Meditation on Isaiah 30 verse 15

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel.
"In returning and rest you shall be saved.
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

Can I be quiet
so that voices of the past
no longer haunt me,
and cries of the future
no longer tempt me into striving?

Can I be quiet
not from shame or sadness,
but from the deepest joy
that I can know a lasting peace,
in the pieces of myself
that still call for war?

Can I be quiet
in my spirit,
so that I hear His Spirit
more clearly
than my wrestling restlessness?

Can I be quiet
so that time and eternity
trade places momentarily,
and I hear the hush of heaven
as it waits for revelation
to settle in my soul?

Can I rest
not heeding the hurried rush
of future days,
that would stretch my spirit
out of shape,
and leave me with
a dull headache of discontent?

Can I return to the One
who found me
and saved me
from my worst intentions,
and showed me a way more wonderful
than any of my own imaginings?

Can I have the confidence
of truly knowing who I am,
and who He is,
and how a door of reconciliation,
so beautiful but bloodied,
has been made
so I never need to be alone?

Radical Inclusion

To be radical
has become something to be feared.

Too much.
Too intense.
Too overwhelming
for the niceties of society,
which desires moderation
in all things,
except personal satisfaction and sinful pleasure.

To be radically inclusive,
to do away with 'us' and 'them' forever
is a shocking idea,
for it is in the very 'us' and 'them'
that we find our frail identity.

We belong to this group, this organisation, this culture
safely.
We are not like them with all their obvious differences.

We feel secure
with those who talk and think and look the same as us.

We are inwardly disturbed
when people violate our norm.

Jesus,
the ultimate radical,
was loved and hated for it.

He welcomed the oppressed and the oppressor,
and didn't make them sit
in designated groups.

He was present,
available to all
who would walk out of their fear,
religious leader under cover of darkness,
or prostitute openly wiping His feet with her hair.

He calls for radical inclusion
from those who would follow Him.
That none would be turned away
from seeking His Truth.

He so loved the world.

Radical

Inclusion.

We should do the same.

Belonging

Do we need to keep playing pretend,
with assumptions
received by head
but not by heart?

Do we need to keep doing
the right things for the wrong reasons,
trapped by expectations
to fulfill religious obligation?

Theory theology,
safely disconnected from life,
in case any sparks of faith
might set alight
a gospel glow
so unpretentious
Jesus would enjoy it.

We stick with opinions
bitterly fought for,
rather than beliefs
written with
love stained ink
on hearts honest and raw,
longing for grace and truth.

Truth truer than true
can only be found
away from practiced performance
of religious rite.

This is relationship reality,
sons and daughters
belonging to our Father,
co heirs with Christ.

No higher purpose or agenda
than belonging
in eternal family.

The beginning and the end
of the journey,
the Father's love for us.

If only we would receive it,
and turn forever
towards belonging.

The Edge of our Unknowing

I find myself
at the edge of my unknowing,
contemplating whether to draw back
or to take a wobbly step of faith,
because the leap
seems way too hard
at the moment.

I like the idea
that Jesus stands
a little to the side of
the edge of our unknowing,
willing us to see
how wonderful the waves are close up,
if only we would get out
of our small but stable boats.

The edge of our unknowing
is not a place
you want to wait,
for it is crowded
with the curious but apathetic.

They stay long enough
to catch a glimpse of what exists
outside their comfort zone,
and turn their backs again
on mystery and wonder.

If it is something
I can't easily explain or rationalize,
does that mean
that it is definitely not of God
or that it definitely is?

Too many of us
are fearful of knocks to prideful self
or lowering of social standing,
to risk the journey
to where our understanding
becomes of limited use,
and we have to
trust Someone else
beyond the edge of our unknowing.

Slow burning faith

Slow burning faith
that keeps the glowing spark alight,
and clings to the Spirit breathed promise
through years of frustration,
and yet to be seen fulfillment.

Slow burning faith
that remains in the prayer room,
when disappointment
and disillusionment
have all but cleared it
to silence.

Slow burning faith
that holds on
against impossible odds,
believing for a miracle
that appears to be permanently
lost in the post.

Slow burning faith
that knows the trustworthiness
of the Sender,
and expects the promise will arrive as perfectly created
as when it was first mentioned.

Slow burning faith
that is willing to keep the fuse lit
for decades if necessary,
before the miracle explosion
changes the life landscape forever.

So don't let doubters quench with their query's,
don't become weary with waiting,
too tired to try anymore.

Fan the tiny flame.

Wait for the answer
that will blow all
unbelief to hell.

Raise another standard
to God's faithfulness,
and to miracles
that come to those
with slow burning faith.