Anothen¹

 

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Another¹, a’ not her, not on her own,

but letting him take charge, experience.. 

United in a way that’s only shown

because their diff’rences combine; thus/ hence

they both must trust their maker, and be known.

God help me to do diligence that’s due

from my own side, as partner with your love;

creatively, let nature that’s of you²

have clear expression here, though from above¹.

‘Coz here’s the place where principles made plain,

are manifested, shown, creatively!

Expressed in dust and energy, again¹;

no, this is more unique, contextu'lly.

It’s not just “once again”, it's “from above”, 

The emphasis, not repetition but

relating with dimensions of the love

that plays with likenesses. It does not strut.

But does display on Earth, what’s really true,

what still exists ahead of time, and will

exist when time is gone. It’s there in you.

In heaven where your life is never still.

But moving in and out, like cogs in wheels,

Where purpose is not movement by itself,

but in relationship, another feels

more lovely, that’s the reason one has health.

To birth, to show, to bring about on stage,

on Earth, the place for acting out “below”,

where simplified, expressed, spoken from page

the story must get out to where we go.

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Footnotes

¹ ἄνωθεν (transliterated into English letters as anothen: Greek word meaning either “another instance/ again”, or “from above”), used by Jesus (as recorded in John’s account of the gospel - chapter 3 verse 7) μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι Δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν. See the footnotes of many English translations of John 3:7, and verse 3, where the ambiguity has been introduced by Jesus, but misunderstood by Nicodemus. In case the reader does not understand that Nicodemus missed the point, John does three things: 

1) The writer helps the reader see the point: John records Jesus’s words explaining verse 3 to Nicodemus (i.e. verses 4-6) about being born of both wind and water (bringing into mind in readers steeped in the scriptures the first few words of the bible regarding the birth of life on Earth where it speaks of the wind (=spirit, in both Hebrew & Greek) of God hovering over/above the waters of the Earth, and then the wind (= breath/spirit) of God being breathed into humanity to bring a higher (human, ruling over - but not as the king's of this earth rule over, but as God rules over: invisibly and out of love, servingly) life to the world.

2) John records Jesus’s (incredulous?) words to Nicodemus, where he says basically: “You are Israel’s top teacher, and you don't get this!” (John 3:10)

3) The writer helps the reader see the point themselves again: at the end of the same chapter, John the writer records John the Baptist’s words to the people of Jerusalem: where John the Baptist uses the same Greek word (anothen), speaking about Jesus’ identity as “the first-born”, to clearly mean “from above”, not “again”, as Nicodemus had mistakenly interpreted Jesus’ words in verses 3 & 7 (John 3:31-34 see the Greek in the left column and follow it in 4 English translations to the right of it).

² James says that every good gift [reminiscent of Jesus’s words (see Luke11:9-13, esp. Verse 13): will not your father in heaven give the spirit to those who ask for his (most necessary) gifts] comes down to us anothen. (James 1:16-18, especially verse 17; see the Greek in the left column and follow it in 4 English translations to the right of it).

And Peter goes on to say at the end of his life (possibly after a stroke) that with all these precious gifts from God in mind (not least of which will be his spirit), we may know that we have everything necessary for life and godliness.. through now (in Christ) becoming participants in the very divine nature (2Peter 1:3-4)

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Hordes and hosts

(bougeys, ghosts,

fears and smears)

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I would rather be crucified with Jesus, than walk free on my own.

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I’d rather be with Jesus, crucified,

than on my own, walk free from him who died.

If this is so: he went the length of his..

his country where he lived. I can do this

with him. Just now my fears are coming out

and facing me {as long as I will pout;

or run away back home; not set my face

like flint or hardened steel, not for disgrace

but facing it to walk through it and show

it as a bougey (for it is, I know)

compared to Christ, God's boy, who’ll never be

alone, without his Father God, who’ll see

that things go well, despite the fact that we

will still experience heart-break and loss

of all that seems the best, like on a cross

the person’s (& their friends’) plans, hopes for he

who, once he’s crucified, and died, is free

as birds in sky are not bound down by the -

the forces here of gravity which still

exert themselves upon each bird, but will

not have the pow’r to keep birds “on the ground”}.

