Death On Christmas Eve

I met Death

on Christmas Eve.

He sat with a man

homeless by choice.

Offered life

he chose death.

Offered freedom

in the rules of the shelter.

He chose bondage

in the freedom of the streets.

The joy of Christmas

is no longer simple.

The baby in coming

offers the chance

to reject life

and choose death.

The essence of tragedy

to see the horror of man

choosing death as a partner.

©Presbypoet, December 24, 1999

The homeless man
who inspired this poem is sick.
The night is very cold.
He still resists help.
Death still sits beside him.
Please pray for him.
Presbypoet - November 30, 2004

Update December 1st,
After praying for this man at our Tuesday mens group,
I stopped at the store to buy something.
I saw him lying on the ground, too sick to get up.
He was being tended by an Angel. Another person who
knows him was carefully making sure he was warm.
As I stood there, she told him a pastor was coming
in the morning to help him.
I helped her move some shopping carts
so no one would disturb him.
Simple acts of love.
Answered Prayer?

Christ The King

Death is coming.
How will you respond?
Winter’s chill
reminder of death.

Life’s final curtain.
Door to eternal life.
Will you be glad
to see Me?

Am I your Lord
& King?
Do you serve Me
in love?

Do you feed Me?
Clothe Me?
Visit Me in
sickness & prison?

Are you thankful
I’m your King?
Thankful I guide
your life?

As you pause
to give thanks
are you joyful
in your service?
© Presbypoet, November 24, 2002
Revelation 17:14, Matthew 25:31-46
Do you serve Him?
Do you give thanks?
Are you joyful?
Presbypoet - November 29, 2004

Poets Table

We are
raucous poets
Drunk not on wine
but on Holy Spirits.

We help each other
find God’s treasure
hid within words
we heard at His pleasure.

Sharing truth
found in our lies.
Icons written so soul
can see through your eyes.
Inspired by encounter at C. V. Writers conference March 13, 2004
© Presbypoet, March 14, 2004
Is there someone around you who can help you find God's treasure?
Will you see through the icon?
Presbypoet November 28, 2004

Escaping Your Pigs

I give you blessings,
gifts
talents
for you to use.
Given freely
without restriction.
Yours to choose
how to use.

You take My gifts
given you.
Squander them
waste My bounty.
You wander off
leave My fold.
Think you’re in charge
can do anything you want.

Selfish
you hoard My blessings
keep them
to yourself.
Think you need
no one else.
Your possessions
will save you.

In separation
from My love
you stumble
& fall.
Alone.
Helpless.
Friends forsake
you’re stuck feeding pigs.

Blinded by pride
escape is impossible.
No one to save you
from your pigs.
Pride traps you.
You’re too proud
to ask for help.
Pigs surround you.

Trapped by pride,
in desperate misery.
Come to your senses,
admit you’re wrong.
Leave your pigs,
choose hope.
Hope of forgiveness,
healing, & salvation.

Surrender your pride,
ask for help.
In deepest darkness, remember,
you’re never alone.
Abandon your pigs.
Trust your Abba,
waits for you,
to come home.

Reach out your hand.
Come to your daddy.
Patiently waiting for you,
accept My forgiveness.
Open to Me,
take My blessings.
Put on My robe,
of joy.

Come to My banquet.
Sit down & enjoy.
Not just as servant,
but dear beloved child.
Accept My ring,
sign of forgiveness.
Drink My cup.
Rejoice in My presence.
(Luke 15: 11-32)
©Presbypoet June 17, 2001
Will you come to his banquet?
What pigs do you need to escape?

Witness To The World

(let those who meet you see me)
Proclaim to the world
who I am.
Be salt & light
to the world.
Let them see Me
in your life.
Reflect My truth
as you live.

Let Me fill
your lamp.
Be prepared
for wedding feast.
Fear not death
persecution or disaster.
I have overcome
the world.

Rooted in Me
your tree will survive.
Storms of
tumult & woe.
Built on the rock
your house will stand,
as sign to
all the world.
© Presbypoet, March 18, 2001
Do people see Jesus when they see you?
Where have you built your house?
Presbypoet - November 23, 2004

Will You Wear My Robe

Welcome to
My feast.
Come in.
Share My joy.

Take My robe.
Put it on.
Discard your own
tattered and worn.

Receive My robe.
Robe of hope.
Robe of Salvation.
Robe of eternal life.

Will you enter?
Will you join Me?
Will you
wear My robe?
(Matthew 22:11-13)
©Presbypoet, August 11, 2002
Will you wear his robe?
Do you know what this means?
Be careful what you pray for
your prayers will be answered.
Presbypoet - November 22, 2004

Thanksgiving

As you gather
round this table
full of My blessings.
Will you thank Me?
As you count
your blessings
& think of all you have.
Will you praise Me?

As November’s days fade.
As winter’s darkness looms
& summer’s hope flees.
Will you hear Me?
In time of trouble
or time of plenty
when I seem silent & distant.
Will you obey Me?

