Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Come to the Feast! (Sunday, October 21, 2012)





“Come to the feast!”

The real work of heaven is joy,
and our work here on Earth is to rescue
the children of God—and that means all of us—
from those sullen saints who
would have us mired forever
in despondency and fear.


So, let us open the doors wide
to these lives we lead; open them
and welcome all souls
to this, our banquet of love and joy!


You are invited as a guest
to my House of Love;
all you need to bring is
a ready smile, a laugh,
and a joyful heart;
bring along a hearty appetite, as well,
that yearns to taste the holy.


Come and feast at the banquet
life have set; provisions loaned to us
from the hand of the Eternal One,
who meets our needs so lavishly, and leaves us asking
and asks but a few crumbs of service in return.


So let us share this feast of joy!
Open your hearts and let the music burst through:
the music of heaven, forever guiding your steps
in this holy dance of life.


 

jbs
5/13/04        10/10/04        1/27/08        10/28/12

Monday, October 15, 2012

"The Smile of God" (Sunday, October 14, 2012)


The Smile of God

 The simplest smile upon a human face
is intimation enough of God;
all holiness radiates from there;
it is the holy foundation of our joy.
There would be no smile
were it not for the spirit that lay behind it;
there would be no reason for the joy that bursts forth
from the very heart of life.

Were there not really something deeper
that smile would not draw us close,
and set these wellsprings of love

flowing once again.
This is our purpose here:
to find the worth and goodness
of everything that dwells here with us:
to liberate all to the glory of God

and the service of the world.

This is our choice:
to dance, in joy, as part of all eternity,

or to cling rigidly, trying to control
the moment that is already dead and gone;
to dwell in the presence of the Eternal, 
or to spend our lives moving just a bit closer to death
with each passing day.


 

jbs
1/3/05          2/26/06          3/29/09         10/14/12