Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Redeemed

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T   2 0 1 3:   D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R   G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 3                                                                                                                            Redeemed

Carved Nativity group made by Faith Craft

       Redeemed, Help my Faith

I believe, I believe, I believe,
I believe, and yet:
Help my unbelief today.
How can it be?
Redeemed and healed, I am often filled with joy,
And yet,
Where does this unbelief come from? Where was it hidden?
Was it hidden at all?
When this faith becomes doubtful of itself,
it stands in temptation again,
as it was in the beginning, in the edge of the garden.
Fragile in our faith, we are sorely tested
each day.
It was
God’s love—his grace—in Jesus that saves us.
It is our faith that takes us there to gaze on Jesus,
To grab hold of His grace, His forgiveness, His empowerment;
Lord, I ride my faith to return to your power.
My faith is in a great, great God.
Yet my faith can be so small;
Help me Lord. Redeem me anew.

© Tom Bolton, December 12, 2012, Milwaukee
Revised for Advent 2013

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Redeemed

Devotions to Our God in the Manger: In Guilt, Clad

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T  2 0 1 3:    D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R   G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 3                                                                                                          Redeemed

English: Scroll of the Psalms

     In Guilt, Clad

All that God has done for His people,
I see it done for me.
The plaintive cry of the Psalmist rocks me,
and yet my heart cries more silently.
I hear the cry and feel the pain,
and I know the response of our savior.
His grace and care caress me today.
All the past records His grace,
and there is nothing less for me.
Sins so scarlet, marks crimson,
these are lifted up pure, as adorable as the favored lamb-toy.
Jesus took on our guilt,
and I know not to remove myself.
I would claim the divine justification;
I would be warm as the babe in the manger.
I see the innocence, and claim the guilt.
At the manger, I yearn to be redeemed.
Joy in the Word!
Joy to the World!

(c) Tom Bolton, 17 December 2013, with Chili

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: In Guilt, Clad

Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Sinless Guilt

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T 2 0 1 3:   D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R   G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 3                                                               Redeemed

English: Roadside verge near Guilt Cross Young...

Sinless Guilt

He has lifted it all off me,
and I seek to release my guilt.
It is not just the goodness of the baby,
for we know that goodness of the babe.
We struggle more to see the sacrifice,
how he lifts off our guilt.
He dwells with us now;
Human, He overcomes all that burdens us.
Brother, He takes us as we are, and
Dams up our guilt.

(c) Tom Bolton, 17 December 2014, Bay View

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Sinless Guilt

Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Mysterious Pious

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T  2 0 1 3:    D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R   G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 2                                                                  Mystery in Our Midst

LongestNightPhoto1

             The Mysterious Pious

Your sins are forgiven, and
You hold back, and
you claim magnified piety, and
you claim Jesus as your own.
And amidst the proof you heap visible,
the invisible proof is larger.
My faith in that not seen is largest,
and I question myself at this manger.
Do I build myself up,
and try to impress?
Am I authentic? Am I only pious?
Am I whom you would have me be?
Today I will not try to look good.
May I instead be righteous.
At the manger I claim the way.

(c) Tom Bolton, 10 December 2013, alone

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Mysterious Pious

Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Love Mystery

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T 2 0 1 3:     D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R    G O D    I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 2                                                          Mystery in Our Midst

Dusk

Dusk (Photo credit: ehpien)

      Love Mystery

I love that I am loved,
and I love that I know others pray for me each day.
I love that there are others held deep in my heart,
and that they hold me deep too.
All that is Christmas true originates in heaven;
it binds us together in spite of ourselves.
There are great mysteries in space,
and deep in atoms, and deep in our brains,
but the greatest mystery is our neighbor,
the greatest mystery is love,
the greatest mystery is our nearest guest.
Mysterious friends come together and love,
blessed by the love of one in a manger.
The mystery of our love is majestic and great.
Our hearts are filled with the mystery.
Alone we come out, and
grasp love, shared.
In solemn community, we love too.
We are amazed, and we are lost,
and then we too love.
There is deep mystery in the word!
There is fresh mystery in love.
In mystery, we join together at this manger.

(c) Tom Bolton, 10 December, 2013, below City Hall

A hidden audio link.  <———

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Love Mystery

Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Respected Mystery

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Tom Bolton

A D V E N T 2 0 1 3:   D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R   G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Week 2                                                    Mystery in Our Midst

"Christ in the Manger" - NARA - 558929

“Christ in the Manger” – NARA – 558929 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Respected Mystery

We seek the joy, and to know Christ,
to know Christ within us,
to know Christ in incomprehensible ways,
to know ourselves in new ways,
to know each other in better ways.
Unite us in love Lord:
encourage us each.
We dig through magnificent treasure,
new wisdom and courage,
and we are blessed in ways just discovered.
We are quiet today,
in search of mystery and treasured Christ-life.
We find mystery in this brave new world
just as our ancestors found mystery.
Joy in the Word.
Joy to the World.
Joy in the new Hope of Christ!
There is new mystery in lives today,
upon this Advent journey.

(c) Tom Bolton, 10 December 2014, Bayview

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manger: Respected Mystery

Devotions to Our God in the Manager: Quiet Certainty

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Tom Bolton

English: Protestant Church of Dietrich Bonhoef...

English: Protestant Church of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Stuttgart-Fasanenhof Deutsch: Evang. Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Kirche Stuttgart-Fasanenhof (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A D V E N T   2 0 1 3:   D E V O T I O N S   T O   O U R    G O D   I N   T H E   M A N G E R

Jesus

Week 1                            Stay Awake

For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

–Isaiah 9:6-7

Quiet Certainty

I would see it with such certainty,
and I yearn to see the mystery,
present each day in my life.
When there is endless peace, I will rejoice
in that place,
and I find it in my spirit,
deep within me,
certainty.
And I hear the words, past and future,
“and suddenly,” and
“a child has been born for us,”
and Joy fills the air around me,
and salvation is around me.
Joy in the Word!
Joy to the World!
His authority is around us.

“Not everyone can wait: neither the sated nor the satisfied nor those without respect can wait. The only ones who can wait are people who carry restlessness around with them.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas

Related articles
Posted in Poetry, Reflecting on Scripture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Devotions to Our God in the Manager: Quiet Certainty