Romans 8:35-39

JESUS IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SAID
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME

IT ALWAYS SEEMED
LIKE AN ANACHRONISM TO ME

JEWISH METHOD OF KILLING
WAS STONING
THE CROSS TO THE JEW
WAS A ROMAN METHOD OF EXECUTION

I THOUGHT MAYBE SOME SCRIBE
ADDED IT
TO HELP JESUS MAKE HIS POINT

 WHAT WOULD THAT POINT BE
TO JESUS
OR THE MAYBE SCRIBE

DEATH BY ROMANS
NOT FOR SACRILEGE
ABOUT WHICH
THE ROMANS COULD CARE LESS

BUT INSURRECTION
WHICH WAS A ROMAN CONCERN

SO JESUS WAS SAYING
IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DIE FOR ME
YOU CAN HAVE NO PART OF ME

I DON’T MEAN PHYSICAL DEATH ENTIRELY
ARE YOU WILLING TO BE MY DISCIPLE
24/7

OR ONE DAY A WEEK FOR MAYBE AN HOUR

24/7
FOLLOWING JESUS

FAILURE YES
BUT STRIVING TO MEET THE MARK

KNOWING THAT
I REMEMBER PAUL SAYING




Who will separate us
from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation,
or distress,
or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril,
or sword?

Just as it is written,

“ FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

 But in all these things
we overwhelmingly conquer
 through Him
who loved us.

For I am convinced
that neither death,
nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present
, nor things to come,
 nor powers, 39
nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God,
 which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

 

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 IT WAS LIKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME

GOING FROM PHILLY TO MAINE

 FROM LATE SPRING TO LATE WINTER

 FROM THE PROMISE OF LIFE

 TO THE PROMISE OF DEATH

 

 CRYSTAL COME

 YOUR DAD'S HAD A STROKE

 HE WANTS YOU TO COME

 ARE YOU SURE

 YES HE WANTS YOU TO COME

 

 SO DISTANT DAUGHTER

 IS FLYING DOWN THE ROAD

 TRYING TO NARROW ONE FORM OF DISTANCE

 NOT KNOWING IF THE OTHER DISTANCE

 WILL EVER BE BRIDGED

 

 MY PRAYER A MANTRA

 IN TIME TO THE WIPERS

 BRUSHING THE RAIN FROM THE PANE

 HOLD ON DADDY

 OH DADDY HOLD ON

 

ODD TO BE PRAYING FOR A MAN

 WHO WAS AT PEACE WITH GOD AND HIMSELF

 FROM A WOMAN WHO HAD REJECTED THE SURENESS

WHO NOW HAD ALL THE ANSWERS

 BUT HAD NONE

 

OH DADDY HOLD ON

 

 COME CRYSTAL COME

 SO I RUN

 

 CAN A GIRL EVER LOSE HER LOVE

FOR HER FIRST LOVE

 HER DADDY

 

COME CRYSTAL COME

 THIS FROM HIS SECOND WIFE

 FROM WHOM I WAS DISTANT

 

NO FAULT OF HERS

 SHE BELONGED TO HIM

THAT MADE THE GAP

 

 SO LONG AGO I'D WANDERED FROM MY FATHER'S HOUSE

 ANGRY

 WITH SET JAWS ON BOTH SIDES

 

SHE'D MADE HIM GENTLE

 THIS NEW WIFE

 MY SIBLINGS HAD SAID SO

 

BUT I HAD WANTED TO HOARD MY PAIN

 IT WAS MY SORE TOOTH

 I SUCKED IT REGULARLY

 

COME CRYSTAL COME

 

 HOW BLEAK THE LANDSCAPE HAD BECOME

 HOW MATCHING TO MY SOUL AND SPIRIT

 UNTIL FINALLY THE HOSPITAL WAS REACHED

 

 MY FAMILY AND GRACE

AROUND THE BED

 HOLDING HIS HANDS AND THEIRS

 WATCHING THE MONITORS FOR ANSWERS

WATCHED THEM AS MY BROTHER SAID

 REST EASY DAD

 WE ARE ALL HERE

 GRACE IS HERE

 BEVERLY AND I ARE HERE

 CRYSTAL IS HERE

 