I now dump all my fears on whom I’ve found

to be quite able, through creative love,

to carry all my crap. He will not shove

but leaves with ev’ry test a way to walk.

Oh God, your boy, showed me how not to baulk,

but in your presence, rather ask you to

make sense of things. And then with wings, he flew!

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..

..

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Lord of hordes..

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And you have helped me this far to the grey..

grey head of hair, and kept me on the track.

The track of learning love in that same way

as Jesus modelled. (Glad he’s coming back!)

Not fake love, but the kind of love that’s true.

The kind of true that’s true to ev’ry word

from self, like that which let the light (on you)

to shine, and once it’s sent, won’t be returned

without accomplishing why it was sent

within the mind of who let it get out.

It has the pow’r to do what it was meant

to do, as great creative love would shout!

Each time he shouted all the drinks were free

to take and drink, the food was this way too.

No matter what the surcharge due, they’d be

the same. Connection’s what we have to do.

And this is where I come unstuck myself.

I am so weak and seem to hold to stuff

that’s helpful in the past, or on a shelf

could be of help again. But this is tough -

for if I cannot find it when it could

be helpful later on. It’s not of use!

I think I'll give these to you, asking would

you do what’s best to keep it safe, don’t lose

it. But the truth is - if you let it drop,

that’s probably the best thing for me too,

and I can trust your choices. Please don’t stop.

My biggest, only need is hear (with you).

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Bear my own cross - daily (give up all rights to the self), and follow Jesus as he (for no need other than the need of love) takes up his cross, where with him I will die on a cross. Die to sin, and the power of sin to control me, to manipulate me, to gain purchase over me. Another WAY has gained purchase over me. I have been purchased at the cost of the blood of the very son of God.

Unless I am not only taking my cross up daily, as my way of living only under the influence of love, as shown in Christ, but then allowing his spirit (of HESED love) to take charge of me and to take on my other burdens himself (either taking them off my back, and carrying them with the little finger of the hand that is holding my hand; or, strengthening my back - bone and muscle to be able to carry them with ease and pleasure..), I will not be in a position to truly help others as a conduit of the love of God, as did Christ (who, full of joy and the holy spirit lifted his eyes & head to the heavens in response to the actions of this spirit of creative, generous, jealous, HESED love) while burdened down myself. The job of carrying (or handing over, or plain stripping off) my burdens must be done (& finished, for that time), in order to help in the process of creative love’s schemes to bring aid to enable the whole ecosystem to once again function as a supportive lattice in sustaining life and liberty in God’s world.

 I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is grey. I made you and will care  for you; I will give you help and rescue you. 

Isaiah 46:4 GNBUK

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With-ness - a live way (to dance) , - ; _- = /

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I’m not the right, yet won’t be left behind -

as on my own; but as a “bodied” cell

might look like an amoeba looks - it's "blind",

but when connected, sees  things very well!

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Oh that I might become, with you oh God

an other “half” of your rule on the Earth.

and as the hemisphere that’s left is what

is left alone by choice of self, not birth-

right! It's right by birth and God’s own will

is to connect and work in partnership

with t’other half of the one unit. Swill-

ing down the same “blood”, or as married’s slip

together, when they think it's time, or just

because they want their partner pleasured now. 

No “rules” say that they can’t, or that they must.

They work things out and in between somehow

and life each day ’s a partnership - and more.

No other is their model, ‘cept perhaps

the Dreamer’s hopes and plans which came before

and gave good reason to make up “us chaps”,

and too this way of partnering our hike

which models in this world the way we’ve been

designed to partner with one we are like

but not the same as most of us have seen,

or not “seen” as is meant by “understood”;

“seen” maybe as “experienced” and “known”

communicates connections as is “good”

when love has not been banished, so it’s shown.

