djordan
Pine Tree
most hopeful
choosing to be most hopeful
on psalm 72
Give the King your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the King’s Son;
That he may rule your people righteously
and the poor with justice
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people;
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure,
from one generation to another.
He shall come down like rain upon the cut grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish;
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
+Psalm 72
We ask for the courage to speak into justice for the poor,
and freedom for the oppressed.
We ask for humility to know that as we speak into these requests,
we speak out against ourselves.
We ask for the imagination necessary to hold us until
we see you covering all the earth like the morning sun and dew.
We ask for the patience to know that as we join you now
still we wait until it is your time.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear.
And give us courage to speak and work as we wait.
Amen.
djordan
Pine Tree
Relate Posts | Monday mornings | Some days we open our eyes | Half ready, half afraid
although we intend justice, mercy and humility
we intend to do justice
but we find ourselves surprised by what it involves
and so our feet shake a little when our toe begins to touch the water
we intend to love mercy
but in our eagerness to do justice we catch a glimpse of our own hate toward the other
and we temper down our justice because
we don’t know how to both do justice and love mercy at the same time
we intend to walk humbly
but as we barrel on toward doing justice we grow proud
and as we tip-toe up to loving mercy we grow soft
and we end up missing the mix of meekness altogether
but we know that what you’ve called us to is simple
and it is clear
and so we ask on the eve of difficult days and trying things
to give us the willingness to let you in,
so that you can, through us,
do justice, love mercy, so we can walk humbly with you, O God.
amen.
djordan
Pine Tree
of course it makes no sense at all
we try our best to talk about it as if it does
but we know good and well as we hear the words
falling from our mouths
or dancing in our brains
that of course it makes no sense at all
of course the weak lose to the strong
of course the meek lose to the proud
of course the poor answer to the rich
of course the cheerful are better off than the tearful
of course the peaceful lose to the first to strike
and even when the story ends
and someone closes the book
all seems clear still,
and we feel a rumble
like a kind of existential indigestion
that maybe we should have fought stronger
maybe we should have been a little prouder
maybe we should have tried to get a little richer
maybe we should have acted a little more cheerful
maybe we should have preempted with the first blow
but then comes the morning
and the upside down comes right side up
and the clear and obvious become dark and murky
and we see a new order of things
but only once in a while
for now
do we get a sight of the downside up world
and so we clinch it as tightly as we possibly can
and hope that when we need to remember
we can trust that while of course it makes no sense at all
one day all makes sense, of course.
we are a people waiting for it all to make sense.
djordan
Pine Tree
RELATED POSTS | All of us are homesick for it | not drumming alone
the mash is back | art and words on the web | 4 cool sites
The weekly mash is back from hibernation. Below lies a collections of links to some of the most fun and innovative sites or ideas I’ve come across this week. Enjoy. And post your own.
1. SIMPLE DRAWINGS
A collection of simple illustrations about everyday things. Brilliant. Whimsical.
http://www.simpledrawings.wordpress.com
2. ONE WORD
When you click go, you have sixty seconds to write stream-of-thought whatever comes to your mind.
http://www.oneword.com
3. ALTERED BOOKS
A combination of old book pages and other mediums creating new poetry from the page.
http://www.logolalia.com/alteredbooks/
4. BOOK SPINE POETRY
A combination of books spines bearing their titles. Poetry created.
http://www.brainpickings.org
i was told there’s nothing to do but wait for it
i was once told that we can’t work toward the kingdom,
because we would get disappointed,
because things don’t go the way we want them to,
because we make progress,
but then we lose ground.
i was told there’s nothing to do but wait for it
try to hold on in the meantime
try to huddle close in the meantime
try to stay strong in the meantime.
but it’s only been in the working toward the kingdom
which is, of course, seeking for the kingdom
because when have we ever sought for something and not worked toward it,
that we learn what it is we were after all along
and once you get a taste,
a glimmer
a sniff
a sign of the kingdom
there’s nowhere else to go
and there’s nothing else to hope for
and there’s nothing worth huddling up or holding on or staying strong for
but running after it with all the
workday and play-day and holiday and payday
and so, we seek first the kingdom
we seek first the justice of the kingdom
we seek first the economics of the kingdom
we seek first the compassion of the kingdom
we seek first the community of the kingdom
we seek first the signs of the kingdom
and we find that even in the
two steps forward and once step back
or even in the
two steps forward and three steps back
we still have no choice but to walk toward the kingdom
we still have no choice but to work toward the kingdom
we still have no choice but to lean toward the kingdom
because it’s a burden that is “too heavy to carry
and impossible to leave.”
so we must work toward the kingdom
even though things don’t go the way we want them to
even though we get disappointed
even though we lose ground
because
kingdom comes on earth as in heaven.
djordan
Pine Tree
a race against the clock, and a willingness to pause
It’s been one meeting after another. It’s remained a race against the clock day in and day out. Class starting, support group starting, fundraiser planning, t-shirt making, early meetings, late meetings, long board meetings where hard work is refreshing, other long board meetings where hard work makes more problems.
