Justice Poem - Lament

Lament

How long, O Lord, must we still wait

For You to come and vanquish hate?

How long shall all the angels cry,

“Will hell prevail and justice die?”

How long, O Lord, will they succeed

To ruin the Earth with pride and greed?

How long before You come again,

To rid the world of wicked men?

How long, O Lord, will people cry

In pain, in fear, and asking, “Why?”

How long will silence be Your will

Allowing some to freely kill?

How long, O Lord, will faith remain

In broken hearts so full of pain?

How long, O Lord, before You come

And truly let Your will be done?

How long, O Lord, must we still pray

For Justice? Until Judgement Day?

How long, O Lord, must this go on?

Too long, my Lord. You wait too long.

© 2020 John Stuart

September 2 devotion - Blessed Beatitudes

An updated version of the Matthew 5 Beatitudes

Blessed Beatitudes

Happy are those who are spiritually empty,
for they shall be filled with the fullness of God’s love.
Cherished are those whose loss is painful,
for they will be supported by loving friends.
Respected are those who seek to be humble,
for they will make the Earth a better place.
Empowered shall be those who long for justice,
for all their prayers will be fully heard.
Favored are those who act graciously,
for they will be embraced by the grace of God.
Truly loved are those who are simply sincere,
for they will know God’s faithfulness.
Anointed shall be those who strive for peace,
for they display the heart of God.
Encouraged shall be those who suffer for what is right,
for all God has, will be given to them.

(C) John Stuart

August 17 devotion - A Prayer for Today

John 7:6-7 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (NIV)

Lord Jesus,

These are complicated times

Which try our souls,

Test our spirits,

And conflict with our faith.

The specter of hatred

Has overshadowed our land,

And the confusion of evil

Has frightened our people.

We have lost the path

That promotes peace,

And have fallen from the way

That leads to love.

Lord Jesus,

We need Your Spirit to guide us.

We need Your words to save us.

We need Your ways to mend us.

The Spirit of justice and liberty

Weeps over our land,

Our leaders, and our people.

We know that we have sinned

By allowing ignorance, intolerance,

And injustice to divide us.

Lord Jesus,

Forgive our false ideas

And foolish notions.

Protect us from ourselves,

And the pain we cause

Through pride, self-righteousness,

And indifference.

Give us the courage

To denounce evil,

And disavow ourselves

From prejudice,

Chaos, and hopelessness.

In Your Holy Name,

We pray. Amen.

Psalm 1 Revisited

Psalm 1 Revisited

Favored is the person

Who does not sheepishly follow wolves,
Or proudly stand among fools,

Or keep company with mockers,

Instead, the free person enjoys God’s ways,

And ponders over the truth each day
That person is as strong as a tree

Planted next to a flowing stream,

Producing fruit often

And growing stronger each year,

Unlike the foolish ones!
They are of little substance

And will eventually disappear.

Know this – the angry mob will be rejected

And will not be a part of God’s people

For the Lord watches dearly over His own
But the way of the arrogant leads to ignoble destruction.

© John Stuart 2019

Gratitude - Christian Poem

Gratitude

She quietly knelt before Him

And carefully cradled His weary feet.

He had walked for miles that day,

On sandy roads and stony paths

Between the temple and the town.

He just needed to stop for a while

And give His painful feet

A well-earned rest,

A time to just let go

Of all His burdens.

She carefully brushed away

The dust around His ankles

And between His toes,

With her beautiful, luxuriant hair.

As her silky locks gently waved their way

Over His calloused feet,

He felt a peace He had not known

For quite some time.

He gratefully smiled as she applied

Some fragrant oil to His feet

And filled the room with sweet perfume.

She humbly wiped His relaxed toes

And tickled them with her thankful tears,

Touching His lonely soul

With her unconditional love.

Something beautiful had been given,

Something human had been shared,

Which He would always cherish

And eternally remember.

© John Stuart 2019

Love Covers Poem

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. (NIV)

There is no hatred dark enough

To take away the light;

There is no falsehood loud enough

To silence what is right.

Spiteful men may try again

To hush our faithful songs,

But Christ prevails and never fails;

Love covers all our wrongs.

Love covers all our wrongs.

© John Stuart 2019

Christian Poetry - Too Full

Too Full

My study is full of books

That I will never read.

Some were gifts,

Others bought at sales,

Or purchased at a time

When I felt their need.

I’ve opened some pages

And scanned a few chapters.

I’ve looked for quotes

And sought some illustrations,

But honestly,

Despite what people say,

You can have too many books

And not enough time to read them.

My mind is full of events

That I will never revisit.

Some were sad,

Others were painful,

Or experienced at a time

Beyond my control.

I’ve ousted some people

And shattered a few dreams.

I’ve remembered words

And fought some conflagrations,

But honestly,

Despite what people think,

You can have too many thoughts

And not enough time to review them.

My heart is full of debts

That I can never repay.

Some were sinful,

Others were foolish,

Or desired at a time

When I felt compelled.

I’m ashamed of some

And regretted more than a few.

I’ve hidden secrets

And wrestled with temptations,

But honestly,

Despite what people believe,

You can’t have too many sins

And not enough of Christ to forgive them.

© John Stuart 2018

Christian Poem - 3 Things

3 Things - Now I Am Old

Peace is possible when people

Embrace each other with respect

And set aside their agendas,

Creating a culture of conversation,

Ending fear by simply sharing love.

