Prevailing Winds
Did the rocks cry out in wonder
their message echo long, e’en as the boat
slipped off from shore, further and farther from view?
Did the village stare, astonished
at what had gone before, in them
all the frameworks shifted
of marketplace routine
in the wake of broad reach—individual and corporate
toward one man?
We will never be the same.
According to Easton’s
( Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
of Gennesaret
there is no longer a trace.
Yet we will be… never the same.
What remains?
This prevailing wind
shifts us in new direction
toward an everlasting shore.
Amen
jfig 5/2020
Set as we are midst the felt impacts of Covid 19, there are attributes of the Christ-following church that show up on radar—prevailing winds in the midst of global anxiety. To name a few:
refuge(s) of help, hope
generosity
deepening of connection through the navigation of challenging conversations
worship
creativity
Dear Reading Friend,
During the course of this journey, there were times when, caught up in the fine details, I needed to ‘zoom out’ to revisit the big picture of Jesus healing the sick. The best tool for that reverse zoom was not a camera, but worship. Three songs became an integral part of my Gennesaret journey. There were others as well, but these stood the test of time, and informed my close-up of Jesus. Jesus the Healer, The God Who Blesses, and Jesus the One Worthy. Although I do not think mine is the only perspective—as if I have figured out the ages-old questions of healing—I hope these songs bless your understanding of Him as well. You may, and likely will, see something different. I have picked up my flag and am following midst a great sea of followers, to see where Jesus takes us next.
“As It is (In Heaven)” by Hillsong Worship
The UK Churches version of “The Blessing” written by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. You can find it on Youtube.
“Is He Worthy?” by Andrew Peterson
This spring, I was the length of the pruning shears away from hacking this plant down. I thought it was dead! One of the gripping aspects of the Gennesaret story is that it describes the townspeople, leaders and villagers alike, recognizing Jesus and bringing all their sick to Him. This includes those one might think beyond repair. And Jesus? He is able to look beyond our brokenness and scars to find the created core – God’s image – still there, waiting for his resurrecting touch. It is in this seeing reach, us toward him, and He toward us, that life prevails—Hallelujah!
May this total engagement with what Jesus is about to do, grip us, the church of today.
Jesus, we come, fresh from worship, our faces shining and turned up, like these blossoms. Jesus, we come, not knowing the outcomes of our stories. We are reliant upon you: your merciful goodness, the triune power of resurrection, your healing touch—to heal us so that we might appear, like the citizens of Gennesaret, in the pages of eternity. Catch us up, we pray, into your fierce and determined embrace. You, who have not let go of the creation story, and are still restoring the garden. May we hold on tight, to you, Our Lord. Forever and ever. Amen
Thank you again. j
Roasted Words 