I Am

I am  hungry,

Feed me.

I am naked,

Clothe me.

I am homeless

House me.

I am unloved,

Care about me.

I am God’s child,

Help me

To a better life.

Surprise!

photo by: Tim Outcault

Surprise!

God is here,

Working among us.

Surprise!

God is doing

The unexpected.

Surprise!

God is loving

Each one of us.

God is talking:

          Say to all the people for me; you are my beloved children, I created you the way that you are, let no one tell you any different.  I have always known you, and I do not, will not turn any away.  So come to Me, and dwell with Me, for no matter what anybody says, I love you.  Come now, beloved!

Somebody

Somebody called me "Beloved."  As I woke from sleep, I heard the word clearly, as if there was someone there in the room with me.  I turned and looked around, but there was nobody there, not in the room nor anywhere near where I was.  Yet I had heard it plain, somebody called me "Beloved."

I lay for a moment in my bed confused, for I had heard the word beloved.  Where had it come from if no one was near me?  Yet I had heard it, somebody called me "Beloved."  I could not for the time understand what had happened, for I was still half asleep, and not really aware.  As I finally woke completely, I decided that I had been dreaming, but could not remember the rest of the dream.  Just that word, beloved.  It echoed in my ears, and stayed in my brain, and would not go away that somebody had called me "Beloved."

As I considered what had happened, I realized that there was One who could have been there, even in my dreams.  One who is always there for me, even when I do not realize it.  And through the rest of my days, I shall not forget that there is a Somebody who calls me "Beloved."

Riots

Written in reaction to the riots in the late 1960's.  It is happening again, when will we learn?

Come, you people, and see.

Come you rich

And all that have enough.

Come and see

Where the poor are.

Look at the breeding ground

Of anger and frustration.

Come and see

Poverty at its worst.

The people are crowded

Thousands in a small space.

The rats, huge and bold,

Walk across your feet

And sleep with the children.

No place to play,

No place to sleep,

Person piled on top of person

Up to the sky.

Impossible you say?

Where?  You ask.

Look at the cities -

Harlem, Watts, Chicago -

All the large cities -

New York, Los Angeles, Detroit.

This is where riots are born

In the slums of Cleveland and Newark

Where men and women

Have no chance to live,

No chance to work

And little happiness;

And anger boils out

And frustration takes its toll.

For many are unskilled

And jobs are hard to find.

Go down to the slums and see;

Be one of them for a day, a week,

And know what frustration is like,

And why all the angry people

Erupt in violence.

In Celebration

In celebration

Of the life

Poured out.

In celebration

Of the sacrifice

Given – freely.

In celebration

Of the love

 He gives to me.

In celebration

Come to the table

Of God

To find there

New life.

Communion

The bread broken

Refreshment

For my soul.

The cup poured out

Refreshment

For my soul.

All this in celebration

Of the life

Lived and given

For me.

Welcome

Welcome!

Welcome

To the table

Of love.

Come

And feast here

And know

Of God’s love

 For you.   

Reaction

They live

In fear,

Not knowing

Which way to turn.

No time

For love,

Or any gentleness;

For all around

There’s violence.

        Reaction to Central America

                     3/14/81

Love is God

photo by: Betty Q Smith

Love is God,

Hate is us.

God does not hate

Any person,

But loves all.

We are the ones

That hate

And make enemies

Of anyone

Who is different.

Fear

Fear of those

Who are not

Like me.

When

Can we all

Learn

To get past

This fear?

God's Love

photo by:  Arthur Clark

In God’s love

We are here.

Because

Of God’s love

We live.

By God’s love

We continue

To live.

With God’s love

We go out

To the world

To show

God’s love

To all.

My Neighbor?

Photo by Betty Q Smith

My neighbor,

Who is he?

Or who is she

That I should help?

Is there anyone

Around me

Who needs my help

That I have ignored?

Show me, Lord,

What to do,

Who needs my help,

Who needs me.

Questions V

What proofs

Will we ask

Of God?

What will we demand

God show us

Before we will believe?

Or will we finally

Learn to trust

And come to faith

Without demands?

God Is Working

For Earth Day:

See the rugged,

Snow- capped mountains

Reaching for the sky.

See the deep, green valleys

Laying far beneath

See the rolling plains and prairies

Stretching onward mile by mile

See all the signs and know;

God is working – here.

See the trees growing upward

See the green grass beneath.

See the glowing flowers

With all the colors

Of the rainbow.

Look all around you now

And know that again:

God is working – here.

See the small streams

And the wide rivers

Flowing onward to the sea.

See the wider sea

And the restless waves

Beating on the shoreline.

See all this and remember:

God is working – here.

See the people gather,

Young and old, short and tall.