HE SQUEEZED MY HAND

IN THE PLAYFUL GRIP

 HE USED TO DO WHEN I WAS A CHILD

 HE WENT

 WENT DOWN THE ROAD AS FLAT AS THE MONITORS

 

 A GREATNESS LEFT THE ROOM

 SORROW FILLED THE SPACE

 AN EMPTINESS WAS IN MY HEART

 

BUT I KNEW

 SOMEHOW I KNEW

 AS IF MY FATHER TOLD ME

 THAT SPRING WOULD COME

 WITH IT HAPPY MEMORIES

 KNOWING THERE WAS NO DISTANCE AT THE END

 

 GRACE THANK YOU

 FOR TAKING CARE OF HIM IN HIS LATER YEARS

 PERHAPS HIS DEATH WILL TEACH ME HOW TO LIVE

 

 THE FAMILY AROUND THE DEATH BED

CRYING

 HOLDING HANDS

 SHARING LOVE AND WARMTH AND MEMORIES

 AS DEATH ONCE MORE

 TRIED TO TEACH US LIFE

 

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GENTLE REBUKE (Mark 8:31-38) .

 SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE

IMPULSIVE PETER

SO QUICKLY HAD HE SPOKE

THE WORDS WERE OUT

BEFORE HE HAD TIME TO THINK

BUT OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS FRIEND

THE IMPACT

OF THE WORDS HE HAD SAID

I MUST GO TO JERUSALEM AND DIE

HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND JESUS

DREW HIM TO HIMSELF

SHELTERING

SAID

IT MUST NOT BE

 

JESUS HEARTBROKEN

BECAUSE PETER

STILL

WAS UNAWARE OF HIS MISSION

SAID SOFTLY

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

ADVICE GIVEN A CHILD BY A PARENT

DON’T STUDY FOR THE MINISTRY

THERE’S NO FUTURE

LONG HOURS

LOW WAGES

SHELTERING THE CHILD

OR THOSE

WATCHING BOX CARS

RATTLING ACROSS EUROPE

FILLED WITH HUMANITY

SAYING NOTHING

OR PREACHERS

PREACHING BROTHERHOOD

IN A SEGREGATED CHURCH

WHILE LAZARUS

IS UNDER THE TABLE

BEGGING CRUMBS

OR WORKMEN

AFTER YEARS OF SERVICE

FINDING NO PENSION

WHILE CEOS MAKE MILLIONS

WHERE IS THE CRY FOR JUSTICE

MUTED BY THOSE WHO HAVE

BUT JESUS SAYS

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

UNLESS A MAN

IS WILLING TO TAKE A STAND

SUFFER WITH ME

HE IS NOT WORTHY OF ME

JESUS SAYS

GIVE ME PEOPLE

LIKE MOTHER TERESA

MAHATMA GANDHI

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

DOROTHY DAY

DANIEL BERRIGAN

JOHN XXIII

TAKE YOUR ARM FROM AROUND ME

I AM NOT A TOY

OR PRETTY FEELING

TO BE SHELTERED FROM THE STORM

I KNOW YOU LOVE ME

BUT YOUR ARM AROUND ME HINDERS ME

I NEED TO STRETCH

MY ARMS OUT

FOR THE CROSS

I AM YOUR FRIEND

WHO DOES NOT SHIRK

FROM EMPTYING HIMSELF

BY DYING ON A CROSS

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PALM SUNDAY

 

WHEN JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM

ON A DONKEY HE’D BORROWED FOR THE OCCASION

 

 HEARING HOSANNAS

SEEING THE PALM BRANCHES

STREWN IN HIS WAY

HE HEARD UNDERNEATH

THE SNICKERING OF SOME

TEACHER GET YOUR DISCIPLES UNDER CONTROL 

IT’S UNLAWFUL TO BE JOYFUL

 

IF I SHOULD QUIET THEM

THE VERY STONES WOULD SING

 

