toddler tumult

---

Oh God, please help that Mum with squeamish boy,

to have wisdom to see what's going down,

to play the part of parent, full of joy,

and praying as she gives thanks on this ground.

But maybe, as I think some later on,

there might be need for anger in this  world..

It might not be too bad a note in song;

at the right time, not quickly as if hurled.

They say that God is slow to anger and

abounding in that HESED (loving kind-

-ness) and James says quick anger can not stand

& carry righteous living forward - mind...

This doesn’t play the part of nounish thought

to bring the world to heel, to me, myself.

That kind of rule makes sep'rate things be wrought

to do the will of who’s in charge, has wealth.

The way of HESED works by teaming up,

a covenant, or partnership’s the thing.

And in that context truth won’t just corrupt

because who’s fitted best for job must bring

that to the table, love must need sometimes

to have a small & weak one soaking up

more love into this world, to then make rhymes

perpetuating how one might erupt.

And that CREATIVE HESED is the WAY

to forward move, to live, to love, in truth.

And now I see it, I must further say

it is the way to all eternal youth.

Amen

---

mind set

Determinations

---

Oh “Dadda” here I am. I am your child.

Your little child, who must look up throughout

the day at ev’ry lovely thing or wild

adventure, or some trouble, or some doubt,

to share the whole with you, to learn to see

each one of these aright, with feelings which

are meant to come along, and add, and be

mixed in with all I call experience.

So here, I’m starting off today, this way

by looking up, out window t’wards the sky

(the curtain, blue or black, or white, displayed

with colours of the rainbow, as light shines,

from where we get our rain that sucours life,

from where shows sun and moon to help us see,

from where our biggest dangers could be rife;

yet overseen by who made gravity)

I know you're there and look down from above,

with HESED, Hebrews called your cov’nant love

which sees the other, not as thing to shove,

but fam’ly, to be handled with kid glove.

I treasure all your friendship, thoughtfulness,

provision for my day, and tasks, and self.

And want to live together and redress

my immaturities, and lack of health-

-y motives, and responses, ends & means.

I’m glad to have your presence, though I’ll not

be seeing you as well as those seeings

I’m s'posed to give attention to, by God!

---

Put up with each other…*

---

In learning to put up with folk around

about me here I’m given a good run.

For I must learn to see life as it’s found

by others, not by me. I feel undone.

Oh help me God to be true in myself

to what is kind, not just what’s right by me.

To act in ways that maximize the health

and well-being of those around who’ll be

a little inconsistent, maybe more,

in what they want, and ask for, and then give.

That need not be my licence to keep score,

& not to start to stop trying to live

myself in ways that could display some grace.

Oh God I need the grace that’s in your eyes.

Your view of us allows that grace a place.

And I want to reflect it, not despise

it, or, ignoring it, build up on Earth

technologies that might replace mercy,

gratuitous they come not from re-birth,

but from the call to live, and breathe, and see.

And we tell we are chosen by that fruit

of choosing here to do the will of God

within a place where we can choose just who

refering to, we learn from, and to what

extent, what ends and means can be used and

the God says we are not to try to rule..

rule over others. Carrying’s not banned.

So bearing his own cross, he wain't no fool.

---

Notes

*   Col3:13

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV)

ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ ⸀κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς· (SBLG)

*  John 19:17

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. (RSV)

καὶ βαστάζων ⸂αὑτῷ τὸν σταυρὸν⸃ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς ⸀τὸν λεγόμενον Κρανίου Τόπον, ⸀ὃ λέγεται Ἑβραϊστὶ Γολγοθα, (SBLG)

---

Moving (forward) mindset

---

Therefore, as God’s picked people, in this world,

made holy for the purposes he chose,

and set apart (equipped) as one who's  curled

in foetal fashion, dearly loved. The clothes

you put upon yourself, see that they  serve

those purposes - en-a-bling you to show

off what your God is like. See you don’t swerve

from deep compassion, kindness, & the go..

like humble-ing yourself (a Jesus-deed),

then gentleness and patience, puting up

with others*, and forgive as folk have need -

just as the Lord forgave you, filled your cup.

to flowing over all these - put on love, 

which binds them all together in the way

such proper growth is meant to “from above”.

