for ward

 (of  Heaven and Earth)..

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The God whose hand gives me each breath I take,

and chance to think, recall, and make a choice

as conscious being, who can see and make

and put together words that thus gives voice

to matter and to energy down here;

that recognizes good and sees its source,

and is then able to focus, and cheer

another on, as they move through this course.

I seem to have capacity to see, 

and act and speak in ways that focus light

upon the stage of life we call hist’ry 

that helps all goodness to be glorified.

And so I now acknowledge what I’ve learned

by looking, seeing, list’ning, hearing too,

and thinking, so to honour (not to spearn)

deployment of creative love that woos

so much, so often, so to grow us up -

to be ourselves such humans as might make

our father to be blest, and not corrupt

his world, imaginations that might take

the Earth into the spaces that would bring

some smile upon the dial of good itself,

to join in with what heaven loves to sing.

To help shallom, to thrive, which must mean health-

y kinds of ecosystems that enhance

the whole she-bang, as goodness might well hope

it would become if we took ev’ry chance

to just acknowledge both what’s seen and known!

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“...But the God in whose hand is your life breath, & all your ways are his, you did not glorify..” 

• You acted against the Lord of heaven - you have exalted yourself against him..

• You praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone — gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. 

But 

• you did not honour the God in whose power is your very breath, and 

• you did not honour the God to whom belongs all your ways

Daniel, speaking to the King, son of Nebuchadnezzar, after being called on to interpret a cryptic text written in front of him on the wall of his festival room, by a disembodied hand:

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“...But the God in whose hand is your life breath, & all your ways are his, you did not glorify..” (Daniel 5:23, The Hebrew Bible, translated into English by Robert Alter)

“You acted against the Lord of heaven and brought in the cups and bowls taken from his Temple. You, your noblemen, your wives, and your concubines drank wine out of them and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone — gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. But you did not honour the God who determines whether you live or die and who controls everything you do. 24That is why God has sent the hand to write these words. (Daniel 5:23-24 GNBUK)

“You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose power is your very breath and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored. (Daniel 5:23 NRSVUE)

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The next King, King Darius to Daniel in the Lion Pit:

“Your God who you always worship will save you.” 

& In the morning after a sleepless night (of fasting) he spoke in a sad voice to Daniel… 

“the king spoke out, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you worship always, can he have saved you from the Lions?’

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King Nebuchadnezzar after dream and fulfillment:

His kingdom shall endure, and his dominion is forever… 

King Nebuchadnezzar after Shadrach Meshach & Abednego’s disobedience to the King and obedience to the King of kings and the fiery furnace:

His kingdom shall endure, and his dominion is forever…

King Darius, after Daniel & the Lions’ pit:

His kingdom shall endure, and his dominion is forever…

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part of partnership..

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The way to grow, so you will know the path -

to such extent that you won’t just stumble 

yourself, and you can be of help not laugh

at little ones, and those who are humble.

(And that’s the starting point right here for me,

to learn to learn, to discipline myself,

and also to be quick to look up, see

myself as God’s small child. He is my health.)

“So then, wrote Paul (from Cent’ry number One)

dear friends, as you obeyed me when I was 

there with you, in your town, when you’d begun

to follow God’s own chosen Emp’ror ‘coz

it’s even more important that you do

obey me now while I’m away from you:

So keep on working from your side of things

with fear and trembling, not triumphaling,

so partnership of God and you, will tru-

ly be growing effective. Trust, complete

the work of your salvation, God is too

(& always) working in you (this is neat)

to make you willing, able to obey 

his own purpose that Goodness be displayed.

Do everything without complaining (hey!)

or arguing, as innocent as, say

a perfect little child of God, who’s pure,

and perfect in God’s eyes, ‘coz God is sure

that God will still be round, though world’s  corrupt.

So shine, as stars are seen, when folk  look up.

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Notes

“So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, 13because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose. 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may be innocent and pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, 16as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.”  (Philippians 2:12-16)

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Drawing their pitcher…

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And bless’ed be the One who’s truly heard,

who’s listened to her parents’ - life & word,

and gratefully receives their proffered life,

while list’ning for consistency, in strife.

For bless’ed be the Ones, that’s all who join, 

with their good teacher’s life, that is their coin,

their currency to gather as they live,

for friendship is the WAY they learn to give.

And bless’ed be the Ones who choose to look

to see the lines of goodness each a brook

that babbles down a hillside from its source.

Blest be the ones who follow up the course

whose int’rest is in cleaner, purer, true..

that’s water of the life that supports you.

And sees each stream of goodness from above 

as something precious, that’s received with love.

And blessed be the Ones who share the sad

facts with their teacher, even things quite bad.

They open up their hearts to folk, some dreams, 

along with hopes & methods, ways & means.

They’re into partnerships, not just to use

the other to advance themselves, confused.

They keep things clear, priorities in mind,

repeat them often, so they will not find

forgetfulness to be what’s covered all

the friendships and the facts, even the  small.

They anger slowly, looking for more grace,

to soak up bad and flourish good in place.

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Blessed be the One who’s heard,

who’s listened to his parents’ life & word.

