Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd.
He guides me to fresh pastures.
By Him I am restored,
Beside His still and restful waters.

Your staff will guide and Your rod protect
To lead me on a path without blame.
Through the valley of the shadow of death
I will walk upright for the sake of Your name.

Of evil I now have no dread:
Prepare a table before my foes;
With refreshing oil anoint my head;
Fill my cup ’til it overflows.

The goodness and mercy of God’s love
Shall follow me for all of my days,
And the house of my Lord above
Will be my unfailing dwelling place.

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Psalm 19

The glory of God is proclaimed by the heavens.
And His handiwork the firmament declares.
Day unto day pours forth revelation.
And night with night, its knowledge shares.

Yet no speech or sound is spoken,
No language or voice is heard,
All through the earth their music has gone,
To the end of the world reach their words.

 

God made of the heavens a tent for the sun.
As from a wedding chamber, he goes forth
Rejoicing, as a strong man, his circuit to run,
To touch and to warm the ends of the earth.

The law of the Lord is perfect.
It revives and restores the soul.
For the Lord will surely instruct,
Making wise of the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right;
Making the heart rejoice.
His commandment is shining bright,
Bringing a light to our eyes.

The fear of the Lord cleanses through,
And endures forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
And are righteous altogether.

Compared to gold, desire these more,
Which taste like a honey most sweet.
By these your servant has been warned,
Winning reward in his soul for their keep.

Who can discern his own errors and lapses?
Cleanse me from my unknowing sins.
Protect me from the adversaries, presumptuous.
Preserve me from their dominion.

Then I shall be cleared and blameless,
Innocent of great transgression.
Make worthy my heart’s meditation,
Make my words acceptable and pure.
For you are my Lord and foundation,
My true rock and my redeemer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord’s
And the fullness of it,
The entirety of the world
And all who dwell upon it.

He founded it upon the oceans,
Planting it firm beneath the waves.
Who shall go up His mountain?
And who may stand in His holy place?

One whose hands are clean,
And whose heart is pure,
If faith has made his judgment keen,
And he has not perjured.

God his savior gives him peace,
Righteousness and grace.
This is the fortune for those who seek;
Who seek the God of Jacob’s face.

 

Lift yourselves up, you ancient doors,
Lift up your heads, you gates,
So that the King of Glory comes forth,
Our glorious king so great.

Mighty in battle is the Lord,
Our Lord so strong and great.
Lift up your heads, you ancient doors,
Lift them up high, you gates.

Who is He then, do we know?
Who is this King of  Glory?
He is the Lord of Hosts,
The King of Heaven and of Glory.

 

 

 

 

Corinthians 13

Be ambitious for the spiritual gifts,
But I will show a way which is highest.
If I speak in tongues of men and angels,
And have a faith that makes mountains move,
I am only a gong or a clanging cymbal,
Being as nothing, if I am without love.

I may have the gift of prophesy,
And give away all that is mine,
Know and understand the mysteries,
But without love, all is in vain.

Love fills the soul with healing goodness.
It will not envy, or slander, or boast.
It does not allow self-seeking or falseness,
Or let the inner balance be lost.

I once reasoned in childish ways.
My thoughts were childish imperfections,
But my childish mind I have put away,
Because I have now become a man.

Now we see in mirrored reflection,
As in dim outline, until that day,
When knowing fully, we are fully known,
And see in reality, face to face.

Faith, hope, and love, an exalted Trinity,
But love is greatest, throughout eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 6:  1-10

Do not receive God’s grace in vain,
As his fellow workers we labour with Him.
He exerts on our souls His holy influence,
And turns us to Christ by merciful kindness.

We are kept and strengthened by Him,
Who said, “I answered at a favorable time,
To help you on the day of deliverance.”
So now is the time for gracious acceptance.

Permit no obstruction in anyone’s way.
Let our ministry be without blemish or blame.
We will prove ourselves to be true servants,
By our willingness to bear great burdens.