The one-ness of a thriving garden space. 

The garden of the Christ must be the rule 

within your hearts, since you are all a part 

of that whole ecosystem. Don’t be fooled,

remember you’re one body, no upstart.

You’re called to thrive together, that’s shalom. 

So thankfulness describes the overall..

..the process, where the message of Christ comes

& dwells among you richly as you fall

in step with one another. Help & teach 

each other with all wisdom through the psalms, 

& hymns, and songs the Spirit sings through each

back to the God with gratitude in arms

raised with your hearts. And everything  you do, 

in deed or word, do all as though his child,

who bears the name of Jesus deep in you, 

and thanks the God and Father as Christ  styled.

---

Notes

Colossians 3:12-17 

[12] Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραΰτητα, μακροθυμίαν, [13] ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ ⸀κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς· [14] ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις τὴν ἀγάπην, ⸀ὅ ἐστιν σύνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος. [15] καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ ⸀Χριστοῦ βραβευέτω ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, εἰς ἣν καὶ ἐκλήθητε ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι· καὶ εὐχάριστοι γίνεσθε. [16] ὁ λόγος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐνοικείτω ἐν ὑμῖν πλουσίως ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ· διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ⸀ψαλμοῖς, ⸀ὕμνοις, ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς ⸀ἐν χάριτι, ᾄδοντες ἐν ⸂ταῖς καρδίαις⸃ ὑμῶν τῷ ⸀θεῷ· [17] καὶ πᾶν ⸂ὅ τι⸃ ⸀ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἐν λόγῳ ἢ ἐν ἔργῳ, πάντα ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ ⸀θεῷ πατρὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ. (SBLG)

or

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIVUK)

(Plus see Col 3:23-24)

 

* “Bear with each other”, or “put up with each other”; what does this mean? And how do you do it rightly, in the way of love? A poem & an exploration

---

Last period at school…

---

This afternoon at school our class went sour

when some folk in the habit of regard

-ing others with less honour in this hour, 

continued to say things that were quite hard

to handle for another in the room,

& then enjoyed a laugh at their expense. 

The teacher in my class saw we were doomed 

but couldn't turn the tide (in his defence)-

the videos that might have helped us out 

would not be accessed - yet they took a while

to login to to watch the i-view. Gout,

or suffering alike, was on the dial

of most within the class this per-i-od

of time where we were all together in

the room, though each as separate different bod.

were trying to be one there. Did we win?

Well, probably, we didn’t much. Let’s see …

But, if we learn from this, if each takes on

a piece of what could be done diff’rently…

then this might be the first line in a song

that gets a diff’rent tune as it goes on,

becoming sweeter, drawing us all in.

I think I like that metaphor. Be gone! -

that dooming voice that paints all life as “sin”.

I’ll learn the bit I can. I’ll try it out.

I think I'll need some help along the way.

Creative positive regard, no doubt

I'll need your help to do a diff’rent day!

---

the cake

---

YOUR WORD goes out, &, is kept!

---

Oh God I love the way your word is more 

than what we often mean as we might  show

by words, we have the pow’r to let states form,

and living/moving things be, come, and grow.

Your word’s the message, spoken into life

as we now know things: history and such,

but also through our culture’s gifts (and strife),

how we could war; confronting or just touch-

ing people. They’re full loved - as parents do

a wee small child who’s joined the family.

Such parents bring their kids right full into

a situation where they can live free

of being run, or bound, by what they want.

To please a bigger will than just my own

is paradoxic’ly the needed font,

the style, or way of life that is full-grown.

And now I hear you say to me. You fraud!

So you claim that you’ve got the cancer cure?

Well, I say Caesar, Putin, Trump’s not Lord

in biggest way, and our needs still endure.

