Mere Reflections

This is a poem by C.S. Lewis that I have been enjoying lately. Maybe you will too:

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love –a scholar’s parrot may talk Greek–
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.

What does this poem say to you?

We sit and think, but Nothing sings
We lie and dream, but Nothing sees
We try to feel, but Nothing’s real
We blankly stare, but Nothing’s there

God, save us from Nothing
Else it’s what we’ll become

Credit to JWil for starting the thread on Facebook.  That was fantastic.

Just think of all the ways we could use it:
“You totally praught it last weekend” (from Kasey C.)
“Oh, that message was totally praughten” (credit to the elder Wilson brother)

and then the best of all, Dr. Seuss Stu poetry written for seminary classes:

“Just be sure what you praught was divinely wrought and more than just a human thought.
For human men and human words can always only count for naught.
For the wisdom of God cannot be bought so if you preach be sure you praught!”
(Dr. Sheehan, you are genius)

What can we do to change the world?
We can toil and labor until we’re old.
We can work towards power, might and wealth,
to eat like kings, drink to our own health,
raise an army, conquer the land,
breed a family with descendants like sand.
We can pursue our passions, or notoriety,
or be the butterflies of society.
We can write to solve life’s mysteries,
or research and transcribe the histories,
or quest for knowledge; go to college,
squander our plunder, all our coinage.
But what we can do that will have the greatest effect
is actually the antithesis of what we’d expect.
Don’t worry, what you need will be provided,
Your life is not your own, not matter what you’ve decided.
The last be made first, the first be made less
In being a servant you will find your success.

I wrote this last summer on my back porch. By candlelight. Unfortunately, even the suburbs of Houston are not conducive to meditation on nature.

I tried to admire the beautiful moon
But the city lights distracted me
I tried to listen to the crickets chirp
But the road noise was overpowering
I tried to inhale a breath of fresh air
But I smelled only chemical waste
I tried to enjoy the midsummer night
But all I could feel was the haze

In other news, I am simultaneously ready for winter to be over and dreading the approach of summer. But life is good, because God is Good.

I wrote this the other day during Mark’s sermon about the love we should have as Christians. The rhyming scheme is very odd. ha.

-

love falls down from heaven

God gives, like rain,

his love to our withering hearts

-

love is added like leaven

God wants so completely

his love to rise in our hearts

-

love is poured into us

God has emptied us of ourselves

so that we may be his alone

-

love will never turn to dust

God’s love will never end

with his love we will never be alone

This is a song/poem that my brother Jeremy wrote a long time ago, when he was probably around fourteen or fifteen. The third verse is my addition.

Softly, oh so softly
The rain is falling down
Slowly, oh so slowly
The teardrops touch the ground
Quietly, so quietly
The trees are whispering now
They speak a strange and ancient tongue
They’re singing “Glory to the Lamb”

Louder, and still louder
More voices join the song
The whistling wind—a violin
The rivers sing along
But all at once the music stops
A silence sweet and long
Until the rolling thunder crashes
Singing “Glory to the Lamb”
—–
And all the earth awaits and groans
The day of Resurrection
Our souls alike yearn for the day
When we shall reach perfection
For on that Day we’ll see His Face
To which we’ve been conformed
We’ll join the rest of God’s creation
Singing “Glory to the Lamb”

Oh Lord our God, you are a God of power.
Your mighty hand extends across the earth
Raises mountains, carves valleys.
Your majestic voice echoes through all creation
Shouts in thunder, whispers in the rain.
Your sovereign will governs all events
Hardens hearts, softens souls.

Glory be to God and to the Son!

Oh Lord our God, you are a God of beauty.
Your music resounds in the heavens:
“The Lord is good, sing to Him forever.”
Your creation reflects your glory
Dances in joy, bows down in worship.
Your favor is more desirable than the world
Your presence sweeter, your love richer.

Glory be to God and to the Son!

Oh Lord our God, you are a God of justice.
Your law calls me to righteousness.
My heart is stained; cleanse me, Jesus.
Your anger burns against disobedience.
My flesh is warring; deliver me, Jesus.
Your glory consumes all sin.
My soul is sinful; cover me, Jesus.

Glory be to God and to the Son!

Oh Lord our God, you are a God of mercy.
Your forgiveness is deep
For my sin was deep.
Your grace is providential
For the Word became flesh.
Your love is firm and boundless
For the Cross showed your love toward us.

Glory be to God and to the Son!
He died so that I might also die with Him.
He lives so that I might also live in Him.
He has been seated at the right hand of the Father
And been glorified above all other things.
Glory be to God and to the Son!

By your Name I am free to worship
So in freedom I will worship Your Name.
Glory be to God and to the Son!

You hear my unspoken word,

my thoughts both righteous and dishonoring,

You tune my heart to where it needs to be

when I’ve strayed from your perfect plan.

Though I will always make mistakes

please take my humble offering,

I bring to you myself, O God,

do with me what you can.

-

I won’t try to pace myself when I run to you!

I’ll run all out and lose my breath just to be closer to

The strong and powerful Father’s arms, the gentle healing hand,

You’re face of awesome glory, my creator, great I Am.

shine like stars

in the universe…

— a staggering concept! It says:

be seen despite astronomical distances!

— a maddening precept! It begs:

remain bright long after

you’re gone…

tell of something almost

unfathomable

incomprehensible!

-

…but indispensable.