As you stumble
on life’s path
without direction.
Will you follow Me?
In midst of affliction
pain, grief & testing.
In your time of refining.
Will you thank Me?

Rejoice on this day
of thanksgiving.
See Me
in your blessings.
See Me
in your pain.
See Me
at this table.
© Presbypoet, November 18, 2001

Do you see Him at your table?
Do you rejoice?
Presbypoet - November 21, 2004

Woman Why Do You Weep

They ask you
why do you weep?
They say:
It was for the best.
It wasn't a real person yet.
Your friends try to make excuses
to avoid blaming Me.
Will you trust Me?

I know this child
tender part of you
ripped from your soul.
I weep with you
I share your knife edged pain.
You cannot know My plan.
All you see is pain
in midst of dark despair.

Like Mary & Martha you say
"If only you'd been here."
Know I am here with you.
You ask Me to protect
you from pain.
I ask will you follow
through the pain
and meet Me in heaven.

For G and E
Heard by Presbypoet, August 3, 2004

A poem for a babe never born
but very truly a real person.

Are you in pain?
Do you wonder if He cares?
Do you know how to go through your pain?
Presbypoet - November 20, 2004

Prime Paradox

To know I am unknowable
and know you can know Me.
This is the heart of…
the essence of… Truth.

Not to know of My great love.
But to know My great love for you.
Such great love that gifts you with pain
to burn away all illusion.

To know without question
in the dark night of your soul.
There is pattern in chaos.
There is true hope for you.

In midst of uncertainty.
In the waves of life’s storms
Hear Me and know Me
in the silence of doubt.
©Presbypoet, November 16, 2003 heard at 6:30 AM
Do you know of His great love for you?
Presbypoet - November 19, 2004

Heros of Flight 93

Brave Men
we honor your courage
that dark 9-1-1.
When blackness came
unwanted & unexpected.
We honor you.
men who’d never met.
Never planned to be heroes.

We know not what you did
but know what you did.
Dying
you found much to live for.
You show us
to truly live
you must be prepared
to die.

We honor your courage.
You stepped out in faith
knowing you faced death.
You stood up for right
shed chains of fear.
No longer victims
but conquerors
of evil.

You fought for freedom.
Fought to save
those you never knew.
We honor you.
We give you praise.
No marble monument adequate
to demonstrate
our gratitude.

Help us honor
your courage
your action.
May we too
stand up to evil.
Prepared to sacrifice all.
May we honor your courage
with our lives.
©Presbypoet, September 13, 2001
This was writen to honor those who sacrificed on flight 93.
They did more than they could ever have known.
Today in Fallujah other Americans are standing up to evil.
I work on a fitting poem for them.
It is hard to find words adequate to express my gratitude.
Presbypoet - November 18, 2004

In Midst of Terror Be Not Afraid

In midst of terror
in midst of woe
when all seems lost.
Be not afraid.

In time of trouble.
In time of woe.
When even air seems dark.
Be not afraid.
(c) Presbypoet, November 1, 2001
What do you fear?
Presbypoet - November 17, 2004

The Big Game

Watching the big game.
Why so important?
Why so much focus?
Why do we care at all?
Why do we come?
Why do we sit
watching that 0-9 team?
Why?

Why do we come?
Why do we cheer?
Why such passion?
The answer is simple.
Just look in their face,
when mothers rejoice
to see only son achieve
after sitting on the bench alone.

The reason we care
is because we care
for this team we’ve
made part of our life.
When they overcome
we rejoice.
When they lose
kill the coaches.

We care what happens.
We know both teams.
One is our bliss.
At one we throw eggs.
A fight between brothers
is filled with true passions.
Fueled by memories of men once boys
who played on distant green fields.

The big play you make
in the big game
creates memories for life.
The team 0 and nine
that wins on a fluke
creates legend larger than life.
To be king of the big game
greatest pleasure of life.
©Presbypoet, November 15, 2001
A poem for those preparing to watch
the Big Game.
You know who you are.
Presbypoet - November 16, 2004

How to Find Joy and Peace

You seek peace and joy
through externals.
You seek wealth and health
to try to control life
and think you will find
joy and peace.

Let Me teach you
how to find My peace.
Let Me show you
My peace comes from within.
Trust in Me
you will have joy and peace.
(1st Peter 1:3-11)
(inspired by Dennis W. Sermon March 21, 2004
©Presbypoet, March 21, 2004
Do you seek joy and peace?
Do you trust in Him?
Presbypoet - November 15, 2004

Go Feed Them

You ask Me to solve your problems
like My disciples asked
Me to do something
for the five thousand.

I told My friends
"To feed them."
I ask you to do
just as impossible things.

Give Me your gifts.
Let Me bless them.
Then you can go
and bless the world.

Learn you are
My hands and feet.
Your voice must
speak My words.