Through confusion and anxiety,
And stern blows of fate and destiny,
Through all our troubles and renunciation,
Even if we starve or are sent to prison,

Though the weight of our times be daunting.
In restless labours, with sleepless watching,
We will cherish spiritual insight,
And the wielding of the Holy Spirit,

To have a heart which is pure and honest,
A soul-mood of love, with healing goodness.
We will honour the divine truth-bearing Word,
The higher powers of life working in the world.

We will put on their armour, right and left,
Whether we are praised, or held in contempt,
Even if we are considered as deceivers,
We will remain as truth-bearers;

Known by the spirit, though we are obscure.
Seeming dying men,  but death having no power,
We may seem sad in suffering trials,
But we are filled with joy all of the while.

We make many rich, though we are poor,
Possessing nothing, the whole world is ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 21

Signs in the sky will cause distress,
Shake the heavens and the earth.
Waves will break upon you helpless,
And many will lose their heads in fear.

Yet some will see the Son of Man
In the clouds of the sphere of life,
Radiant with the glory of revelation,
Borne up by World Powers might.

Stand upright when this happens.
On the breaking of that day
Raise your head and seek redemption;
With wakeful spirit pray.

See the fig trees and all the trees,
When they have begun to bud,
Soon they will be sprouting leaves,
And summer is nearly come.

So when you see these things happen,
Before this generation is passed away.
Do not lose your hearts in dissipation.
Hear my words, they will not pass away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 3

The prophet Isaiah’s words were fulfilled
When a voice called out, lonely and shrill,
“I speak to you of God’s word,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

“Make level every mountain and hill.
Ravines and valleys must now be filled.
Let all that is crooked then be made straight;
The uneven roads be flattened and paved.
Then God’s deliverance will be decreed
For all of mankind to see.

“Yet you are still sons of the serpent;
You already fear, but falsely repent.
You say that you are Abraham’s sons,
Yet God could raise sons up from these stones.

“Every tree that fails in producing good fruits,
It will be felled with an ax to its roots.
So share your garments, if you have two,
And if another is hungry, give him some food.”

Tax collectors asked him, “What shall we do?”
He replied, “Exact only that which is due.”
When soldiers asked him, “What do you say?”
He said, “Do not bully or blackmail; make do with your pay!”

All the people waited in longing suspense,
Asking, “Are you the Christ, whom God has sent?”
He said, “I baptize you only with water,
Yet he will baptize with Holy Spirit and fire.

“He holds in his hand a winnowing fork
To clear and cleanse his threshing room floor.
He will gather good wheat into his barn,
But the fallen chaff will eternally burn.

“Yes, he who is mightier will come to you.
I am not worthy to unfasten his shoes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Galatians 5

Allow the spirit to give your lives structure,
Or your earthly senses will drive your desires.
For bodily desires are against spirit.
Flesh is opposed; the two are in conflict.

You can not do what you want to do
When the merely earthly leads us to:
Unclean and lascivious sensual cravings,
Perverse practices of sexual gratification,

The desire to wound and stir up discord,
And magical playing with the sensual world,
The compulsion to quarrel, denial, and dissension,
And idolization of the world of the senses,
Enmity against all that has soul and has life,
Enslavement to matter, leaving nothing left,
Except gluttony, excessive drinking and eating,
Of this I have given you frequent warning:
If your actions are determined by these powers
The kingdom of God will not let you be heirs.

But the way of the spirit
Matures many fruit:
Love, joy, and peace, faith, and forgiveness,
Gentle patience of soul, self-mastery, and goodness.
Against these, the Law will say nothing

But, those who to Jesus Christ do belong,
Crucify their earthly-physical nature,
The cravings and bodily passions it nurtures.
If we owe our life to the spirit,
We will order our lives by it.
Let us  beware of all vanity,
And avoid competition or envy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      John 17

 

Father Ground of the World
Now the hour has come
Through the power of your word
To reveal the being of your Son.

I pray for each human being,
Who comes to know life true,
Knowing you have given me everything.
These souls I have brought to you.

In human bodies the Son is creating.
Those you have given, with me still remain,
Who keep your word in their innermost being,
Because I have revealed your name.

I  am coming to you, my Holy Father,
And say these words while with them still.
I have now fulfilled the scripture,
And pray you protect them from the evil.