BUT THE HOLY PEOPLE

THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS

THE GOOD PEOPLE

CALLED OUT

SEEING THE JOY OF THE CROWD

 CRIED

 IT’S OUT OF CONTROL

 IT’S A STAMPEDE

 

WE WANT THEM WORRIED

ABOUT RELIGIOUS MINUTIAE

NOT THE FREEDOM HE TALKS ABOUT

 HE MUST BE STOPPED

 BEFORE ALL WE STAND FOR DIES

 

 IT WOULD BE NICE TO SAY

 THAT THE PROPHECY IS TRUE

 THAT THE PHARISEES ARE DEAD

 BUT THEY ARE STILL WITH US

 WORRYING ABOUT MINUTIAE

 WHILE CHILDREN STARVE

 

WHERE IS OUR SENSE OF VALUES

 

 WHILE JESUS RIDES TO HIS DEATH

 THE MOOD OF THE CROWD WILL CHANGE

YET HE RIDES TO BRING ABOUT OUR SALVATION

 ASKS US TO MAKE HIS SACRIFICE WORTHWHILE

 

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A Meditation

IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME

 HE MUST DENY HIMSELF

 TAKE UP HIS CROSS

AND FOLLOW ME.

 

 HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE BEEN TOLD

IT’S THE CROSS WE MUST BEAR

FAMILY TRIALS

 

SICKNESS

 ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES

DEATH

 

 I DO NOT BELIEVE

 THE NORMAL TRIALS

 THE TRAVAILS

 OF ORDINARY LIFE

 ARE SENT AS TESTS

 

 WE FAIL SO MANY

 IF MY SUFFERING

 HAS NO RELIGIOUS VALUE

 WHAT GOOD IS SUFFERING

 

 IT BOTHERS ME

 AS AN ANACHRONISM

 THAT CHRIST WOULD SAY

 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

 A CROSS WAS NOT THE JEWISH WAY OF DEATH

 STONING WAS

 

 I COULD SEE

TAKE UP YOUR YOKE

 YOUR BURDENS

 FOLLOW ME

 FOR IN ME

 YOU WILL FIND REST

 

 BUT NOT THE CROSS

 

 WHAT ELSE COULD HE MEAN

 

 PALESTINE

 WAS AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY

 THE ROMAN ARMY KEPT THE PEACE

 THEY

 AS SO MANY SOCIETIES

 HAVE DONE

 USED THE DEATH PENALTY

 TO CURB CRIME

 

 A COMMON SIGHT

 WAS A PERSON

 WITH THE UPPER PART OF THE CROSS

 TIED ACROSS THEIR SHOULDERS

 FORCED TO MARCH

 FROM THE COURT TO THE CRUCIFIXION PLACE

 

 PART OF THE RITUAL

 WAS TO MAKE THE DYING

 AS HORRIBLE AS POSSIBLE

 

THE SOLDIERS BORED WITH THE TASK

 INURED TO THE SUFFERING

 WOULD CRUCIFY UPSIDE DOWN

 SIDEWAYS

 IMPALED ON A SPIKE

 STRIPPED NAKED

 

THE PEOPLE SEEING THE PROCESSION

 WOULD SAY

CRIMINAL

 

 BUT I THINK WHAT CHRIST IS SAYING

 YOU MUST BE WILLING TO APPEAR

LIKE A COMMON CRIMINAL

 LIKE ONE

SOCIETY

 IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH

 

 LIKE BONHOFFER

 LIKE MARTIN LUTHER

 LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING

 

 I REMEMBER A LEARNED BISHOP SAYING

IT IS NOT PROPER FOR CHURCH PEOPLE

 TO MARCH IN FREEDOM MARCHES

 BE ARRESTED

 IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE CHURCH

 

 BUT CHRIST SAYS

 UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING

 TO TAKE THE CROSS

 WALK TO THE JEERS OF THE CROWD

 YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME

 

 IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME

 HE MUST DENY HIMSELF

 TAKE UP HIS CROSS

 TO FOLLOW ME

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AT THE END

AT THE END
WE PRAYED FOR DEATH
WE WATCHED HIM LABOR
MOST OF THE DAY
EVENING
TO EARLY MORNING
HE’D TALK OUTLOUD
WORDS
DISJOINTED SENTENCES
AS IF HE WAS SETTLING
HIS AFFAIRS
THEN THE ELDEST DAUGHTER SAID
IT’S OK TO GO
YOUR WIFE IS SAFE
 THE FAMILY IS HERE
THEN HE RESTED
WAS AT PEACE
THEN HE DIED

MAY YOUR FAMILY DIE
IN THE NATURAL ORDER
A BIT IF JEWISH WISDOM

I FEEL LIKE A SHEPHERD
THAT LOST A SHEEP
TRULY LOST
I FEEL EMPTY
BY THE LOSS

I KNOW THAT SOME OF MY EMOTIONS
ARE UNREAL
SELF MANUFACTURED

BUT THEY WALK WITH ME
A SHADOW COMPANION

TO PRAY FOR DEATH
NO MATTER
HOW DESIRABLE
STILL LEAVES A PARENT
SEEKING
LIFE
DEATH
PEACE

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BONHOEFFER

 

FROM PRISON CELL TO KILLING GROUND

HE WENT PEACEFULLY

 QUIETLY

 AT EASE WITH HIMSELF

HIS GOD

 HIS ACTIONS

 

HE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

 NOT EVERY ACTION WAS NOBLE

 BUT EVENTUALLY

 HE DID WHAT HE FELT HE HAD TO DO

 HE FELT CONTENT

 

 HE WALKED NAKED

 TO THE DERISION OF THE GUARDS

 YOU SAVED JEWS

 SAVE YOURSELF

 HE MUTTERED NOT A WORD

 LIKE A LAMB BEING LED TO SLAUGHTER

 LIKE A TRAITOR TO THE GALLOWS

 BUT HE HAD WRITTEN

 

 The church must fight evil in three stages:

 The first was to question state injustice and call the state to responsibility;

 The second was to help the victims of injustice, whether they were church members or not.

 Ultimately, however, the church might find itself called "not only to help the victims who have fallen under the wheel, but to fall into the spokes of the wheel itself" in order to halt the machinery of injustice

 

 HE HAD ELECTED

TO BE A SPOKE DESTROYER

 HIS MOTTO

 FROM PROVERBS WAS

 

 Open your mouth for the mute

 

 HE REGRETTED THE SUBTERFUGE

 REQUIRED FROM BEING A SPOKE BREAKER

 HE HAD WRITTEN

 

We have been silent witnesses of evil deeds: we have been drenched by many storms; we have learnt the arts of equivocation and pretense; experience has made us suspicious of others and kept us from being truthful and open; intolerable conflicts have worn us down and even made us cynical. Are we still of any use

 

HE FELT CALM

AS HE WALKED

EMITTING PEACE

 Only the one for whom the final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all these, when in faith and sole allegiance to God he is called to obedient and responsible action: the responsible person, whose life will be nothing but an answer to God's question and call

 

FOR GRACE DID NOT COME CHEAP

 

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate

 

THE CHURCH HAD SOLD ITS BIRTHRIGHT

IT WANTED CHEAP GRACE

 

The church is the church only when it exists for others. The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not by dominating but by helping and serving

 

IN HIS REFLECTIONS ON DEATH

 HE WROTE

 

Whenever Christ calls us, his call leads us to death

AND

 This is the end, for me the beginning of life

 

HE WOULD SAY TO US

 

Keep well

Enjoy the beautiful country

Spread joy around you

 And keep it to yourself as well

 

 HE KEEP REPEATING

 

JOY

 JOY

 JOY

 

UNTIL THE ROPE TIGHTENED

 AND HE WAS GONE

 

 Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

1906-45

 

GERMAN MARTYR UNDER NAZISM

 

 

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945) was a German Christian religious leader and participant in the resistance movement against Nazism. Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian, took part in the plots being planned by members of the Abwehr (Military Intelligence Office) to assassinate Adolf Hitler. He was arrested, imprisoned, and eventually hanged following the failure of the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt

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