In Part* -

ner-ship*!

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Give space within my life for God to act.

To make our partnership be real in me.

So go beyond the token stuff in fact.

And let God help, and then use eyes to see..

and ears to listen & to hear the thoughts 

that come, ide-as to build love and light.

What’s true and honest, say only what’s caught

somehow within the web of what is “right” ..

That’s right relating, as I would be “done 

by” - keeping my own word to my own hurt!

And trust my “father” to bring joy* to “son”,

and let his word to me hold weight, not blurt

out some religious piety to prop

up power structures, for some little man.

We’re talking of creative love’s unstop-

pab-le incessant work (since time began).

And work with all my might and mane to join

in, where I can - to make a difference here,

within the stuff where I can choose, what’s mine

to bring to table, thus make it appear.

And treat the partnership, this covenant

that Jesus spoke about, as real and true.

And bounce on it, in fact (not just to rant)

to bring it into being here in you.

And it might be quite diff’rent for some one

who’s diff'rent to me (and some people are)!

So not to replicate some other’s fun

but learn to be this self that’s made this far.

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Footnotes

t* - “now we know in part, and now we see God’s bigger possibilities in part… now I know in part, then I shall truly know in the same way that I am truly known.” (1Cor 13:9,12)

p* - as alluded to in the last sentence in the footnote above, the partnership (truly knowing as I am truly known)  of God and his children, or God and his wife, (or for another picture: the Right Hemisphere & Left Hemisphere of the human brain) in the job of allowing the world to exist, be populated, and to thrive, in multiplying, planting, tending & caring for (overseeing, naming,  talking about, & considering) the world seems to be the biggest theme of the holy scriptures, and the end goal of all the rest of history, and the core means to make known, and reveal his glorious goodness  to the heavens and the Earth.

y* - joy, though, is a movement of a whole being in such a way that we must choose for it to experience it in full. In fact the Apostle Paul names it as one of three things that God is constantly willing for us to experience: “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you, in your life in union with Jesus Christ.” (1Thess 5:16-18)

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THE NEXT CONVERSATION*

(Jefferson Fisher’s book)

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Reminders from my father up above

have come to me the last few days. I hear

what he is saying, teaching me, so love

can be extended from me far & near:

A focus when I'm in a conversa-

-tion, on the person - to relate to them

as neighbour in God’s world, by what I say,

and how I say it, yes, more how and when,

and even more by what (& how) I DO..

which emanates from WHY I’m here at all.

That simple adage*, lived by just a few

and focussed on God’s chosen one, no small

or insignificant, unhelpful thing!

And then* explored by those who’ve found what works.

The lack of which I’ve seen in what I bring 

to conversations, when I am a jerk.

So here’s the next few steps in exploring

the way of truly human ones on Earth:

• Note my own body’s cues and how they string

      along the folk around me since my birth.

• Then take the time to get my head back straight 

      to purposes I am committed to.

• And let my curiosity relate

     as wild beast might to each and ev’ry cue.

Be willing to rule systems I am in.

To tell them where they can get on, and can’t.

And take the ride I’m given with a grin,

& though I get amazed, don’t get alarmed!

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Footnotes

n* - re-reading; & up to 15 min into Chapter One (Never win an argument)

e* - probably (in my estimation) from Jesus Christ’s next oldest little brother (Mark 6:3) James, from the book by that name, James ch 1:19-27, as summarised in the starting sentence: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone of you should be quick to.., slow to .., and slow to.. .”(verse 19)

n* - by people like Jepherson Fisher, in ways like he does in this book

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the ghost of a chance ..

