An attempt at poetry

While I was on the 48 hour retreat I was feeling in a very creative mood, and I wanted to read some poetry or at least some creative writing.  In the cabin that I was staying, I could not find a single piece of creative literature.  The most poetic writing I could find was some written sermons by Evelyn Underhill.  It was good to get acquainted with her, but still didn't scratch the creative itch.  The Lord prompted me to write my own poems.  So, the whole weekend my thoughts came out in poetry, simile, and proverb.  Here is one piece I wrote:

What can be said about our five senses;

that leave us More defined,

More constricted

More limited.

I care More about our most often unused sense

the sense that detects love

loves good, and

loves well.

I will make this the king over all my other senses;

He will become the coach to the five on the field.

He will lead the drills,

and they will feel the sweat on their brow.

My ears will spend their time in silence,

in quietness they will grow,

learning patience as well as eagerness.

They will dream of sounds, both

foreign and

familiar;

Notes running melodies on eighths

and carefully leaping from halves to wholes.

Their desire for constant arousal will fade,

Their ecstasy will be respectful satisfaction.

My eyes have already tasted from the 

tree of knowledge of good and evil,

so now they must spend the rest of their days

buried in books;

Being educated in discernment.

They will study the sensitivity of subtlety, and

significance of circumstance 

from the eyes who went before,

now tragically "gouged out."

In beauty they will become gluttonous

in corruption they will choose ignorance.

The world will become black and white,

but ever so filled with marvelous colors.

My tongue will learn the life of virtue and nobility,

acquainted with simplicity and even indulgence

but weary of the brothers "over" and "under."

He will dine at the King's table and get drunk from flavors and spices

yet not taste a drop of entitlement.

Today he will eat as the Father does in Heaven,

Tomorrow he will eat with the Son in sorrow,

The day after he will eat with Paul, content in all things.

My passive little nose will certainly need training as well.

It is a defenseless thing that is helplessly along for the ride.

It's submissive state has left it only one chore:

to be like a child eating a November turkey for the first time,

be curious, and

be "thanks" giving.

My feel and touch will be trained in a new job.

My fingers will no longer fing,

or whatever thing

they used to do.

Ten more tools or instruments I have

to heal the sick and ease the pain.

Five senses I possess to register this world

surely I can spare

One to help redeem it.

Yes in training they will become great,

greater than they are now.

Not greater in their original uses:

to define,

to constrict,

to limit,

But greater because they have gone beyond their original powers

to expand potential

to discover mystery

to magnify mundane

to worship God.

SOAP (Romans 14:22)

S - Blessed is he who finds no reason to pass judgement upon himself for what he approves.

O - This passage of Scripture speaks to a condition of life: A life tormented by fear of offering an unworthy sacrifice. Blessed is he who can come before the throne confident of his gift he has to offer. It is not a life unexamined, on the contrary it is one that has gone through much pain to find himself blameless in the eyes of the Lord as well as the eyes of his brethren. It is a life that has given up much so it may have no regrets or second guesses. It is blessed because it is free, and it is free because it is motivated only by love.

A - What a destination to hope to arrive. A blessed life indeed.

P - Lord help me not be discouraged as I am going through much pain to be found blameless offering a worthy sacrifice.

The Shack

I am way behind on any discussions already processed and enjoyed, but I am finally ready to join in and hopefully a few will humor me and return some comments.

What I liked:

I loved the picture of the trinity.  There was no particular sentence or quote, but it was the overall picture Young painted of the trinity that was very compelling.  The Trinity really is self  sufficient.  They are completely happy being left to themselves.  They can converse, they can laugh (and they constantly did), and they cared, respected, and loved one another.  It gave a whole new meaning to "remaining in the center of His love."  To just be near them and let the love overflow.  There is no need to add anything just be there and let their love for each other take you in.

I loved the picture of humanity in Jesus.  He gave up much to save us.  Young portrayed Jesus still as a human.  He didn't give up the human-ness when He ascended.  Weird that I never really considered Him that way anymore.  He is now the first born of the new creation.  I also liked how Jesus was normal.  He likes looking at stars, skipping stones, and having good conversations.  I liked that Young made him a blue-collar guy.  

I also liked the theme that man was designed to live out of being loved.  He are not living our true existence when we don't live out of a knowledge that our Father loves us.  Had strong ties to one of my favorite books, "Life of the Beloved."

The book ends with a Elizabeth Barret Browning quote: "Earth's crammed with Heaven, and every common bush a fire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit round it and pick blackberries."  I love this quote, it has been with me for almost four years, it has a dear place in my heart. 

What I didn't like:

Cliche questions for God ie. problem of pain, pre-destination, dual nature of Christ, and a few Christian cliche one liners.  Don't worry they weren't super distracting, but Young could have certainly shortened the book by ten or so pages if he left them out.  Win win.