I have glorified you on the earth.
In them my love resides.
I am consecrated by the truth.
Let them too be sanctified.

United through their proclamation;
Becoming as one, perfectly.
My  joy may be fulfilled in them,
As I am in you, and you are in me.

They have come to believe that I am sent by you.
In them the light of my being can shine.
They know in deepest truth that I come from you,
And what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     John 3:  11-21

I speak to you most solemnly
Of what we have been a witness,
Yet when we give our testimony,
You reject our evidence.

If you are unbelieving
When I speak of worldly things,
How will you believe me
When I speak of heavenly things?

Into heaven
No one has ascended,
Except the Son of Man,
Who has now descended.

In the desert wilderness
Moses lifted up the serpent,
But the Son of Man will be raised,
To share his eternal life with men.

The world, for the Father, was so cherished
That He offered up His only son.
From now on, no one shall perish,
Who believing, shares in life beyond.

God did not send the Son
Into the world to condemn.
You are not passed sentence on,
He brings to you salvation.

If you rely on him, you are not judged,
But those who do not believe
Are condemned, because they did not trust;
Their sentence is already received.

The basis of this test;
The ground of this indictment,
Is that some have preferred the darkness
Hoping to avoid judgment.

Wrongdoers hate the light and will
Shrink from being known,
Because their deeds are evil,
And fear their works will be exposed.

Yet he who does what is right,
Dependent upon God’s divinity,
Practices truth and enters light;
His deeds reveal spirit radiantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 14

line 54

To the High Priest’s house they took Jesus,
Where priests, elders and scribes had gathered.
Peter followed him at a distance
Right into the High Priest’s courtyard.

The council had sought testimony
So they could condemn Jesus to death,
But though they had heard from many,
None of them bore any truth.

Many false witnesses did arise,
But they could not convince.
Because they could not match their lies.
And lacked for evidence.

Others swore later on that day,
That they had once heard him say:
“I will tear down this temple,
Which was built with hands,
Another in three days I will build
Made without any hands”.

Their testimony did not harmonize,
Not even in this way mentioned.
The High Priest then did arise,
And put to Christ Jesus this question:

“To what these men have testified,
Will you not answer one thing, even?”
But his silence was maintained.
Not even one thing he answered,

The High Priest asked him then,
“Are you the Christ, Son of the Blessed?”
Jesus said, “As for myself, I am,
And you will see the Son of Man
At the Might of the World’s right hand,
Coming with the clouds of heaven.

His garment was torn by the High Priest,
Who said, “Do we need further witness?
You have heard the blasphemy.
Now what is your decision?”

They declared him guilty
And condemned him to death.
“Now show us if you can prophesy!”
And the guards struck him in the face.

Now Peter was below in the courtyard
When one of the High Priest’s maids
Walked by the fire, and saw Peter,
And looked at him in the face.

He was told by this woman:
“You were with the Nazarene.”
Peter replied, “I do not know him,
And do not understand what you mean”.

To the forecourt Peter went.
The cock was crowing then.
Again accused by the girl-servant,
He denied he was one of them.

Later a bystander said to him,
“Definitely you are one of them,
Surely, you are a Galilean.”
But he cursed, denying again.

When Peter again heard a cock crow,
This fulfilled what Christ had foretold:
That he would be three times disowned,
Then Peter’s tears began to flow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revelations of John 5

 

In the right hand of the One
I saw seated on the throne
Was a scroll inscribed on both sides
With seven seals shut closed

And then I saw a powerful angel
Announcing with great zeal,
“Who will open and read the scroll,
Worthy to undo its seven seals?”

But no being on the earth,
Under the earth, or in heaven.
Proved to be of such worth,
As to allow the scroll to open.

Because the scroll was not read
I wept; but then an elder said,
“See,  David’s scion has won,
From the tribe of Judah’s lion.

He will open up the scroll
And undo its seven seals.
And there, before the throne,
And the four living ones,

Among the heavenly Sanhedrin,
Appeared a Lamb, seeming slain.
It bore seven eyes and seven horns;
The seven Spirits of God sent forth.

