Ordinary saints

Please do not misunderstand me, I am not for one moment putting down theology, or wrestling intellectually with the hard questions. These things are good and necessary, in a world of wolves the shepherds must be wise to protect the sheep. But let us never mistake theory for practice, or learning for living.

I am in awe of ordinary saints,
Those who do not construe or exegete
But walk in faith and walk in faithfulness,
And love their Lord.

These are the ones who pray because they must
Because they have no life outside of Him
Because they know their weakness is His strength
And love their Lord.

They do not blaze with end-time arguments
They have enough to do to live each day
Still yielding to the long obedience
To love their Lord.

They do not argue on inerrancy
They simply treat His Word as their command
And yield their hearts in all simplicity
And love their Lord.

They are the ones who serve, the ones who give,
The ones who worship, naming Him as God,
Who rest in faith upon His promises
And love their Lord.

They are the ones for whom their King shall come
They shall be raised in wonder, love and awe
They shall rejoice to see Him as He is
And love their Lord.

Shredded by the Stars

Stars have always been a powerful symbol to me of beauty and perfection. When I was in my early teens, the beauty of the stars was one of the things that helped me believe in the reality of God. I was (and am) incapable of believing that such glory is happenstance. But beauty is dangerous too -- it shows us up, revealing sin and death and finitude. ..

I am shredded by the stars;
The sharpness of their glory
Lacerates my questing soul.

See their cold perfection
Utterly destroy me,
Revealing hidden darkness
And unravelling conceit.

Must all beauty be my death?

Take me apart then,
Let me be refashioned.
Let the frozen tears start flowing
To acknowledge all the pain.
Let me look beyond the stars ..

Beyond this beauty .. Beauty Himself ..
Descending into darkness ..
And returning.

Let me be unafraid
Of the small deaths, the unmaking;
Tear the terrible wound wide open
Let all beauty sear and sheer
Until I know that Death is dead
And I walk in killing gladness
… meeting Love.