Let Me refine you.
Let Me bless you
so you can feed
your five thousand.
(Luke 9:11-17)
Inspired by homily by Mark Ravizza, June 13, 2004
©Presbypoet, June 13, 2004
What gifts has God given you to give Him?
What are you asking God to do
that He is asking you to do?
Presbypoet - November 13, 2004

War With Saddam

Soon is War’s terror come.
Death.
Destruction.
Doom.
Loss of innocence.
Loss of UN credibility.
Loss of French support.
(who cares)

Soon we will find
the truth.
Do weapons of mass death
lurk unseen?
Soon Iraq will be free
from Saddam
and his sons.
What then?

Soon war will come.
Soon death will come.
Soon after
peace we pray.
Peace that will challenge
more than war.
So easy to start a war.
So hard to build a true peace.
©Presbypoet, March 18, 2003

I asked this question then.
Do we know the answer?
Can we build a true peace?
How?
Presbypoet - November 12, 2004

Come Dance For Me

Don’t be afraid
to dance with Me.
Give Me all
of yourself.

Let My joy
animate your body.
Become a sign
of My love.

Be passionate.
Be not afraid.
Be filled.
Be poured out.
©Presbypoet, January 17, 2004

How is God asking you to dance with Him?
What is your passion?
Presbypoet - November 11, 2004
I dedicate today to all vets, who served with passion
without whom we would not be free. Thank you.

Goodbye Beloved

Thank you for time too short
I shared with you.
I miss your charm & grace.
You always brought such joy.

Always so sure
how life was lived.
Your leaps of joy
a thrill to see.

But you are gone
your time so short.
Now buried in the ground.
Cold death seized you.

Never more to meet on earth
to share our love & joy.
The love we shared
only bitter pain of loss.

Yet deep in my soul I know
we’ll meet again
where pain does cease & joy abounds.
Where tears are washed away.

Then such bliss.
To know you forever.
Till then
goodbye beloved.
©Presbypoet, 1-22-02

A poem on the loss of a pet.
Do you think that dogs go to heaven?
Cats?
Rabbits?
People?
Presbypoet November 11, 2004

Hate Evil and Love Enemies

Resist Evil
yet turn your cheek
to those
who’d hurt you.

Step outside
the box
you keep Me in.
Seek My kingdom.

Let Me heal.
Let Me transform.
Trust Me.
I will provide.
© Presbypoet, March 25, 2002
Do you try to keep God in a box?
Presbypoet - November 8, 2004

Botox

You seek illusion of youth.
Willing to sacrifice frown or smile.
You kill your character.
Deadened by poison
your face lies dead.

Truth killed
by inability to express emotion.
You’re seduced like Faust.
You trade the truth
for a deadly lie.
© Presbypoet, February 16, 2002, revised May 29th, 2003
What illusions do you seek?
What do you hide?
Presbypoet November 7, 2004

Be Restored

Come to My table.
You who are
crippled by sin.
Like David invited
Mephibosheth
to his table.

I restore you.
I feed you.
For Jesus sake.
I save you.
Like David did
for Jonathan’s son.

My love for you
is always faithful.
Accept My invitation.
Accept Him as Lord.
Come to My table.
Drink My cup.

How do you
treat My son?
Hear My truth.
Know who He is.
Know the truth.
He will set you free.
(2nd Samuel 9:1-13)
© Presbypoet, September 30, 2001

Do you need to be restored?
Do you want to be restored?
Come to his table.
Presbypoet - November 6, 2004

Al Fallujah - On Loving Our Enemy

You demand we love our enemies.

How can we love the killers of Fallujah?

What do You mean when You say to forgive?

Does love do nothing and ignore evil?

What did You mean when You said.

"Let he without sin cast the first stone."

Do we sit silent and do nothing

when evil shows its full face?

Is this what it means to turn the other cheek?

Is that what You demand?

How can we approve what they did?

How can we endorse what they did?

Is it that we should not react but respond?

Not simply seek revenge but justice?

Is this the hard lesson we must learn?

We cannot do it on our own.

You did not remain silent

in the temple that day.

Your righteous anger showed us

sometime response is required.

Lord teach us to hear You

when revenge tempts us.

Help us learn how to forgive

and when to overturn tables.

(Matthew 5:38-39,43-47, 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46, 23:34, John 2:14, 8:7)

© Presbypoet, April 2, 2004

I first posted this October 4th. It seems appropriate now.
Is what we seek revenge or justice?
How do we know the difference?
We demand such impossible things of the Marines going into Fallujah.
We ask that they sacrifice their lives so the innocent may live.
Will you pray for them.
Presbypoet -November 5, 2004

Life is a Marathon

Don’t lose your joy
running the race.
Let Me discipline you
and train you.
Let Me remove
your burdens.
Your fears and stress.
So you can run a good race.
(inspired by Dennis W. Sermon March 21, 2004
1st Corinthians 9:24-27,Hebrews 10:24,36,12:1-14
© Presbypoet, March 21, 2004

How is He disciplining you?
What race are you running?