We need a Lord, such as that ONE that came

responding fully to creative love,

& spending life on earth, with all its shame

as though it's currency from up above,

and his investment was this very thing:

The people round about who loved to do

the truth, to make it shine in suffering,

and making friends with folk like me, & you*.

---

* In the light of Mark 2; the stories of Jesus very willing to fight theological battles with leaders who were keen to lock horns on heady issues (in their power-mongering ways); but not more willing than we was to display the core creative love of the universe to the most marginalised and in the normal celebratory stuff of life.

bothered?

---

There is a part of me which I now see

that really can’t be bothered ‘bout all  this..

..this partnership with God that sets me free

to grow up and mature, just like Jesus.

It wants to grow in pow-er, so to get

all my de-syrs fulfilled. That's just as though

my model world (that’s built inside its head),

needs a Big god to vanquish ev’ry foe.

Auditions for this job were taking place…

right when I woke up in my bed today,

and in my mind the only one to face

that board of one, was me, so “What ya say?”

I got the job! And now I am a god!

In charge of this whole world within my head.

And so I get to choose and focus what

I’ll do, say, think, before this mortal’s dead.

The part of me that made this model world

is truly its creator, thus its god.

But this truncated foetal god that’s curled 

around it has to grow up quite a lot.

And so it needs much mentoring, and tasks

to work on right beside the God who IS.

As small boy wants to work with Dad so asks,

and might be given real jobs then as his.

So meaning, purpose, filters down to me

from source and pioneer, creative love,

when as a little child I’m bound to be,

and do as I am told, here from above.

---

A family won't make it to meet with others this weekend...

Please bless this family oh Lord our God.

Please give them rest and wisdom to use well

what energy they have, and too, have not.

And simple trust in heaven - against hell.

---

Lack of respect - and news of it “in the name of God”²

---

Dear Father I am saddened by this news.

The news of one small day at High School here,

where people can’t respect another who’s

like them upon this Earth that we hold dear.

And people in your name, who name your Christ,

who are offspring of Hell and seek more pow’r

through naming your great name that kept, sufficed,

protecting all your fam’ly in a shower

of meteors that rained down “from above”

as pow'rful and “in charge”, who’d claim your name

throughout your world, but yet recinded love -

HESED (that keeps its word; to its own shame

& hurt°), its word is true though all else be

shown false and misdirected. HESED's true.

All others, which includes myself, we see

get sidetracked by desires for comfort. You

alone, are never left alone. You know

the secret of a way of life which is

a partnership in essence, which will show

both honour, true assessment, no end fizz;

though crucifixion’s no subject to sing 

about. The issue’s not “for what you’ll kill”;

but “for what you will die - yourself”, suff’ring

while still displaying HESED as you will.

Oh God, your own minority report³

has been maintained throughout the Centuries past.

And to this end I now use help to sport

(Christ’s/my) crucifixion up until the last.

---

° “ (ones).. who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;” (Psalms 15:4 NRSV) 

¹ A normal day in an Ozzie High School.

² The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren; Track 6 of the audio-book read by the Author (chapter 4).

³ a metaphor gained from the movie by that name, often not the report of the majority, the powerful main-line system. Since the fall, a "claim" or "Name Tag" is not enough. We need another way to know/ discern/ recognize them. Yeshua outlined for his followers that other way: "You shall know/ discern/ recognize them by their ….. ." (Matthew 7:15-20 NET)

---

Worn out…

---

Oh God, please bless ol' mate with true mate-ship,

fair dinkumness relating round about;

please pour them into his life, not to slip

out quickly, but refreshed from good work-out

may he be better as he rests, in mind

& body too, may life's reality

be more his own, as he is what it finds.

And not just him, please do the same in me!

---

another day

---

God please help this couple along with their 

their visitors from Sunday, and today

with work and catchings up, to really care

with your great love in what they do and say!

Amen.

---

when purpose and meaning evaporate

God, help that fellow to recall your love.

Your presence with him, as reality.

Your purposes for him sent from above,

to know & show that life to friends, to see ..