So God, this gives me hope, or ways to hold

it in my being, as my brain combines 

the model world, which left brings as it’s told,

that’s made to be connected all the time.

So I will use connections you supply

as I do what you say to me to do. 

And like that withered hand of that old guy

in synagogue when Jesus trusted you

and said “..stretch out your hand”, & then the man, 

as he stretched out his hand, found that he could

believe the word of God more than his plans

from model led him to suppose were “good”.

I’ll learn to trust your judgement of what’s “good”

& fitting to this moment, bloody “right”!

I’ll model things as you said that I could.

But trust you to give insight, and shed light.

So here’s some thanks for helping many times, 

more nu-mer-ous than I could say, recall.

Each project with the house has many climbs

into the heavens for your “help for Paul”.

Your wisdom, not just “good” or “bad” as rules;

but what will really work and serve well to

make this a place it’s safe to be for fools

until we’re really wise, and live “with you”.

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where does the cross fit in?

If sin is falling short of, or missing, the mark we’re aiming for..

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Well why do I so often want to show

that I am justified in my own choice?

Is it because I don’t want to be bro-

ken, or some faulty kind of merchandoise ?

I’m wanting to be worth the while for one

or other of my fellow humans here.

I know, assume, that judgement has begun.

From what Christ said, that’s how it would appear¹.

It’s just that something deep within my soul

is quite concerned with what this woman thinks.

And now I think again of ol’ King Saul

and see the havoc brought about… the jinks

it was to all his reign when he let his -

his worth be settled by the rhymes they sang

around the cooking fi-res & places

where people met and where they would just hang.

Oh God, I know the smallness of this one,

this in-div-id-u-al whose language is

agreed on by a company, whose fun 

& games & ways of doing human buis-

-ness is the context where I live this life.

I am so glad that Jesus came along

& taught me how to cross that self in strife,

the self that would just sing alone its song.

I’ll cross that self, that’s what the whole world needs,

and for your new creation to begin,

the cancer must be pulled right out, like weeds,

your life and love then covers over sin.

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¹ “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.”  (John 12:31) & “Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19)  “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)

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Making Easter a Way of Life

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Glad of the cross... 

that helps me with loss..

helps me take it on

instead of my option,

which seems "to acquire"

insurance inspire-

es me in that way

that keeps to the “pay

level” instead

of fam'ly love - wed-

wed-ed HESED

makes old ways dead!

Thus one has said:

"Take up your cross;

follow me" Toss

out your old dream.

(Too small it would seem.

Die to the making

of power plays baking,

-  for making all others*

to do our will smothers

unless from love's motive

with offerings votive.

Connecting through love

brings life from above.

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1. *  the making of a human being is reserved for the self whom you love and are (becoming), thus you have been granted the right to participate in its making. To try to make another human being, is a travesty. Unless you are given the holy, (unwritten, in anything but DNA) responsibility to participate in the making of a human being, say as a parent; or loaned a part of that responsibility, say as a baby-sitter, guardian, music teacher; or linked back to parents by metaphor & on the level of society, “race” & culture (at another level -  & there is yet another way to see this link, via the parent metaphor backwards. e.g. of two ways of linking: if Seth were to have married his sister, then Seth’s sister and his wife were the same person) as a properly ordained (& executed), leader of humanity, King, Prime Minister, President, and the Judges, Police, and Council Officials, giving their lives to serve their people.

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Flat Earth society

 

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Well here I am all feeling very flat,

like ev’rything’s mechanical and grey.

And I say it’s ok to be like that

for I trust you to plan ahead, and hey! -

You’ve done a good job overall, I find,

with colour, and too purpose pushing through.

The joy of learning, following your mind

into the unknown. Glad to follow you.

But just to let you know I’m not complete,

I wouldn’t trust myself to stay the trip. 

I seem to start off well, get on my feet,

but feel like giving up, forget to strip

my baggage down, to make it to the end.

