Benediction -- 01/29/2006

(I want to extend thanks to Kelly Ann Hall for the use of her original composition. She's a great friend and a great poet. These words of hers spoken last morning and evening to conclude service truly impacted me.)


Father,
artist, architect, builder of being
You pinched up the mountains
Trenched out cool rivers
Pulled up trees into shady forests

You,
packed Your greatness into garments of skin
splitting seams in poor man¹s rags
holes leaking holy love, leaking forever-life
and salvation bleeds as a truthful voice
calling out our demons into forgiveness-light.

Are we no better to obey then they?
Have we bound You God?
to a man
to a place
to a mountain¹s rise
before the chasing sun

to a pinch of bread
dipped in wine
on Sunday.

So shall we too then
nevermore be defined by skin¹s edge
but by the energy
that gathers up our gut
and moves us
beyond and over lines & limits.

Today, we bind ourselves
The power of God to hold and lead us
His eye to watch, His might to stay
His ear to hearken to our needs
The wisdom of our God to teach
His hand to guide, His shield to ward
The word of God moving in our speech
His Heavenly Host to be our guardŠ

Lord, hold us as we submit, to a will we will never understand.
Delight in us as we explore wonders that we can never solve.

Shine through us a love, that cannot be gained through knowledge,

You are the joy in all our beginnings and ends.
And You forever exceed our expectations of You.


Kelly Ann Hall
Copyright -- 01/29/2006