The Vineyard in 2012

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Tom Bolton

I found myself at this place in February 2012 after prayer. I was deep in prayer that day, and came away thinking about fruits of the spirit. What hit me that Friday night was that I am on a vine, and it is a healthy vine, I see, and the vine is succulent, filled with life-sustaining water.

vines

                    On the Vine

Tonight, I’m thinking about life on the vine.
I’m on the vine, a vibrant branch, these days.
I feel the vital fluids stream through the branches,
Love flowing rich and refreshing me.
I do feel fruitful, I do feel strong,
Living in love, living in Jesus’ love.
And I am filled with joy.
And my love is completed in joy.
I open myself to the presence of Jesus, and
I am fruitful these days.
It once was hard to open myself up, and to
Invite Jesus into me. Scary?
No. I’m on a fruitful vine here.
The peace is alive, and it passes through us;
The pruning was by a kind farmer, we see.
Oh, how great a vine we share tonight.

(C) Tom Bolton February 25, 2012

Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged | 2 Comments

On Justice

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Tom Bolton

Luke 4:18-19

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

dbs5

              Don’t Panic

In me, the Spirit strikes dissonant notes,

harsh chimes to get my attention, and

I know too the glorious hymns of praise,

the sweet flute and glorious strings of gorgeous musicians,

and striking hymns of Michelle, John, Ray and Kaitlyn,

but today and often,

the chimes are discordant,

and now I hear the Word.

Oppressed are not free when they have not heard,

Town councils are not just unless they hear.

Mother maidens are not released until they hear,

Laborers labor in vain until they hear.

We listen and hear:

Joy in the Word!

Justice for the world.

(c) Tom Bolton, 26 January 2014, West Allis

Luke 4:18-21

The Message (MSG)

16-21 He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God’s Spirit is on me;
he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

John Meunier on Charles Wesley’s “Let Us Plead for Faith Alone.”

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Tom Bolton

John Meunier on Charles Wesley’s “Let Us Plead for Faith Alone.”

I was delighted by this post from John Meunier when I read it last week.  He writes about Charles Wesley’s “Let Us Plead for Faith Alone.”

Let us plead for faith alone
Faith which by our works is shown;
God it is Who justifies,
Only faith the grace applies.

Active faith that lives within,
Conquers hell and death and sin,
Hallows whom it first made whole,
Forms the Savior in the soul.

Let us for this faith contend,
Sure salvation is the end;
Heaven already is begun,
Everlasting life is won.

Only let us persevere
Till we see our Lord appear,
Never from the Rock remove,
Saved by faith which works by love.

Posted in Recommendations | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Mission Resources

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Tom Bolton

Mission Resources

This comes from a blog maintained by Seth W. It is aimed at assisting churches in developing their missions ministries. While it is a personal endeavor, he does work for Mission to the World (MTW), the mission-sending agency of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). There is obviously overlap in what he is doing in the blog and what he does at work, but this is not an official-representation of MTW or the PCA.

I liked the blog and like his resources.

Here are some examples.  (Clink at the link above to see his whole posting.)

R DVD & Articles

  • Laying the Foundation
    • Missions Committees Lead the Church
  • Setting Your Sights
    • The Changing Role of the Missionary
  • Setting the Pace
    • Short Term Missions: Blessing or bother?
  • Reaching the Summit
    • How Will the Church Minister After We Leave? – Pursuing sustainable ministry

Books

Websites

Posted in Disciplines, Recommendations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

From New Years Eve 2011

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Tom Bolton

Re-posting a poem from two years ago:

 

 A Divine Intervention, New Years Eve

So close, so close, these women and men,
close to me in this tiny lounge in this huge,
huge Church building, this small, fragile church
people, these powerful people of God.

So close I have been times in the past, but
blessed, blessed to move on, move in, blessed
in this world, blessed to listen and live in
this fragile, small community of light.

So close, so close, these women and men,
so close they came to this communal,
fettered life–how many times?–before they
came to this life, free and yet fettered.

Walking with the poor, the free and yet fettered,
free and enslaved, owned and controlled,
alive and yet distant, we are so close
in this warm, warm lounge, Crosby and
Hope crossing eons and with us too.

So close the Word was with me today, now
on the table in front of me, all night
in people around me, God’s guests,
God’s folk, so close beside me, around me.

So close, I hear their quiet conversations,
so close, I hear their pleas for families,
abandoned, dependent, alive and apart.

So close, I hear anger flair so
rarely, but so near to the surface, so close,
so tight, so sore and still calloused, so
lonely even as so close.

In the night-time deep, so close to sleep,
mother was near, quiet and warm, and
I wondered if I was asleep. Sleep was silent,
but it was two ay-em.

So near to sleep, but I arose, unable to
sleep, to wander the halls a while and
hear the breathing so close.

So close, so close, these women and men,
close to me in the blessed wing of this huge,
huge church building. We are so close here.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
you are mine, and I am yours. So be it!

(c) Tom Bolton, 31 December 2011, Unity

Posted in Poetry | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Costly

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Tom Bolton

Romans 6:1-4

cross

               So Costly

We receive a gift so extravagant
Plain folk like me can scarcely comprehend.
I know though to repent as I am forgiven,
to pursue the holy as I am baptized in grace,
to confess as I enter the table, to
confess publicly, absolved.
I know to learn,
as I am unlearned each day.
I know grace.
I know Christ.
Easy and yet not easy.
Such precious gems,
such a gift!

(C) Tom Bolton, 15 January, 2014, Warm at Home

Recommended:

I am a Witness

Boldly Enter

Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I Am A Witness

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Tom Bolton

I definitely want to recommend this post.

Posted in Disciplines, Recommendations | Tagged , | Leave a comment