Hope is experienced when people

Open their hearts and broaden their minds,

Putting away old prejudices by

Emptying themselves of pride.

Love triumphs when people

Openly accept one another,

Valuing the gifts and experiences

Everyone brings to this table called Life

John Stuart (c) 2018

Christian Poetry - Time Will Tell

Time Will Tell

There is a time for everything

A sacred season for all;

A time, in which, we each are born,

A moment when we fall.

A time to plant some new ideas,

A harvest to gather all,

But a time to kill and let blood spill,

Is that our human call?

There is a time for tearing down

The walls our hate has grown,

To turn our tears away from fears

And learn to laugh, not mourn.

A time to dance this sweet embrace,

This gift of life we’ve known;

To seek the higher way of love

And never be alone.

Is there still time to show remorse

And own the pain we’ve caused;

To let our spirits speak to us,

And change the path we’ve trod?

Is there still time to learn of love

And make all war outlawed?

Is there the will, within us still,

To share the peace of God?

© John Stuart 2018

Amazing Grace (Revised)

Amazing Grace (Revised)

An act of grace, knees on the ground

That shows their dignity.

We all are lost and need re-found

We’re blind to what we see.

‘Twas hate that caused our hearts to fear,

And made those fears believed;

How furious did that hate appear,

When we were first deceived.

This hateful anger spoils our cares

No matter where it’s from;

It’s hate that causes us to fear,

And hate destroys our home.

The Law has promised rights to me,

Its Word my life secures;

It will protect and keep me free

Wherever Love endures.

O we’ve been here ten thousand times,

And nothing still is done,

We’ve no less ways to heal each race,

And make us all as One.

Amazing Grace! How sweet it is,

When we shall all be free.

When hate and fear are nowhere near,

And Love wins you and me!

© John Stuart 2017

Christian Poem - In Our Prayers

In Our Prayers

What’s the use of prayers when they’re dead?
Why call to God for help, when there’s nothing to be said?
What’s the point in lying,
When innocents are dying
With bullets in their bodies and their heads?

Why ask God for something to be done,
When we idolize the bullet and the gun?
When we trade off His commandment
For a much-abused Amendment,
And end up killing people, one by one?

Why pray to God to heal and make us whole,
When fear and anger break our nation’s soul?
Are we willing now to hear,
How His Spirit answers clear:
“You need new laws and stricter gun control!”

John Stuart

(written in response to the Las Vegas mass shooting in Oct 2017)

Blessed Beatitudes

An updated version of the Matthew 5 Beatitudes

Blessed Beatitudes

Happy are those who are spiritually empty,
for they shall be filled with the fullness of God’s love.
Cherished are those whose loss is painful,
for they will be supported by loving friends.
Respected are those who seek to be humble,
for they will make the Earth a better place.
Empowered shall be those who long for justice,
for all their prayers will be fully heard.
Favored are those who act graciously,
for they will be embraced by the grace of God.
Truly loved are those who are simply sincere,
for they will know God’s faithfulness.
Anointed shall be those who strive for peace,
for they display the heart of God.
Encouraged shall be those who suffer for what is right,
for all God has, will be given to them.

John Stuart, September 2017

Christian Poem - Giving Back

Luke 20:25     

Jesus said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Lord Jesus,

I want to give back to You

What I have taken and given

To other things.

I want to give back Sundays to You

For they were always meant

To be little Easters,

When Christians would gather together

To sing God’s praises

For forgiving our sins

And raising You from the dead.

Give me the courage

And the fortitude

To make Sundays

Full of grace again

By placing You,

Your Church,

And Your people

At the heart

Of these holy days.

Help me to seek You,

And fill me

With Your Spirit.

Teach me

To walk in Your way

Each and every Sunday,

No matter where I am,

No matter what I’m doing,

No matter how I’m feeling,

Help me to give

Sundays back to You.

Amen.

John Stuart 2017

Poem - Whisper

Whisper

Moments of quietness

Meander too infrequently

In my timetabled life;

Too many things

Penetrate my bubble

And too much noise

Breaks the peace

Of my fragile soul.

I want to stay in touch

With God

And sit together

Silently.

I yearn to be connected

To the Great Spirit

Of all Creation,

Breathing and praying,

Waiting and contemplating,

Living and loving,

In perfect bliss.

As I enter the empty sanctuary,

Sounds around me diminish,

Noises within me are hushed.

My sought-for tranquility commences,

And I hear the Divine Voice.

“Child,” God gently whispers,

“Silence is always sacred.”

© John Stuart 2017

 You can also listen to the poem here:

After Easter poem: The Day After

The Day After

The flourishing fanfares

Have finished

The heavenly hymns

Have ended

The powerful preaching

Is put aside

And the people

Get back to being

Whoever they were

Before the Easter rush.

Church is deathly quiet

On the day after.

The pews are vacantly empty

The sanctuary is somberly silent.

A suffocating stillness

Pervades the sacred space,

Like that of a forgotten tomb

Abandoned by

Its owners.

Yesterday,

The Resurrection

Was wildly evident

As many voices

Sang the songs

And proclaimed

The ancient words,

“Christ is Risen!”

“He is Risen indeed!”

On the day after,

Even if a lone voice

Defiantly declares

In a mighty clamor,

“Christ is Risen!”

Only the creaking

Wooden ceiling

Repeatedly squeaks

A feeble reply;

“Is he? Is he? Is he?”

On the day

After Easter,

Church world is dead,

But the Promised One is waiting.                              © John Stuart 2014