More Than Prophets

At that time, John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.”
—Mark 9:38-43

Would that all God's own were prophets
burning with the Spirit's flame,
every son and every daughter
given courage to proclaim!
Yet a greater gift is offered,
first and last and all may claim:
Offering a cup of water
to the thirsty, in Christ's name.

All the good things we have treasured
we are given from God's hand;
all the joys of rest and pleasure,
all the gifts of sun and land.
None, though, can we hold forever,
having but to give again.
Breaking heaven's bread together:
We are more than prophets then.

We are mortal; we are sinful,
yet such gifts we have received,
how can we be else than gen'rous
with God's generosity?
Word of God, come dwell within us;
form and shape all we shall be.
Let the love that you have giv'n us
echo in our every deed.

Bernardo Strozzi – An act of mercy, giving drink to the thirsty- http://emuseum.ringling.org/emuseum/objects/18885/an-act-of-mercy-giving-drink-to-the-thirsty?ctx=554eb923-d6df-4234-82e9-e439b2d967fe&idx=1, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66957640

Testify To the Light

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
John 1:6-8

There is a light that never dims,

no matter what we see,

and all the blinded wait for him

to set the captives free.



There is a light that we mistake—

more bright than flame or sun—

until we see the morning break

and know the glorious one.



Come, prophets, see what we cannot,

for we can only guess

the way marked for us in the dark

across this wilderness.



Come take our hands and lead the way

around pitfalls and stones

until he makes a level plain

to bear an easy road.



Or—yes—until we see it clear,

for then it shall be smooth.

When that great light is drawing near,

this wilderness will bloom.



And all the mountains bow to him,

and all the valleys rise,

the lame leap up and run to him

when morning greets our eyes.

Observing a sunrise on the National Elk Refuge is truly a memorable experience. Photo: Kari Cieszkiewicz/USFWS Scenes from the National Elk Refuge By USFWS Mountain-Prairie – A Frosty Morning, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110781726

Come, O Prophets

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
John 1:29-34

To the tune NETTLETON:

Come, O prophets, walk among us
pointing out the Son of God,
Christ who take all our sin from us;
show us where he walks abroad.
You who see the heavens open
and the holy dove descend,
come and tell us, you who know him,
where our savior walks again.

For he will not leave us orphaned,
and he still walks in our streets—
though, like you, we are not worthy
to kneel down and wash his feet.
But he walks now in concealment,
hidden from our darkened eyes,
and we long to see him clearly
in the pilgrims at our side.

God in heaven, send us prophets
to reveal your Son on earth.
Give us ears to hear him calling
in their voices as we search.
Give us eyes to see his mercy
in the lives of all we meet.
When we find him, let us serve him:
Let the Son of God increase!

Jesus (left) is being identified by John the Baptist in John 1:29,^[22][23] by Ottavio Vannini, 17th century. By Ottavio Vannini (1585-c. 1643) – Giovanni Piccirillo (a cura di), La chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano, Becocci Editore, Firenze 2006. sailko, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3086749

If Christ Should Stand Among Us

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Mark 6:1-6

On prophets only being without honor in their native places, to the tune FINLANDIA:

What would we do, if Christ should stand among us
and speak the word, the wisdom we have sought,
not as a god, a mighty voice that thunders,
but one of us, our own, or so we thought?
Would we accept the gift of signs and wonders
if we knew well by whose hands they were wrought?

So we can look upon our own, our brothers
and never hear the gospel words they say,
refuse to see our sisters and our mothers
when they reach out to guide us on the way.
We know them well and run to search for others
to be God's voice and hear us when we pray.

Emmanuel, the son of God and Mary,
you stand here still and dare to lift your voice
in those who weep, who share the cross you carry,
who call us, too, to make the cross our choice,
and when they speak, those whom contempt would bury,
oh, give us ears to hear them and rejoice.

Synagogue in Capernaum By Unknown author – Scan aus: Rudolf Lehr –- Landes-Chronik Oberösterreich, Wien: Verlag Christian Brandstätter 2004 S. 79 ISBN 3-85498-331-X, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6633986

For the Prophets

For the Nativity of John the Baptist.

This song is for the weird ones
with fire in their eyes
and jumbles on their seared tongues,
whose works are strange and wise.

Elijah with his anger,
who slew the priests of Baal
and burned again on Tabor
when Christ on glory called.

He trembled at the whisper
when raging storms were done
and called the hearts of fathers
back to their long-lost sons.

Or John, whose word went thund'ring,
from Jordan, far and wide,
as soft and sweet as honey
when Christ the Lamb he spied.

Who knew his own decreasing,
the raising of the dead,
Good News to poor folks preaching,
before he lost his head.

So here's to all the odd souls
whose bones'll melt like wax
if they don't speak their hot coals
or try to hold them back.

And here's to words like daggers
they drive into our hearts
to make way for the Rabbi
who pulls our chains apart.

*St. John the Baptist Preaching*, c. 1665, By Mattia Preti – The AMICA Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18915662

Let Us Hear Your Voice

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:
“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen.
This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said,
‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,
nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’
And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin,
and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him.
Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name,
I myself will make him answer for it.
But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,
or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.’”
Deuteronomy 18:15-20

One for today’s readings. Written with no particular tune in mind.

 Come, Lord, and let us hear your voice,
 not in the rage of smoke and flame
 that terror stirs and peace destroys,
 but speak to us your holy name,
 and in the silence after sound
 show us where our true name is found.
 
 Come, Lord, and let your prophets speak.
 In human voice give us your word:
 the hope and mercy that we seek,
 the love we long ago had heard.
 With water flowing from the rock,
 still nurture all your wand'ring flock.
  
 Come, Lord, and tell us who we are:
 a people that you made your own.
 Forgive our hard and fearful hearts
 and give us flesh instead of stone.
 Oh, teach us this, all else above:
 to follow in your ways of love.
  
 Come, Lord, come down and be with us,
 the Word who walks and breaks our bread,
 who sanctifies our very dust.
 Come to your body, sacred head:
 Show us ourselves, that we are yours.
 Give us the love the yet endures.

Eleventh century fresco of the *Exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum*. By Unknown author – Scan aus: Rudolf Lehr –- Landes-Chronik Oberösterreich, Wien: Verlag Christian Brandstätter 2004 S. 79 ISBN 3-85498-331-X, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6633986

The Prophet’s Song

I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name. But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding back, I cannot!
Jeremiah 20:9

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Isaiah 6:5-8

You set a fire within my bones,
a coal upon my lips;
their smoke pours out in cries and groans,
all joyful songs t'eclipse.

How can I sing, my God, for joy?
How can I fail to sing?
These burning embers would destroy
all other gifts I bring.

So as you bid, I lift my voice
with all the wildfire's roar
to sweep away the brittle joys
of those who doom ignore.

When summer storms fill skies with awe
and lightning strikes the ground,
I am the spark that finds the straw
that in rich fields abounds.

They smother me; they stamp me out,
but Lord, you made me flame:
Raise me and set my foes to rout,
for glory of your name!

For glory, Lord, is what you are,
the source of every spark.
Make of your world a burning star
and drive away the dark.