I’ll only start again if you will go

the whole way with me. And help me to mend

to think of you, and trust you really, so

that I can be remade when you think best.

You are the only one I’ll fully trust,

I trust you to think further than the rest,

and better, deeper, less likely to bust.

Your loveliness is there for opened eyes.

And I would see it, and use your gifts well.

And learn to take my turn, and not despise

the goodness that is round, as though in hell.

So thanks for feelings, even when I’m flat,

for why should I be up most of the time.

Thanks for blue sky, white clouds, & sun that’s sat

behind them. They all make a lovely rhyme.

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Ease ta rope

about da neck!

Den pull it tight!

Jump; what the heck!

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: I think that this smell's of the Judah's way.

(Somehow it's hard to crucify oneself.

It's hard to bang one's right hand into place

when feet are nailed, and left hand is in hell.

For crucifixion, you can't live alone.

You must then interface with folk in ways

that really "piss them off", and not atone.

They have to harden their own hearts, display

some "childish" ignorance, in their blind faith.

And then you have to stick around to get

their reflex actions, and this is the way

they get to play their cards, and you can bet

the other way, and see if God is real,

And does he really think you are his child

Has he allowed you to join him, to feel

what God has felt like. I know this is wild.

But children who were borne by him into

existence as a person, not just flesh.

Then hung around with, opened your self to,

and loved them and allowed them to enmesh

themselves into your life, and cause you pain

and you are in position, just to feel

it fully, you could just destroy again

or see it though and trust that love is real.

And someone might stay loyal in that mob,

and follow in that way of trust you showed.

Then new worlds can be made, for children’s slob-

ber, where they might grow up true, strong, englowed.

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The ultimate Jew 

took what they were due, 

or what was to come-

from ev-er-y-one.

And given our state

our penchant to hate,

and jealously nurse

our own will’s perverse

ideas & ways

while looking for “pay” ’s,

not worried about

procedures which, flout-

ed, might make this unjust

as almost what must

if we’re to account

for choices amount-

ing to per-ju-ry

from what I can see.

The plaintiff, not judge,

not willing to budge

would not claim his rights

though this very fight

so carefully planned

would mean that each man

described had no place 

to go, so our race

be shot in the foot

and hand - understand?

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wind and water

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We’re from two worlds, or are amphibious.

We have both lungs and gills to keep alive

& learn the wisdom that contributors

both understand the beat, and dance the jive.

Oh, what a gift, to live here in your world,

and know that I can really learn the skills

involved in living well, and then be bold,

not based on my sufficiency or will’s

capacity to hold its course unflinch-

ingly, or know the ropes all round this place.

“Impossible” with YaHWeH is a cinch.

So teamed with him, a smile’s upon my face.

The systems that deliver and are part

of how deliveries are made to folk

are not the secrets that make all things start

to move again, and then turn off this “joke”!

(The tired joke we think of -with a frown- 

while worried that it isn’t aimed to help,

or worse - is parasitic, and weighs down.

And shouldn’t be passed on. We shouldn’t tell

p-eople that we know, around today,

for only one with knowledge could know when

it might just work, if taken the right way,

So since we are the best judg-es, why then

we wouldn’t have a need to “take things right”

we’ll tell them what is worth-while and what’s not,

with energy, so they’ll know we’ve got “bite”.)

These systems may be used, ‘coz they are fine,

they’re special gifts made up with greatest care;

but back behind them, energy, design

is what would make them work to serve us where

they do their bit. If imprint of the GOD 

is still in us, we’ll look behind them, stare

in awe at all the work that now means what

is helping us, has long been planned by love

contributing in more ways than we’d count,

and then say “Thanks” while looking up, above

us, to the who contrived all this to mount

in ways that aren’t just fun, but bring more life

and we as part of whole she-bang can add

some contributions both ways in our strife:

blame him for the whole lot, since he’s our Dad;

and learn a love like his (who lets us choose)

in how we treat all we’re due to inspect.

Creative love can wash & clean all whose

own hearts are sick (dead it will resurrect).

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