See them in all colors

And all persuasions

Mixing freely all around.

See all of this

And always remember:

God is working – here.

Feel the wind a blowing

Wherever it will

See the rain coming down

Always upon one and all.

See the bright sun shine

Every day, even through the clouds.

Look around you day by day

And know that always and ever:

God is working – here.

Questions IV

Do we have the time

To do what God

Would have us do?

Do we have the time

To make the world

A better place for all?

Do we have the time

To turn around and help

Those near us

Who need our help?

Will we take the time

To see if there is

Something for us

To do in God’s world?

Knocking

I hear a knocking

At the door;

Who is there?

Do I want to answer

And go where

I am led?

Will I listen

To the voice

That speaks to me,

And do the job

That is to be done?

There is a knocking

At the door,

Will I open wide

And let Jesus in?

Rooted?

Am I truly

Rooted in Christ?

Do I gain all

My strength

From Him?

And in my life

Do I show

God’s love

For all?

Questions 1

Who are the outcast?

And who are we all

Called to minister to?

Where is God

Leading us?

And can we find true

Unity in God’s love?

Celebration

The cup filled with wine,

The loaf of bread beside,

A celebration

Of the life given

By God.

The hand held out in love,

The help given cheerfully

In celebration

Of the love given all

By God.

The care taken for others

That all may hear the word

And celebrate

God’s gift of life and love.

Valuable

You are valuable,

My friend.

You are very precious

In God’s sight

And no one

Can take that

Away from you.

Masks

You tear away, dear Lord,

All our masks

That we like

To hide behind.

You tear away masks

Of lies and sham,

And pretense;

And show us

What we really are

And we cannot bear

The sight.

So we turn away

To hide again

And kill all those

Who would try

To show us

Who we really are.

Walls

There have ever been

Walls

Dividing us

Each from the other.

Man and woman,

Parent and child,

Each of us

Has built a wall

Around about

To keep all others out;

Nor will we break them down

For anyone.

But there is One

Come to us now

Who will break down

All the walls

We have built

So carefully.

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 candle 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.

I See

I see the face of God

Before me all the day,

Glorious in its beauty

And wrought in humble clay.

For the face of God

Is the face of those I see

All around me every day;

In my neighbors, God I see.

A Guide

I was alone

With no one to guide me.

At first I thought

That I needed not

Any guide at all;

But soon my loneliness

Became a burden

Till I could not bear it.

In desperation

I searched the world o’er

Looking for one

Who would be my guide,

But I found not a one

Till I looked beside me.

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.

Pray Softly

Pray softly,

Pray with the heart,

Not with the mouth.

Pray with the soul;

For God can hear

Every whisper;

Even the lowest whisper

That a soul can utter.

On the Hill

On the hill He stood

And taught the way of life.

 “Blessed are you…” He said.

And then He taught,

Speaking of God’s love

For all His children.

And then He taught them how to live,

And that they should

Be as perfect as God.

Then He called loud and clear;

“Come unto me all you who labor…

And I will give you rest.”

And still that call rings out

Drawing people unto Him;

The Christ, the Lamb of God.           

What Do I Hear?

What is this I hear?

 They say that God is dead.

I know not about their God,

 But my God lives still

And will never die.

I feel His presence

Within my soul

 And hear Him speak to me,

Telling me not to be afraid.

I hold out my hand for help

And feel His hand take mine,

Guiding me o’er the path of life

Whether it be rough or smooth.

I do not see His face

Or even see His figure

But I know that it is God

Who is there.

The Outcast

I am the outcast

But Jesus calls me

And holds out

His hand to me.

I am an outcast

Yet Jesus loves me

Just as I am

Right at this moment.

I am no longer outcast,

For I have found

That I am always

A child of God.

Prisoner

 Jerry Browning

Prisoner, prisoner of societal views;

Prisoner, prisoner of an attitude.

I am not worthy, I felt deep inside;

Not worthy to be here; trying to hide.

But Jesus has found me, I’m feeling stronger

With God by my side, I’m finding that I’m no longer a…

Prisoner, prisoner of societal views;

Prisoner, prisoner of an attitude.

I had been shackled with chains made by me.

Some tried to free me, but I held the key .

Only God could teach me; I’m feeling better

With God by my side, I’m learning that I’m no longer a …

Prisoner, prisoner of societal views;

Prisoner, prisoner of an attitude.

Now I am worthy; God’s speaking  the Word.

I’m being healed to live what I’ve heard.

God’s truth will lead me onward toward freedom

From bondage and fear; I’m knowing I’m no longer a…

Prisoner, prisoner of societal views;

Prisoner, prisoner of an attitude.

Now I can see, I need to be free;

I will not be…a prisoner.