They were given the entire earth
As their realm in which to work.
From the right hand of the One on the throne
The Lamb came and took the scroll

Then the twenty-four elders and four living ones
Bowed before the Lamb and fell.
They each held a harp and a censer gold,
With the prayer of saints, incense, full.

The song that they then sang was new:
“Because you were slain, you are deserving
Take now the scroll, and its seals undo.
Your people are freed and shall reign as kings”.

And then I heard countless angels
With myriad thousands rejoice.
Around the throne they circled,
And cried aloud in one voice.

“The Lamb that was sacrificed
Is worthy of honour and wealth.
He will be blessed with splendor and might,
And wisdom and strength of self.”

Every being, and every creature,
Of sea, earth, and heaven, then
Called out these words together
To He on the throne, and to the Lamb

To you belong all blessing,
And dignity of soul,
The light of the spirit, and of creating,
Through all cycles of time eternal .

And the four living ones
Said, “Amen, So be it!”
And the heavenly Sanhedrin,
Fell down again and worshiped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SEVEN I AM STATEMENTS IN THE GOSPEL OF SAINT JOHN

I AM the Bread of Life

John 6:  22-59

 

I say:  You do not look for me
Because you saw a miracle,
But because you ate of the loaves,
And you had your fill.

Do not work for food that spoils,
But for sustenance eternal.
The Son of Man gives it to you.
God the Father has set on him His seal.

This is the work of God:
Have faith in the one whom He has sent.
Moses did not give you the true bread,
Spiritually-real from heaven.

My Father gives you the true bread.
It is the bread of God,
For it descends from heaven,
And gives true life to the world.

I am the bread of life.
Come to me, you will not hunger,
And whoever has faith in me,
Will not thirst any longer.

Your hearts remain closed,
Even though you have seen.
All whom the Father entrusts
Will find a way to me.

I will not turn away
Whoever comes to me.
I do not come from heaven to do my will,
But the will of Him who sent me.

And this is the will
Of Him who sent me,
That I should lose nothing at all
Of what he has given to me.

All who see the Son,
And in him have faith
They shall have eternal life,
And on the last day be raised.

To me no one can find the way
Unless the Father bids him,
And to him I will give the power
Of eternal resurrection.

It says in the books of the prophets:
“They shall all be taught by God.”
By the Father all will find me
Who receive the teaching and the word.

No one has seen the Father,
Except the one who came from Him,
Because he himself came from God,
He alone has Him seen.

Whoever has faith will not perish.
I am the bread of life.
In the wilderness they ate manna,
And still your fathers died.

I am the life-giving bread
Which descends from heaven.
Whoever eats of it will not die,
But will live forever.

My earthly body I will offer up.
This is the bread I give.
I offer it for the life of the world
That you still may live.

Whoever eats the body and drinks the blood
Of the Son of Man
I give the power of resurrection,
Beyond all cycles of time.

For my flesh is real food,
And my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
Lives in me and I in him.

By the living Father I was sent,
And draw life myself by His will,
So whoever takes me as sustenance,
Lives through me as well.

This bread which descends from heaven,
Eat of it and you will not die.
Whoever eats of this bread.
Will live throughout all cycles of time.

What if you should see the Son of Man
Ascend to where he was before?
It is the spirit which gives life,
But the flesh has nothing to offer.

The words I have spoken to you,
They are spirit and are life,
Yet there are still some of you
Who do not yet have faith.

Unless by the Father it is given
No one finds the way to me.
Then Jesus said to the twelve,
Will you also leave me?

And Simon Peter answered:

“Your words are eternal life,
Lord, to whom could we go?
You are God’s Holy One, the Christ.
This we believe and truly know.”

Then Jesus said to the twelve:
“All of you as the twelve,
Did I not choose you?
Yet one of you is a devil
Of the evil one, a false accuser.”

He meant Judas Iscariot,
Working for the Adversary.
One of the twelve who did plot,
Intending to betray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I AM the Light of the World     

John  8:  12-29

I am the light of the world.
To my own self I bear witness.
Follow me and have the light of life.
You will not walk in darkness.

My testimony is valid.
This you do not know,
But I know from whence I came
And also to where I go.

