Let This Be a Year

Let This Be a Year...

Copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo, ON, 2019

Prayer at the New Year

Will it offer some good To the tested and hurting Will it turn a new page On the hopes of the brave

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Will the earth ‘neath our feet Pass some new convolution Will the God of the meek Find more lost souls to save Will the strained cries for peace Move the hallways of power Will the young and the frail Find the help they deserve Will the mad rush for gain Slow a little for kindness Will the self-serving titans Find others to serve Will the lessons just learned Bring some wisdom to progress

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Will the brass ring we chase Lose its grip on the heart Will the probing of science Honour life and not twist it Will the church bells still ringing Keep their hold on the heart.

A Year for Compassion Wasn't That a Service?

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(Older Woman to an acquaintance after service:) Wasn’t ​that a service?

Didn’t praises ring?

Couldn’t miss the Spirit.

How that choir can sing!

Weren’t ​the children eager, Coming at their time?

Marvel how that teacher Keeps those kids in line!

Wasn’t ​that a challenge For the mission field?

Have to raise the money For a heathen yield!

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Wasn’t​ that a sermon?

Could have raised the dead!

Have to get a copy.

Must know all he said.

Wasn’t t​hat a prayer line?

Elders all in white.

When will Sister Sarah Ever get her sight?

Wasn’t​ that a clear call At the closing hour?

Preacher got three sinners ; Fell beneath the power.

Really,​ dear, so quiet;

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All’s not well with you?

Tell me, girl, your problem; Quickly now, we’re through.”

(Younger Woman, thinking to herself:) (​Oh​ that I had someone With the heart to show How to keep my husband, When he wants to go.

How ​my son is hurting, Failing at his school.

Only needs some guidance.

Really, he’s no fool.

Landlord​ gave me notice.

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Have to leave my flat.

Are the foreign missions Only where it’s at?

Job ​is getting tricky.

Boss is always right.

Can’t betray my problems.

Mustn’t seem uptight.

Heart ​and soul are hurting.

Is there no relief?

But the truth, we’re skirting, As it’s time to leave.

Preacher’s ​at​ ​the doorway, Shaking hands goodbye.

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Couldn’t interrupt him.

Couldn’t bear to cry.)

(And then speaking to the other:) “Really​, there’s no problem.

God’s still on His throne.

How I praise and thank Him For this fine church home.

Yes​ that was some service.

Time just goes so fast .

See you Tuesday evening At the ladies class…”

1 JOHN 3: 16, 17

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Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

A Year for Common Courtesy

We in the Church can get so impressed with our sanctified selves and our stilted impressions of service that we stop operating in the love of First Corinthians 13.

We must have the final word.

We forget to exercise the little graces of everyday.

We substitute much doing for praying in challenges to relationship.

We stroke and fawn upon our leaders not realizing that we are doing more harm than good.

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We are ever yakking and not allowing time for the precious or needful input of others.

We leave out the giving of joy in our acts of mercy.

We neglect to say thank you for the little niceties.

We do not smile enough.

We do not give enough eye contact.

We ignore the input or apparent struggles of children. As if this were not a village of fellow travelers. As if the kids were only to be seen and not heard.

We fail to put the best possible spin on the facts in our face. The words or deeds of our fellows lead to resentment and felt insult when in fact there were other influences in place unknown to us. Had we only waited and tried harder to ‘think no evil’.

We are in such a rush with tedious lists and assignments that we forget the admonition of James about ‘tomorrow Lord willing’ (James 4: 13-16).

We jealously guard our recognized spheres of influence and ministry shutting out the fresh input of others hearing from the same Spirit.

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In prayer time we are being rude toward the Master; never shutting up and waiting upon His input.

We lust for power in the Spirit and not humility, when in fact humility is the source of all identification with Jesus, of all power. (2 Corinthians 12; Isaiah 57: 15; Luke 17: 7-10) We tango with the affairs of the world and its materialism and foolish jesting and vain pursuits and idolatry.

A Year for Peace Nasty Christians Need to Learn

I shouldn’t need to change you I shouldn’t need to pound.

Perhaps you’ve been mistreated And left with hurts profound Perhaps you met a Christian

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Who cut you to the core Or left you feeling dirty And second-rate for sure.

My job is not the doctrine To cram into your heart.

My job is dauntless loving That sets His Church apart.

The kind that walked the seaside And bid the hurting near The kind that healed the wounded And took away death’s fear.

He didn’t need agreement He didn’t need to win

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He simply showed a kindness That made men loathe their sin.

And He is all my pattern And He is all my pride.

And He is waiting near you To put His Love inside.

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A Year for Reverence House of Prayer

Those who keep my Sabbath And fear my holy law And look for real compassion Through the mist Find a Temple waiting And peace and calm inside And praise and meditation Heaven-kissed.

The eunuch begets “children�

And multiplies Good News.

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The stranger finds A welcome from the fray.

And Israel grows In leaps and bounds As Gentiles come on board.

They too have privileged Quarters here to pray.

But Jesus comes this morning And finds the hucksters’ game At every stall and seat That meets His view.

And eager pilgrims Victimized As shepherds fleece the flock.

He drives them forth.

His cries and whips subdue.

Now settle children In His peace and presence The rendezvous Will touch your inner heart Let silence calm the ennui With loving friends beside And wait…

The True Vine’s life He will impart.

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