| |
Easter Sunday, April 9, 2000
Poems
+ from An Improbable Gift
of Blessing by Maren C. Tirabassi and Joan Jordan
Grant
Setting the Resurrection Free
Place in Easter Service
(ISAIAH
65:I7--25; I CORINTHIANS 15:19-26;
JOHN 20:1-18)
PRAYER
OF THE HEART
(JOHN)
"But
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. "(John 20:IIa)
Out
into the morning mists
I come, alone,
one last time to see you.
l stoop to touch you,
bathe you with my tears again,
wrap you ill my gaze of love
for who you were.
But here in the half-light of dawn
the stone is rolled away.
The linen cloths are cast aside.
No body lies within this tomb.But strange words gently
spoken
beckon me beyond my misty view,
"Why arc you weeping?"
At first but dimly heard
and, and then, a second time,
repeated clearly,
a voice calling me by name.
0 God, this is
my life's great healing teacher.
|
This
is tile voice I bear--
the same voice I knew,
the face I see--
tile same face I loved.
My knees give way,
my heart and hands reach out
to hold the one I knew as good
who died before my eyes."Do not cling to me,"
come even stranger words,
and I kneel before a mystery.
Your death was real,
and you arc real.
The light now fully dawns
before my eyes that you
have left the tomb behind.
And l, I too, to live with you
must let you die for me
to set my new life free.
|
Doubting
and Faithing
Place in Easter Service
(I
PETER I :3--9; JOHN 20:19-31)
PRAYER
OF THE HEART
(John)
'A week
later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas
was with
them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood
among them
and said, 'Peace be
with you. '" (John 20:26)
Life-raising
God, hear me!
Forgive your prayer's doubt:
not that another's eyes
can't see for me,
not that another's hand
can't touch for me,
but no other one
can know my fear for me.
No other knows the wounds
that keep me bound.
No other's heart recoils
when my will gives in.
No other lies awake at night
haunted by my demons. |
Life-raising
God, reach out--
this doubtful prayer asks for all--
and breathe an active soul itlto this room.
Blow peace into me,
shape me by your Spirit's power
to bear the image of your Child.
Recall each one of us to see
our wounds, our fears, our sin
were hung upon his cross.
This new body to be wholly Christ
must bid each member come into the tomb
to die to old self-raising ways,
to die to what we are without--
the breath of Christ's new life within. |
Life raising God,
send me out beyond these doors
to wear your wounded side and hands
as signs of hope to every weary soul.
My body has been pierced by hate and
fear
but my wounds are being healed by
love.
My body lives to sow the seeds of
life
in waiting hearts that seeing me,
believe tire risen Christ is real.
|
Back to Table of
Contents.
|
|