You judge by what is human,
But I judge by no one.
And even if I did
I would not be alone.

It is said in your law
The testimony of two persons is true.
The father who sent me also testifies.
He is my witness too.

If you knew me
You would also know my Father,
But you do not know me,
So you do not know Him either.

You will seek me,
Though soon I will be gone.
You will die through your sins,
And where I go you can not come.

I am from above.
You are of this world.
You are from below.
I am not of this world.

If you do not fill yourselves
With the power of my being,
As I have said to you,
You will die through your sins.

I have much to say to in judgment.
He who sent me is truth itself.
Only what I have heard from Him,
To the world will I tell.

When you lift up the Son of Man
You will know I am who I claim.
I do nothing from myself.
What my Father teaches, I proclaim.

He who has sent me
Has not left me alone.
My Father is ever with me.
What pleases Him, I have always done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I AM the Gate               

John 10:  1-10

 

Anyone who does not enter
The sheepfold through the gate,
But breaks through elsewhere,
He is a robber and a thief.

For the shepherd the gatekeeper opens.
The sheep then hear his voice.
He calls out each one.
They follow him by choice.

The shepherd goes before them
After he has brought them out,
And the sheep follow him,
Because his voice is known.

But a stranger they do not follow,
Because they do not know his voice.
With a stranger they never go;
Him they flee and avoid.

Jesus told this parable to them.
They did not understand what he meant.
So he retold it to them,
Speaking once again:

Let me say most solemnly,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me,
They were robbers and thieves.

To them the sheep did not listen,
But I am the gate.
Enter through me and find salvation.
Go freely about and safely graze.

The thief comes only to steal,
To kill, and to destroy.
I come to make life full,
And bring abundant joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I AM the Good Shepherd          

John 10:  11-18

 

I am the Good Shepherd
And I know my own.
For the sheep who recognize me
I lay my own life down.

Because he is a hireling,
And only works for pay,
When a wolf is coming
He abandons them and runs away.

Since they do not belong to him
He has no concern; it does not matter.
When he sees the wolf attacking them
He allow the flock to run and scatter.

I am the Good Shepherd.
I know my own and they know me.
I know and am known by the Father,
And lay down my life for my sheep.

I have other sheep
That are not of this fold.
They will listen to my voice,
And I must lead them also.

There will be a single flock and shepherd only
For this I am loved by the Father,
That I lay my own life down,
And take up anew another.

No one takes if from me,
In full freedom it is offered.
The power to resign and receive it
I have been given by the Father.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I AM the Resurrection and the Life   

John 11:  25-26

I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever is filled with my power through faith,
And takes me as his life
Is set free from the power of death,
And will live, even when he dies.

 

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life    

John 14:  1-24

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God and in me also.
In my Father’s house
There are many rooms,
But I would have told you
If this were not true.

And I am going now
To prepare your place.
I shall return to you
To take you to myself.

So that where I am
You may be there also,
And the way is known
To the place I go.

I am the way,
The truth, and the life.
No one finds the way
To the Father, but through me.

If you had recognized me,
You would also have known Him.
My Father you have seen,
And know him from now on.

Peter said to him:

“Lord, show us the Father,
Then we shall be satisfied.”
Even after all this time
Do you not know me?, he replied

To have seen me
Is to have seen the Father,
So how can you say to me:
“Let us see the Father.”

Do you not have faith
That I am in Him and He is in me?
What I tell you I do not say
On my own authority.

In me lives
Continually the Father,
And through me he does
His miracles and deeds of power.

 

Believe me that I live in the Father,
And the Father lives in me.
If you do not trust my words,
At least build faith on these deeds.

You will be able to do these works
If you believe in me,
And because I go to my Father
You will do even greater deeds.

So that the Father may be revealed
Through the deeds of the Son,
What you pray for, I will fulfill.
Ask in my name and it will be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I AM the True Vine    

John 15:  1-16

I am the true vine.
My Father is the vinedresser.
He cuts away any branch
Which is not a fruit-bearer.

He prunes every branch
That continues to bear
Richer and more excellent fruit,
And he makes it pure.