It’s been the kind of multiple week stretch that refuses to wait for sleep or calm or slow to arrive before it begins again.
But the work is good, and filled with life and promises of life, so it’s an honor and a privilege.
But because it is an honor and a privilege doesn’t mean it’s not stressful and exhausting.
I raced in from one meeting to try and sit with a client for counseling today. As I attempted to lean back in my chair, clasping fingers behind my head so as to help him lean back and relax and calm down, I felt my heart beating rapidly. My cell phone started ringing as soon as the client began talking, and I could feel my mind start reeling wondering which thing, which job, which person it was.
And when I glanced back at the man, he had tears in his eyes as he was telling me his story, and his hopes.
My heart slowed suddenly. My mind came to a screeching halt.
Yesterday, I was clamoring away on the edge of a nerve, and a friend came by the office to drop something off. He spotted the frazzle, came in, sat down, and closed the door.
He stilled the clock for just a second, I dumped it all out, and then it was back to work for both of us.
I think today, with that client, the cost of ignoring that slice of a moment was apparent as I turned back from wondering who was on the buzzing phone and saw those tears on his cheek. It made me grateful for someone willing to pause yesterday on my behalf, and I hope it pushes me to pause the next time.
djordan
Pine Tree
RELATED POST: not drumming alone
before the day begins and ends
We pass each other like ships in the night.
The most meaningful conversations happen in person, but there’s an ocean in between.
I can point directly back to certain days, times of day, the commons where the walk was, how the sun was, how low the tree limbs were over the sidewalk that brushed my forehead as we walked back home.
I can point directly back to the kitchen counter, the conversation where the truth coming out meant a risk had to be taken, and once taken, the floodgates open. I remember the glasses and the stools and the way I rub my hands through my hair when I can’t think of anything clever or wise or meaningful to say.
And I can point directly back to the table in the restaurant in the airport where the goodbye was looming, and the risk of the sand ticking pushed me through my cowardice to laying out on the table something other than the beer and small talk, but rather laying out the things that had refused to let me go for quite sometime.
But then I got on the plane and flew back across the ocean. Back to work. Back to class. Back to groceries and bills and friends and all the other things we come back to.
Now, like ships in the night, we pass each other. My late-night hour is the twin of his early-morning hour, and across the latitudes we pass usually only a word or two, a prayer or the promise of a prayer. And while the ocean robs two friends of the possibility of walking through that field, sitting on those stools, or leaning over that table, we still know that the other is out there. Moving and knowing. Working and waiting. Watching for signs of the kingdom together.
And we give thanks before the day ends and begins simultaneously.
djordan
Pine Tree
Related Posts | Holy Indeed | The In Between Times
override the fickleness of it all
pain is no measure of his faithfulness
Reflecting one year later on a great deal of change and uncertainty, loss and newness, anger and sadness, knowing and knowing nothing, I’m reminded by a friend tonight of the words below. On the eve of the homicide-loss support group beginning again, and the ways we try to hold the pain of great loss and injury saying both that it should not have been this way and yet somehow hoping God is still faithful, I’m reminded of these words. When I curl up on a couch with a neighbor and hear of wrestling with family and wrestling with heartache and wrestling with what we thought would be versus what actually is, and then wrestling with how to look a neighbor in the face and tell the truth about it all–– and ultimately how we try to make sense of God in it all––I’m reminded of these words.
And more than anything, I’m reminded that I need not push so hard to try to force something meaningless to make sense; to try to force something heartbreaking to be lovely; to try to force a fix on anything that is broken. I can, however, say that the heartache and loss and grieving and wrenching and uncertainty are no measure of his faithfulness. And so we fight not to make sense of it, not to make it prettier or easier to share over a game of bridge or a glass of wine, not to make it a lesson for Sunday School class that ties nicely into felt and boards. Instead, we fight only to manage to open our hands, and open our hearts, and do our best to remain open to what waits ahead. We wrestle to remember that the mess is no measure of his faithfulness.
Especially one year later.
So to my friend, thanks for the reminder.
djordan
Pine Tree
I believe in a blessing I don’t understand
I’ve seen rain fall on wicked and the just
Rain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I believe in a peace that flows deeper than pain
That broken find healing in love
Pain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
I believe in a fountain that will never dry
Though I’ve thirsted and didn’t have enough
Thirst is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
He withholds no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
most hopeful 