in the afternoons,
in the almost empty fields,
i hum the hymns
i used to sing
in church.
they could not tame me,
so they would not keep me,
alas,
and how that feels,
the weight of it,
i will not tell
any of you,
not ever.
still, as they promised,
God, once he is in your heart,
is everywhere -
so even here
among the weeds
and the brisk trees.
how long does it take
to hum a hymn? strolling
one or two acres
of the sweetness
of the world,
not counting
a lapse, now and again,
of sheer emptiness.
once a deer
stood quietly at my side.
and sometimes the wind
has touched my cheek
like a spirit.
am i lonely?
the beautiful, striped sparrow,
serenely, on the tallest weed in his kingdom,
also sings without words.
why do people decide who is not welcome in the community of God? and, yes, i include paul as a person here. the Church hurts too many people.
I think people decide to not welcome others into the church for many reasons. Some are issues of personal comfort, others are social, practical, and many are theological.
The theological stances are tricky because it often involves multiple people taking multiple interpretations from the same source (i.e. the bible).
I think Christianity can be tricky because it often has two faces, one of invitation and hope for all, but another face of exclusion. I think these are both real aspects of Christian expression. Of those who came to Jesus none were turned away nor were they invited to join an eternal picnic. Jesus’ response always seemed to catch people off guard and ask of them something which was personally demanding.
What am I saying in this rambling comment? Than it is often difficult for followers of Jesus to know when to be welcoming and when to be exclusive. I think Jesus presented both as realistic practices. I also struggle with knowing how to exercise these different reactions, but that is a struggle we all have.