You are already purified
By the power of the word.
Make your home in me,
As I make mine in you.

A branch can not bear fruit by itself
Unless by the vine it is given life.
Neither can you bear fruit
Unless you with me abide.

Whoever remains in me and I in him,
He bears fruit in abundance.
I am the vine, you are the branches;
Apart from me you are helpless.

Any who are cut off from my being
Like a severed branch they wither.
Such branches as these are gathered up
And thrown into the fire.

If you abide in me
And my words remain in you,
Pray for that which you will,
And it will be done for you.

When you produce much fruit
My Father is revealed,
And you show and prove
Yourselves as my true disciples.

I have loved you
Just as the Father has loved me;
Abide in my love;
Continue in His love with me.

If you take my aims into your will
Then you will live on in my love.
Just as I obey my Father’s will,
And live on in His love.

So that your joy may be complete
I have spoken these words to you.
This is my commandment:
That you love one another as I have loved you.

To offer his life for his friends;
No man has greater love than this.
And you are my friends
If you will follow this task.

A servant does not know the business of his master,
But I can not call you servants any longer,
Because I have made known to you
All I have learned from my Father.

You did not choose me,
But I have chosen and appointed you,
That you should bear fruit,
And your fruit-bearing should continue.

What you ask in my name,
Will be given by the Father.
What I command to you
Is that you love one another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FIRST THREE SIGNS

IN THE GOSPEL OF SAINT JOHN

 

The First Sign: 

Changing Water into Wine    

John 2:  1-11

On the third day was a celebration
In Cana of a wedding feast.
Jesus’ mother had invitation,
As did the disciples and Jesus.

When the wine was gone
Jesus’ mother said, “They have no wine.”
“Why do you involve me woman?”,
Jesus answered, “It is not my time.”

His mother told the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby were six stone jars.
Each held almost thirty gallons.

Jesus then said to them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
When they were filled to the brim,
He said, “Take some to your master.”

The water had been turned into wine.
This was known by the servers.
When it was brought to him,
It was tasted by the steward.

The steward told the bridegroom,
“You have saved the best till last,
But the poorer wine is to be served now,
After too much drinking by the guests.”

This first sign, this miracle,
Jesus performed at Cana,
By which his glory was revealed,
And his disciples’ trust awakened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Second Sign: 

The Healing of the Courtiers Son    

John 4:  43-54

Jesus left for Galilee
When the two days were over,
Saying, “In his own country,
A prophet has no honour.”

When Jesus came to Galilee
He was welcomed there by some
Who had seen his deeds
During the festival in Jerusalem.

He returned to Cana once more
Where he had made the water wine.
And there came to him a courtier
Whose son lay ill in Capernaum.

The official went to him and asked
If he would heal his son,
And because he was near to death,
He begged him to come down.

“Unless you see miracles and signs,
You never will believe”, said Jesus.
The official said to him then,
“Sir, come before my child dies.”

“Go now, your son lives.”
Jesus said to him.
The man did believe,
And he started home.

His servants came and met him
While he was on his way.
“Your son is still living.”
Was the message that they gave.

He asked them when the boy
Had begun to recover.
“The fever left him yesterday,”
They said, “at the seventh hour.”

The father knew that was when he was told
By Jesus, “Your son lives.’
And he and all his household
Were filled with faith and believed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Third Sign: 

The Healing of the Man at Bethesda    

John 5:  1-16

 

When Jesus went to Jerusalem later,
There was a Jewish festival.
And at the Sheep Pool, a building called Bethesda
Sheltered crowds of ailing people.

At this building, with five porticos,
The sick waited for movement of the waters.
They knew that the first one to enter
Would be cured of what they suffered.

An angel sometimes came from above
To disturb the waters of the pool,
And when the angel made the waters move
The helpless, lame, and blind were healed.

An illness had been lingering
With a man for thirty-eight years.
Jesus knew he was long-suffering
When he saw him lying there.

When Jesus asked of him,
“Have you the will to become whole?”
He was answered by the invalid,
“Sir, no one takes me to the pool.

“When the water moves
I try to come by myself,
But I am too slow;
I always enter after someone else.”