Blessed be the One who joins in with his good teacher’s life

Blessed be the One who habitually follows the lines of goodness back to its source

Blessed be the One who shares the sad facts with their teacher

Blessed be the One listens to sad facts and sadder focuses and slowly angers

Blessed be the One who leaves room for more grace

Blessed be the One who recognises grace within God’s face

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Behold the man..

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As he looked up, aroused, he stood erect*.

With suff’ring passionate, he entered in

to situation, body bloody flecked

himself he had no cover, where he’d been

he’s put to shame by some, but unashamed

himself he then provides for others too,

He thinks of those who’ll suffer. Though un-named

half of the population there are who

will weep and wail for loss immesur’ble°

He enters into their own space as well.

He knows the function he’s to play, and will

not shirk the work that God gave him. To dwell

in dwelling place of the Most High, but sim-

ult-an-e-ous-ly in the place where tears

are often shed, for “living dead” (now him)

who bore their Crosses, at the points of spears

to place of shame and death, where hopes & plans

for forty years of life on Earth, down here,

must all be smashed and ruined; this is Man’s

and Woman’s lot, when occupied, in fear.

And he without that fear, though with real dread,

was occupied with purposes of God,

because he acted out what they just said

and in his wake we find we don’t just nod

in time with pumping heart, with beating life,

participating in a nature “from

above”** us, that would enter into strife,

bring grace into a place “forsaken” long.

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Notes 

*  “Behold the man!” - Pilate to the crowd of skulking stooges paid by authorities to help get rid of someone (who makes them look small) on that Friday morning. (John 19:5)

° Women of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves… for if this is what is done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?... (Luke 23;26-38) And John comments that Jesus looked up from the cross and saw his mother and John standing near each other, & engages in another  thoughtful play on words when he says to his mother “Woman. Behold, your son!”, following this, shortly after with a comment to John  “”Behold your mother.” in the context of the writer’s following interpretive comment, that “from that time John took Mary into his own home…” (John 19:25-27 )

**  “from above” is a play on words employed in the New Testament Greek by important  characters: Jesus (John 3:3,7) and the Johns [the Baptist & the other apostle (sent one) of the Christ, and James (James1:15;3:17)] The Greek word “ἄνωθεν (=anothen)”  had two senses (A bit like the English word “another” can be said in such a way as to mean “another”(instance of) or “an other”(not the same): one of the meanings of the Greek word “anothen” actually meant “another”, & the other sense meant “from above”, two concepts that in some situations might well be related, but might also have distinctly different nuances. John the Evangelist (or the writer of the fourth gospel - often called John) records Jesus using this play on words (in chapter 3, verses 3,7,followed by John the Baptist’s comments included later in the chapter (chapter 3 verse 31) for anyone who missed the fact that Nicodemus missed the meaning of Jesus, when Jesus spoke of a man being birthed anothen) to indicate that Nicodemus (a Man, a Jew, a leading teacher, of the Jews (known as the people of God) missed the central point of Jesus, [He was not just another of the many prophets born of a woman; he was the one born from above; and the same holds for everyone else who would enter & live under the reign of God] while shortly after (in chapter 4), a Woman, a Samaritan (spat on by “the people of God”), an adulteress, presently unmarried, got, saw, & accepted the main point of Jesus and his mission. 

This participation in a higher nature is the news that both John & Peter  pass on from Jesus: “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. [11] He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. [12] But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10-13); and “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. [4] Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature”(2 Peter 1:3-4 )..

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she looked up..

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So she looked up to him, her lover true.

This was not hard for her, but “Easy as..”.

The more she saw and bore, what he would do

the more responsive habits and pizzazz

were borne into the world within her self,

and things conceived within her being were

developing and growing. She’s “in health”

though sometimes feeling less, and encumbered. 

So she was glad to bear outcomes, to birth

an image of their unity and love,

to then aid (as her part was played on Earth)

development & growth more, “from above”

her own designs, participating still,

as wife and mother can, and often does -

to lead the way, and show the path that will

make home on Earth for more choice. Thus she must

become a leader, bound to multiply

the wisest ways that may seem very small,

to others who would posture, or pass by.

But he himself, the lover, does see all.

He looked up*, sees the leaders. Notices. 

And tells his lead disciples to as well.

Instead of just big rocks, and stones, he says

a home for God is made, for him to dwell

upon the Earth, within her who displays

responsive love, that trusts, as it now gives.

Not as the Chiefs, and Leaders of those days,

he sees, and celebrates the Way he Lives.

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Notes

“Lord, I look up to you,

    up to heaven, where you rule.

As a servant depends on his master,

    as a maid depends on her mistress,

so we will keep looking to you, O Lord our God,

    until you have mercy on us…’ (Psalm 123)

Footnotes:

*   …  and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; [2] he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. [3] He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, [4] for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 ( within context of Luke 19:41-21:06) 

[& “He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. [42] A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. [43] Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. [44] For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 (within the context of Mark 11:27-13:2) ]

… and blessed (God), broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to distribute to the people. (Jesus, after telling his disciples to feed the people they said they were so concerned for. Mark 6)

…, gave a loud groan, looked back at the man, and said “Ephatha” [which is Aramaic for “Open Up!”]. (Jesus, after a deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him to do the “usual” Authoritative Rabbi thing to. Mark 7)

… and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you – [2]  just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. [3]  Now this is eternal life – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. [4]  I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. [5]  And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created. (John 17:1-5)

… +~4 others

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