our little worlds
When only service, lowly service
To our fellow beings and you
Can make us better
Than what we are.

Oh Lord, What fools we be!
We deny to others the right
To live as we do,
Forcing them to live
Where we would not,
When they are our brethren,
Your children,
Whoever they may be.

Oh Lord, what fools we be!
For we put ourselves
Ahead of you and your kingdom.
We try to pretend
That you do not exist,
And measure ourselves by our own standards
When you are there, before us
Measuring us and weighing our faults.

Keep us lord, from the foolishness
That says, "I am god
Of this little bit of world."
And forgets that ALL people
Are your children
And as such
Have the same rights as we.
Keep us Lord, from being fools.

Evil seems
To stalk our world;
What can we do
To overcome it?

Evil appears
To be taking over;
How can we change
What is happening?

Evil is here
Dwelling among us;
Are we living
Lives of love?

Walk With Me

Come and walk with me
And see what our God
Has done for us all.
Come and see the beauty
All around us;
Put there for our enjoyment.

Come and dwell with me
And learn how God
Would have us live.
Come and work with me
To keep our world
A place of beauty and of love.

Chains

Chains, chains that bind,
Chains that restrict
Hold all mankind back
From what we could and should be.
What are the chains that bind?
Chains of hatred;
Hatred of whatever is different,
Hatred of different thoughts, ideas.
Chains of fear;
Fear of the person next door,
Fear of anything we don't know.
Chains of prejudice;
Prejudice and fear of a person
Who is made a little differently
Or thinks a little differently.
Chains of suspicion;
Suspicion of anything
That we don't understand.
These are the chains that bind
That hold us all down
And keep us from being
One people under God.
Oh Lord, help us to throw off
All these chains
That all your people
Might be one people.
(written 1965)

Help Given

The cup of cool water
Given to those in need;
The bite of bread
Held out to others
Helping them to love.

The hand held out
To help people up
Out of the depths;
Showing them the way
To a full life and love.

Come in Unity

Come, let us
Stand together
And let no one
Tear us apart.

Come in unity
And as one people
Show the world
What freedom is.

Unity

One nation,
Many people,
Many ideas
But one together.

One nation,
Arguing together
But unified
When trouble comes.

Sacred Ground

In honor and memory for those who died that day:

Be very careful

How you walk here,

There is danger near,

But also know

You walk on sacred ground.

 

There is death here

Amidst the shattered steel,

So step carefully

Because you see

You walk on sacred ground.

 

The concrete here

Has crumbled to dust

And rises with every step,

But stop and remember;

You walk on sacred ground

 

Sept 11, 2002

The shattered steel

Is gone now,

Ashes and dust left;

But still and always

This is sacred ground.

A Child

A child is precious,

A jewel created by God,

The master workman.

A child is wonderful,

And warms the heart

Of everyone ‘round about.

 A child is glorious,

Always seeming to have

A little bit of heaven.

A child is a dynamo

Of energy and pep

That never seems to tire.

A child is a miracle,

At once an angel

And a devil in disguise.

Save the Children

Save the children,
Let them live
A peaceful life
That is long
And free from fear.

Save the children,
Teach them love
And help them see
That all other people
Have also a right
To love.

Jesus is There

The care taken
For the person
Who needs help;
Jesus is there.

The hand held out
To help the one
With an unsteady step;
Jesus is there.

The love given
To the stranger
In your midst;
Jesus is there.

Helping

The cup of cool water
Given to those in need;
The bite of bread
Held out to others
Helping them to love.

The hand held out
To help people up
Out of the depths;
Showing them the way
To a full life and love.

Share Love

Share love,
Give love away,
For only then
Can it come back
To you.

Share love,
Be there
And accept
Each person
As they are.

Share love,
Give love also
To those
Who refuse
To accept it.

Share love,
And let all know
That God
Loves
All people.

Flawed

Flawed vessels,
Flawed pots,
But not made
That way.
Made beautiful,
But become flawed
Day by day.
But yet, but yet,
They can be
Made new again
By the skillful hands
Of God.

Different

No, I am not better,
Just different.
I have a different
Route than you;
But we both
Are created
By the same God.

Kindness

Stop now and think:

What of kindness,

What deed of love

Did you do in God’s name?

How many people

Did you help along the way?

And what words of kindness

Did you offer to

Someone who needed them?

Stop now at the end of the day

And remember:

What did you do today

To show God’s love for all?

Fellowship of Love

Let us build
A fellowship of love
And all people
Will be included.

Let us build
A fellowship of love
Where hate
Will have no place
And no chance to grow.

Let us build
A fellowship of love
And God will lead all
To a better place
Where love rules.

Celebrate!

photo by: Arthur Clark

Celebrate life,
Celebrate love,
Celebrate the time
Given to us all!
Come, celebrate
And sing songs
Of praise
To our God
And celebrate
The love given
To us all!

Someone Is Looking

Feeling lost and alone?
Wanting someone near
To care for you?
Be at peace and know
Someone is looking for you.

Have you lost your way?
Can't seem to find
Which way to go?
Stop the frantic search;
Someone is looking for you.

Stop and be still,
Come and see
That you are never alone;
For throughout your life
God is looking for you.

God Remembered

I forgot to listen
For the voice
That told me
The path to follow,
But God remembered me.

I forgot to look
Around to see
Which people there are
That need my help
But God remembered me.

I forgot to walk
Always in love
With God and all those
Who are around me,
But God remembered me.

I forgot to love
All people that live
In all places
That are around me,
But God remembered me.

Love There

photo by:  Arthur Clark

Father to me,
And strong right arm;
My protector
And strength is He.

Mother to me,
Gentle, calming touch;
Always there
In time of need.

Leader for me,
Showing me the way;
Helping me to find
The proper path.

Love there for me,
Encircling me always;
Never letting me stray
Away from that love.

Dwelling in Darkness

Dwelling in darkness,
Finding no light
To show me
Which way to go.

Dwelling in darkness,
Sadness and sorrow
My daily lot
And no one to help.

Dwelling in darkness,
But then comes a light
To show me the way
To life and love.

Dwelling in the light,
God always beside me
To help me find the way
To happiness and love.

In the Dark

In the dark of the night,

I begin to feel

That no one cares.

There is no answer

To my pleas,

And it seems

No one to hold

My hand.

I am ignored

When I call for help

Or to reach out

To try to help others.

Is there any person here

Who will care for me?

It seems sometimes

Only God is there!

In the dark of the night

I find myself wondering.

In the light of the day,

I remember

That there are always

Folks who care.