.. the Next Conversation*

---

I do not want convers’n to torpedo

relat’n to the person or to veto

the next conversation I’ll have with ’em

or chances for formation of a prison

for parts of me that should not be let out 

in fact I see my “needs” might free a lout

to try manipulation of folk ’round -

instead of conversation which I’ve found

to be a two-way street, where people meet

and learn to take their turns, while neither spearns

the other, nor their mother, (though in truth

she still might send a shudder .. & forsooth

she might be rather cagey, and asuage -y

to offspring of her womb to them en-tomb

’ny part of them, though God knows when it’s need

is obvious, and clearly now the deed

that should be done, though could not come to mind

for folk who’d learned (as butter’s churned) to find

their joy in what’s annoying those who’re blind,

or “diss’n” folk who’re missing undefined

and “hard to put to words” training as kids.

We have to train the turds, the billy-lids

that are ourselves, it’s hard but help is on

the way, & I can say I’d pay belong-

-ing as the only force, of course, that might

(not will), let people grow as plants to light,

to energy that can be used to fight

against the “death”, that don’t do breath - the blight!

---

Footnotes

*n - I’m thinking of the brilliance in the focus given by the simple title of “The Next Conversation”, by Jefferson Fisher (about 6 hr). Before you even get to any of his brilliant advice on ways forward: considering “What do you want them to know?” & what he says about the pause (or breath), which I perceive gives me time to process the question and allows me then to be affected by the still, small voice of the “Right Hemisphere” that allows me to relate to other people, rather than to simply control them! 

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my

dear brother*…

---

Be really quick or active here to hear,

so “Listen” is the word we’d often use

to cover actions that might be what’s near

to those intentions, and what follows through

somehow in manifesting in this world

the kind of things that are shown in a life

that’s lived on Earth (where we’re all sent, or hurled),

exemplifying heaven - in this strife.

The active part of list’ning might be stretched

to cover asking questions which allow

us then to hear much deeper, once we’re meshed -

relating with some trust, and grace somehow.

Along with really hearing, then belongs -

remembering, recalling to our minds

the stuff that is disclosed by who responds

and thinking, seeing options that love finds.

And slow to speak might not mean to speak slow-

ly; maybe it’s the time between our thoughts

and then when they get worded on the go*,

to acts that might communicate of sorts,

in which case it’s the time to let the right-

hand hemisphere of our brains (which relate,

instead of just use data in a fight

to gain ascendancy, control, or bait) -

to give time to reflect, for wisdom’s way

to influence, inform, and then affect

by choosing what to do (and spesh’ly say),

instead of anger’s loss of true respect. 

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Footnotes

s* - “... So, my dear brothers and sisters, get this straight. Every person should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”(NTFE; + see James wep1:19-27)

o* - think of  The Next Conversation, by Jefferson Fisher (about 6 hr); “What do you want them to know?” & what he says about the pause (or breath), which gives time to process the question and allows me then to be affected by the still, small voice of the “Right Hemisphere”! 

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Leading hand

---

To lead out of love means learning to serve.

And,”being the leader” means being first,

and leading the treck by having the nerve

to do what’s worth doing, undoing cursed

procrastinating, fear of the unplanned,

& “keeping control”, as though that’s your need.

One’s leading displays what they understand,

and also who. It’s letting the seed

develop & grow up - here in God’s world

by choices made in settings that you’re in

while part-ner-ing (right where & when you’re hurled)

displaying grace that covers all the im-

maturity and failures, & the falls,

the losses & the lacks and missing marks. 

The love that hopes and plans and acts in all

all circumstances - & gives grace to sharks, 

evolving them to mammals with a heart

(a seat of rule for love over the whole..

..whole body, and the sea where it might start).

And leading is self-evident to soul

that’s been awakened, now with spirit’s heart

that brings along the oxygen in blood,

‘coz breathing has begun, at least in part.

A leader helps you stand against a flood!

And leaders call you to cover their back,

& help you clarify where you have lacked,

yet will not just give up, send you off track

just so they’ll be more seen as who's uncracked.

---

Waif or Ward?

or..?

---

Our breaky together is postponed: Ok. Hope to see you either at work or next week.

---

Oh God of all humanity who's kind-

-ly made us up, and would be making still,

if we would open eyes to be not blind

& find the grace that’s in your eyes* to fill

us with your own aims, dispositions and 

then partner with us in your making of

continued growing, in our understand-

ing and our habits of list’ning with love..