Human With(out) Chest⁵

---

The thought and will, decision that comes down,

connects to actions in this world to change,

develop it, to more display around

the beauty and the lovliness so strange-

-ly shown when humans spirited to bring

the way of Christ (next human who’s been made,

developed, learned, been trained by suffering¹)

that’s mediated by that process bade

to be employed by all who’re list-en-ing

to this same one now chosen from above,

the Father of the Son himself who’d sing

of that same day made by creative love²

for more displaying all true colours off.

God’s covenant HESED providing well.

His antidote to falling short (that cough

which tries to cover shame, and death, and hell).

That clear decision to go out and walk

with all creative love throughout its world,

as junior partner, true, but not to baulk

because of failure. His flag’s still unfurled…

and as old Enoch⁴ took his chance to learn, 

to ’fess up plainly, and live reconciled

to being not the God himself, but turn 

again to do what often meant he smiled³,

and made a habit of his life, to walk

along with God, as life came ev’ry day -

three hundred years. I bet they’d often talk.

He learned to walk like God in ev’ry way.

---

¹ “son though he was, he learned obedience through suffering.. (Hebrews 5:8); & “whoever has suffered has done with sin” (1Pet4:1)

²“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:26 NIVUK) I have been told, but have not verified, that in the First Century Jewish Haggadah (order of service) for Passover certain psalms were sung before, during, and after the meal… and that this psalm (Ps 118)  likely to be one sung at that time [note it's celebration of the HESED (faithful love) of YHWH, providing “the day, which the Lord has made”, and which if identified with such a day of great suffering as had just started for Yeshua at sundown, paradoxically, he, and we will rejoice and be glad in]

³ As can be discerned in the relationship of God, with the first son of Adam (Cain): “After some time, Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the LORD. 4Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger.  6Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”(Genesis 4:3-7 GNBDC)

⁴  “When Jared had lived one hundred sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. [19] Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. [20] Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, and he died. [21]  When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. [22] Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. [23] Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. [24] Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him. (Genesis 5:18-24 NRSVUE)

⁵refers to a concept outlined in the first chapter of his book “The Abolition of Man” , written by C.S.Lewis..

---

Magpies and ducks, puppies and clucks

---

An empty hollow man looks out on love. 

He sees its actions, knows them to be full,

and 3 dimensional, as hand in glove,

but feels to be a glove only, no hand.

Emotions which connect him to his world

in ways that are not just thought, nor just  will

but some amalgam of matter & mind

that seem to float around, but matter still.

Are like a farmer’s animals that add

a lot to ev’ry farm around the place.

They’re trained in certain ways, by Mum & Dad

(who own the farm), but still they leave a trace

of colour, texture, in both sight and sound

they even sometimes bring to things a  “face”,

the dog greets visitors, when they are found,

and helps with sheep & cattle in the chase,

The cow gives milk, but also moos, bellows,

the chickens - eggs, but also clucking, poos.

With all their noises, habits, these fellows

communicate this farm is where they’re used -

not “used” in some truncated way that won’t..

won’t give them space to be themselves, demeans.

They contribute to all farm life, and don’t 

be so curtailed that they are just machines.

They give the flavour of the farm to one.

I wonder if I might need so to do,

to let some babies, animals do some

some more around this place, near me and you.

---

a blessing for Stephanie Davies-Arai, author of the book "Communicating with Kids" (2015CE)

---

May you be blessed with blessings of the wind,

and sun that energizes this whole Earth.

May you who've cared for kids without recind-

ing your responsibilities, find mirth

in those relationships, and those that come

on further down the great, grand road that forms.

As you continue learning, look up some-

times, & then others can help change our norms.

....

SOME^(Ninety)^ONE

     

---

Whoever shelters under the Most High 

will rest in shadow of Almighty One.

And I will say of Yahweh , ‘He is my -

my refuge and my fortress, where I run.

My God, in whom I trust.’  And surely he 

will save you from addictions which  ensnare

and from the kinds of cancer (& their fee)

which take our sensibilities and care.

