Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Leadership

Hebrews 5:1-3

Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. (NLT)

“Outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 94)

Jesus tagged as hypocrite
he who set himself up
to remove a speck
with a log in his own eye.
Wilson understood when he wrote
the book,
not when he started, preaching, dragging
drunks to the Oxford Group.
When a real leader leads,
the people say, “We did it ourselves.”

God, I don’t want to be better than,
lower than,
other than.
I want to be your child,
sister to the world.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Apples to Oranges

Hebrews 4:14-16

Christ Is Our High Priest

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

“After your man has gone along without drinking for a few months, you may be able to make use of his services with other employees who are giving you the alcoholic run-around – provided, of course, they are willing to have a third party in the picture. An alcoholic who has recovered, but holds a relatively unimportant job, can talk to a man with a better position. Being on a radically different basis of life, he will never take advantage of the situation.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 146)

Fair’s fair.
Rules are rules.
I can’t compete with Superman’s
strength, flight, imperviousness.
But some other sexagenarian woman
I’ll take on.
Don’t lecture me, preach to me,
tell me my weaknesses
until you’ve been there, done that,
know the helplessness,
the powerlessness, the humiliation.
I’ll hear you,
I’ll seek your way out,
your helping hand
gladly.
Been there, done that.
Fair’s fair.

God, thanks for understanding us,
for sinking to our mire
in order to lift us
beyond hope’s wildest fancies.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 27, 2010

HONESTLY!

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (NIV)

“We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 75)

Rigorous honesty,
obfuscation sliced away,
soul exposed,
naked truth,
unmasked psyche.
Healing comes,
though, through exposure,
through access, wounds laid bare —
a healing salve,
the Balm of Gilead.
Perfect peace, at ease,
fears cascade.

My Creator, how can you know me,
inside out, to the rotten core,
and love me still? I don’t know.
I only know, you do!

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Beside Still Water

Hebrews 4:8-9

Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. (NLT)

“As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day ‘Thy will be done.’ We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves. (Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 87-88)

Special rest
waits
for us, for God’s folk.
Special rest in a pause,
in reality check on show-running,
in trading will-power
for the will of God.
Danger dissipates,
fear dissolves,
foot-in-mouth syndrome cured.
Special rest
rewarded by more energy
than ever could be crammed
in any miniscule bottle
for ransom at cash registers.

God, lead me by still waters,
restore my soul,
fill my cup brimful,
the overflow a salve.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Commencement Day

Hebrews 4:6-7

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: 

"Today, if you hear his voice, 

do not harden your hearts." (NIV)

“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hears and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 25)

Hard hearts today?
No. Maybe tomorrow.
Certainly yesterday,
but not today.
Today I will hear his voice —
yeah, I know, I normally hear his voice —
but today I’ll listen, not harden my heart.
He’s commenced to accomplish.
And commenced and commenced,
after each today when I stopped him,
hardened my heart,
played god, kept the reins.
I’m ready for moving past
commencement,
ready for graduation
ready to live
.

God, I open my heart to you.
Give me the courage not to slam it shut,
let it be pliable clay, ready for your
artisan’s hands.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Honestly!

Hebrews 4:3-5

For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,

“In my anger I took an oath:

‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”

even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” (NLT)

“Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 58)

The Hebrews writer flips
back and forth
Psalms – Genesis – Psalms,
wondering, pondering,
shuffling puzzle parts
my kindred spirit millennia ago.
Predestination clashes
with compassion,
renders vile images
of God.
Yet what turns us away from proffered grace,
justifies in panicked minds some other course?
Why does honesty alienate our bejesus?

God, help me to grasp
and develop
a manner of living
in rigorous honesty.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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Hebrews 4:1-2

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (NIV)

“To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 44)

a three-leg stool, they say —
physical, emotional, spiritual —
recovery requires all three.
but really, spiritual comes first
for the others to last,
to manifest.
recovery means
the spiritual becomes primary,
a recovered person an avatar,
god in me not like a blueberry
in a muffin
but like the ocean in a wave.

God, I offer myself to Thee.
Build with me, use me, freed from
bondage, a picture of
your power, your love,
and your way of life.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Desert Life

Hebrews 3:17-19

And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (NIV)

“God, they believe, almost owes this recompense on a long overdue account. But the head of the house has spent years in pulling down the structures of business, romance, friendship, health – these things are now ruined or damaged. It will take time to clear away the wreck. Though old buildings will eventually be replaced by finer ones, the new structures will take years to complete.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 123)

Time.
Right now is all I’ve got,
so God, you can fix it all
right now.
I’m here. I’m willing.
I’ve changed, you know,
set aside childish things,
taken on the right path.
Why must I struggle still?
Don’t you understand, I’m here,
ready,
willing – or at least willing to be willing.
Tell him I’ve changed,
he’s to respect me now.
Tell her I’m honest now.
What? I must prove it?
Do it?
Live it?
Don’t leave me in this desert
I made!

God, was it forty years of amends?
How long did it take
for those children of yours to get it?
And this one?

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

For Starters

Hebrews 3:14-16

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (KJV)

“It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start from that point. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 12)

The beginning of our confidence,
willingness to believe,
unhardened hearts
not provoking —
steadfast to the end,
steadfast but – just these baby steps,
not fulfillment,
not worthy lives,
abounding wisdom —
just the beginning,
in the beginning and lasting
to the end,
even if it’s just the beginning
but maybe the wisdom,
the worth
will slip in.

God, you know I want to do
full-blown or not at all,
need to hide my ineptness, my humanity.
Thanks for willingness to believe,
for taking what I can give
and growing it.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Him or him

Hebrews 3:12-13

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (NIV)

“Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. ‘How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done.’ These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85)

I sit here,
steeped in resentment,
wanting to respond, to show my holiness.
He’s wrong. He’s arrogant.
He deserves my wrath.
God should strike him down
for treating me like this.
I carry the vision of God’s will
for him, how he should treat me,
how he can serve, be worthy
of respect, of my stopping
this behavior that so irritates him.
I’m not the purveyor of God’s will for him.
If I want to show holiness, worthiness for Him
I have to stop irritating him.
It not about how he treats me.
God will treat me right
if I release the resentment,
exercise proper use
of my will.

I’ve done it, God.
You know he doesn’t deserve it,
turning off my radio
when he came in
and turned on the TV.
He doesn’t deserve it.
But I need your grace, your love,
especially when I long for
at least respect
from him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.