..to make these foetal children here (of yours)

to grow to be no less than like your Christ.

We gladly now en-list ourselves because

your life grows in us. His life has sufficed!

- to you, because as Peter said, he heard

you speak from heaven, saying - you were pleased

with him*, & since we’ve followed, quite absurd-

-ly, wonderf’lly we’ve joined him on his knees

before the Father (of good   Fatherhood)

and with him, in him (as foetus in womb)

we’ll grow till we “come out*”, just as we should.

As Jesus came out of that Easter tomb!

And even now, in Christ, we hear you say

to us the same words that you spoke to him,

(not “on our own*” - we need not live that way

again). We share it all - the bright, the dim!

And soak in your good grace all that ensues - 

that we are sons, are children of you true-

ly, and that you are pleased with we who do

for our part live this way, teamed up with you.

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Footnotes

s* - as the old King James Bible’s translation of Gen 6:8 in its euphemistic way says of Noah, that he “found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

m* -: (if “Mark” has indeed come to us because Mark (translated then) wrote down the gist of Peter’s exhortations to Jesus’ followers) Mark 9:1-13; 2Peter1:16-19.

t*  - Romans 8

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follow ..

.. the thread

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Oh God I heard of how you work with weak

and trembling & bewildered folk who seek

to cover over shame, but they can’t speak 

in public. They aren’t honoured much.* It’s bleak,

until I think of you. You love to sneak

about invisible to us, and tweak

things for all who invite you; being meek,

when partnered with you, they yet hear & peak

and leave room for your word to them. They reek

& smell of Christ, himself a sticky beak

for acts of God to copy (not to eek 

out life alone) - quite sim’lar to a geek

he’s happy with a help that’s slowly leaked

by - (not so much the thunder) - bray or squeek!

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Footnote

* - “Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary

Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. [2] Very early on   , inSunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. [3] On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” [4] But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. [5] When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, [6] but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. [7] Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” [8] The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.” (Mark 16:1-8 NLT )

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turn, turn, turn

our turn, to return…

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Oh God, I’m learning how to love a girl, 

as boy does as true husband in this world.

Your gifts seem far too precious to be hurled 

about to people who have evil curled

within them. I feel love’s creative sight

& touch, and hearing, smell, & taste, as might

be justified, but only in the light

of promises as precious as your right

and just and merciful prom-is-es to

de humans who accept them, & renewed

in inner selves (as body is by food)

then learn to walk on holy ground un-shoed.

Thus ruling - as a good king, serving well

the Earth and it's inhabitants who dwell

within, and over, under it to smell

themselves like YaHWeH GOD. His story tell

in ev’ry choice they make, in ev’ry deed

they’ve done, & ev’ry word they speak, to bleed

their life of love back to the ground (their steed)

and thus to give. In fact it is their need!

For kindly kind of life that mirrors him

who gave us this small gift (that’s not so dim!)

is meant to be returned. We learn to swim

when air-clothes are dismissed (they cramp each limb).

But that is not to stop our lessons in

bending, blending in his love (not sin*),

to show (not tell, in “words”) our way as twin

to God’s own way* across the seas. No FIN.

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Footnote

n* - sin is used with its original broad meaning of anything that simply misses the mark (of all best hopes, plans, and good wishes)

y* - “In the beginning… the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from (spirit of, breath of) God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

‘He alone stretched out the heavens and walked on the sea as well as the earth’ [Job 9:8].

“Solomon, in the Jewish book of Sirach, spoke of Wisdom: “I encamped in the heights, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud. [5]  Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the abyss.” (Sirach 24:4-5 NRSVUE)

“Your way was through the sea, your path through the mighty waters, yet your footprints were unseen. (Psalms 77:19 NRSVUE)

CF Jesus passing over the lake , instead of swimming through it, or walking around it (Mark 6; Matthew 14; John 6)

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