And he will cover you under his wings 

and you will find your refuge in his faith-

fulness which will be shield and other things.

You will not fear the spirit or the wraith,

which surfaces at night, in unclear light,

you will not fear the demons of the day,

like loss of purpose, meaningless that bites,

nor suicide that comes to blow away.

The kind of wasting that destroys all good,

the inside with the outside - all at once,

will bring no fear for you, no way it could

for you could be a laggard or a dunce

and nothing could at all destroy that love

that spoke and brought a Universe to view,

and keeps on giving wisdom from above

and can and will continue to pursue.

A thousand others may fall at your side, 

ten thousand at your right hand, but it will 

not touch you, for it's him, where you abide,

who is your home and house, & who's your fill!

For though you will observe with your own eyes

and see the consequences of their ways

of life (or death), those here - who have despised

the word that made the world, and all he says.

If you will say, ‘My refuge, that's The LORD,

that's Yahweh!" You make him your dwelling place,

and live your life in what HE can afford

and how he chooses now to show his face,

then you will never ever find you're bored,

no harm will overtake you, or displace

your confidence, reality's been lored

by love, which first conceived the whole of space.

For all this life itself is truly more

a fleeting mist, phantasm of the night,

that is - a passing phase that won't endure,

and you'll be growing truer in his sight.

Disasters which in this world always come,

will have no pow-er to reach further still

for they would have to reach through bub to mum,

and thence to all her world around, and kill..

In this case ou-r tabernacle-tent

around us, who's our womb, and life itself,

is God, and we his embryo's, he's lent

us life, and is protective of our health!

 

For he will yet command his angels too,

concerning you to guard you in your ways;  

and they will lift you up as their hands do,

so that you won't be hurt. That's what he says.

And he is who cannot speak lies at all

he has no need, and he does not so will.

And you will tread on lions who would mawl,

and cobras who would poison, so to kill.

And you will trample the Great Lion and 

the serpent, both at once, though you be small.

‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, "He'll stand!

For I will rescue him; & he'll stand tall!

And I'll protect him, who takes on my name.

My child who won't divorce himself from me.

When he will call on me, I'll do the same. 

I'll be with him in trouble, you will see.

That's those who have those eyes to see, who do!

And I'll deliver them and honour them.

With long life I will satisfy my crew

and show them how I save. I'm salvation!’

---

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord , ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.  If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling,  no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord , ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’. Psalms 91:1‭-‬16 NIVUK

---

---

a get-real psalm - 32

---

A blessing hovers over all those whose

offences are forgiven, covered by

the God's pronouncement over those he'll choose -

- all those who open up to him in life.

For happy are those learning to be true

not just in word, but in their spirit deep,

so then true deeds of kindness come out too

as we come more awake from our sound sleep.

So while I kept my silence, my life ebbed.

My body wasted, sparkle ran away,

my groaning all day long, was all I said, your hand was heavy on me, night & day; 

my strength was dried up, as does summer heat,

On stopping, thinking, when I take a break,

acknowledging my sin to you complete

I hid not my iniquity; I’d take

my cover down; confessing clean the lot,

and you forgave the guilt of all my sin. Nothing to do, but stop, think, soak, in what

that means. Let all who let faithfulness in..

then offer prayers: requests & thanksgiving

to you; for at a time of deep disgrace, 

the rush of mighty waters shall not fling

up to them. You’re my safety/hiding place;

and you preserve me from my trouble; you 

surround me with glad cries of deliv’rance. 

I heard no word, but wisdom came into

my life, said “I’ll instruct you, teach you hence

the way that you should go; I’ll counsel you 

with my eye upon you.  Do not be like 

a horse or a mule, without much temper who

won’t stay near unless bridled to a spike.

The torments of the wicked, many are!

Kind steadfast love surrounds who’s in the Lord.  

Be glad in God, rejoice, O righteous, lark!

and laugh out loud, upright kingfisher hoard.  

---

Psalms 32:1‭-‬11 NRSV

---