Jesus said to him, “Get up,
Pick up you bed and walk.”
And the man was cured at once.
He picked up his bed and walked.

It was the Sabbath when this happened,
So the healed man was told by some Jews.
“You are not allowed this on the Sabbath,
Carrying your bed is forbidden to do”.

With this he answered their talk:
“The man who cured me said,
I must take up my bed and walk,
So I carry my bed”.

“Who is this man who said this to you?”
But he did not know
Jesus had withdrawn into the crowd,
And passed on unnoticed.

Jesus met him in the temple afterwards,
Saying, “See, you have become well again,
Do not sin any more,
Or something worse will happen.”

The man who was healed by Jesus
Told the Jews after he went back.
Thus Jesus was then persecuted,
Because of his works on the Sabbath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Easter

He looked far and distant into us,
As his blood fell and touched the ground,
Transfigured in his consciousness,
Mankind no longer alone.

“It is finished”, were his last words spoken,
As he drank deeply of death’s cup.
His spirit was released, unbroken,
But it was not yet time to be taken up.

Into Hades realm he plummeted,
Where his glory was first revealed.
Death was befriended and illumined,
Overshadowed by his bright veil.

And all who recognized him there,
Drawn by his grace and counsel,
Were bathed in light beyond compare,
Cognizant once more of  themselves.

He rose after three days, and drew near
Two women on the road to Emmaus.
He listened some, then asked to hear
The cause of their distress.

“Jesus of Nazareth”, they replied,
“Was God’s prophet, before all of the people,
But he was condemned and crucified,
The one who would redeem Israel.

“His tomb was visited by some of our women,
Who found it empty when they arrived,
But then angels appeared in a vision
Proclaiming he was alive.”

He said, “You are foolish, and slow of heart,
To believe all that the prophets have spoken.”
Then told how Moses and all of the prophets
Spoke of Christ’s death and his resurrection.

He later broke and blessed their bread,
And they recognized who he was,
Then he vanished from sight, and the women said,
“Our hearts burned while he spoke to us!”

They went to where the disciples had gathered,
And were told “The Lord has risen!
Indeed, he has appeared,
And shown himself to Simon.”

As the women revealed what had taken place,
The risen Christ appeared,
And though he gave a blessing of peace,
They froze in shock and fear.

He asked, “Why do doubts appear in your minds?
Look at my hands and feet.”
And because they required more signs,
He asked for some fish to eat.

He said, “This is the meaning of my words,
Which I spoke while still with you,”
Then opened their understanding of scripture.
The prophecies about him had come true:

“The Messiah is to suffer and die,
But after three days to rise again,
So that repentance of heart and mind
Will find healing from the sickness of sin.

“Of these things you are the witnesses.
And soon the promise of my Father
I will send upon you from the heights,
To clothe you with its power.”

 

He then was lifted high
To our Father in the heavens,
But none will spiritually die
Who accept his resurrection.

Death was overcome.
Christ rose and walked among us.
The Holy Spirit has also come,
Fulfilling the Father’s promise.

 

 

 

The Story of Abraham and Issac

In the land of Moriah
Abraham took his son
High up on the mountain
And laid his body down.

Then his only offspring
Asked his father why
He would make an offering
With no lamb for to die.

Abraham told him solemn
Before he raised his hand
God would make there to appear
A sacrificial lamb.

But when he held high his knife
God’s angel called out, “Abraham,
Lay not your hand upon the lad,
Nor do anything to him,

“I know that thou fearest God,
And would not withhold thy son.”
And so was stayed his righteous hand,
Which would slay his only son.

When he lifted up his eyes
He spied a lamb forlorn
Caught among the thicket,
And held there by its horns.

He took the lamb and offered it
Up unto the Lord,
But God’s angel called to him,
And spake to him these words:

“By myself I have sworn,
Because thou has done this thing,
And not withheld thy only son,
I will thee blessings bring.

“I will multiply thy seed,
As much as heaven’s stars,
Or as many as the countless sands
Which rest upon the shores.

“And in thy seed shall all nations
Of the earth be blessed.
Your enemies shall falter,
Because thou hast past my test.”