Pray A While

by Bruce Williamson

I thought I'd pray a while today. I really didn't have much to say. The children are fine, I am well, but still I wanted to pray -- with nothing to say. But I thought perhaps to God it would not matter. So I just sat in his presence like resting under a great oak tree. I don't know if this counts as prayer, but it felt right to me.


(Dated April 14, 2008 Bruce Williamson.)

The Crowded Planet

The Crowded Planet

The Lord has put us on a crowded planet of fish and fowl, forest trees and prairie grass.
Shall we push all other creatures into extinction? Shall we eat everything we can chew and pave over the rest?

If we want a planet all to ourselves -- perhaps we should relocate? I hear the moon is empty,
and so is Jupiter and Mars.

Judgement Day

Judgment Day

At last after centuries and millenniums the human race came to Judgment Day.
All humanity stood on an immense open square suspended in space. Stars twinkled above and below.

Several fights broke out, of course, among different clans and tribes. Several persons could be heard shouting at those nearby, "Now you will see that I WAS RIGHT!" And God said, "Did
you ever learn to share?"

A Cannonball Into The River of Life

As an act of pure defiance
against all negativity,
let us smile for no reason at all,
sing an old hymn of faith, and
just plain stubbornly believe that
we're headed to a better place.

In the light of grace, let's be kind to
each other, and to ourselves. Sing
"Amazing Grace" for a verse or two.
Shout "Hallelujah!" with glee, as if
you had a rope swing on the Tree of
Life, and were doing a cannonball into the River
of Life.

Refuse to surrender your joy, your faith,
or your hope. Pray for blessings on others.
Laugh out loud. Tell a silly joke or story.
Kneel in prayer. Wiggle your toes in clover.
Seek the peace of God, and relax your body.

Live lightly and refuse to over stress your
brain. Let your faith be a bright, strong, and
defiant joy joy - - - that most folks can not understand.

Yes, "Hallelujah" . . . a cannonball . . . into the River
of Life. Amen.

For A Humble, Serving Church

Lord, let your church clothe itself with humility,
gird itself with a towel and wash the dirty feet of this world.

Lead us to know that you oppose the proud,
but give grace to the humble.

We have too often sought to build up our own Kingdoms
of sect, denominations, ideologies and theologies.
We have sought more to make our names known,
instead of your love and grace in Jesus Christ.

We pray now to rreverence your Holy Name. We ask
that your Kingdom come, even if our little kingdoms decline.
Amen.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever, Amen." I Peter 5: 10

Small Gifts of Grace

Dear Lord,
A smile, a bit of humor, a touch --
these are such small gifts in a hurting world,
And yet, ungiven the world you love
hurts more.

Tomorrow let the radiance of your joy and love shine
through me as I remember
to give the smallest of gifts
as sacramental fragments of grace
to a hurting world.

Mature Christian Living

Mature Christian living is
not from guilt,
without the shadow of shame,

instead a buoyancy of spirit,
in kindness to myself and others,
in quiet joy --
service,
achievement,
creativity,
lasting love, and
reverence.