Maundy Thursday

That righteous Lord who sent the Flood
To wash the whole earth clean
From sinful men now kneels, towel-wrapped,
Head bowed to wash their feet

That first deluge he sent had showed
The penalty for sin
This second brings its remedy
By cleansing from within

For as his laver washes skin
His word has cleansed their souls;
The blood he soon will shed shall then
Atone for them in whole.

A blessed Maundy Thursday to all.

Surrender (a Poem)

My Lord, pursue your victory
Ev'n unto each extremity
Of limb and thought and will in me
'Til each divergent part shall be
Delivered from its mutiny
And, yielding in humility
Be brought to full conformity
To your faultless divinity
By that selfsame authority
By which you shall subject all things
To you.

Amen.

Faithfulness

Father, how unfailingly
Your mercy you extend to me
Though I offend continu'lly
In all I'm not, but ought to be. 

How sharp I feel the lack, my Lord
When I consider all your Word
To which I know to match my ways,
But still rebel and make delays. 

So let that poignance match the nails
Which you delayed not to impale
Christ, who became my sin's redress
That I'd become your righteousness. 

And with that mercy, send your grace
To lift up my downturnéd face
By strengthening me in your ways
To run enduringly this race. 

Uphold me that my steps not fal-
Ter til your will in me is done
For the sake of the prize of your upward call:
To be formed to the image of your Son.

Humility (a Poem for Good Friday)

References:

Matthew 27 (& etc.)

Peri Pascha (by Melito of Sardis)

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The One who set the stars in place Himself is set with nails
He, mercilessly mocked and scorned, whose mercy never fails
Those hands which span the heavens and guide galaxies in course
Now stretched out on a cross of wood, must strain, each breath to force
As He who hung the moon and sun is hung beneath their gaze
The Radiance of the Father's glory, flogged in place of praise

That Word whose pow'r sustains existence answered none at all
To those who lied to see Him tried, condemned without a fault
A crown of thorns and nakedness adorn the King of kings
The End of all true sacrifice giv'n up as Offering
How dark becomes the sky above this scorning of the Light--
The Lord of Hosts arrested, tortured, here without a fight!

What greater darkness shows within the heart and soul and mind
Of men, who work thus to destroy the Maker of mankind!
What fickle and ungrateful crowd, so readily deceived
To render thus the breath He gave: "Let Him be crucified!"
So that at their behest the Judge of all mankind received
The judgement of mankind and died.

"The Table that the Lord Prepares..."

"The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want...

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." (Psalm 23:1, 5)

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

"And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!'" (Luke 22:19-22)

"So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them." (John 19:16b-18)

"...and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies..." (Genesis 22:17b)

"I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." (Revelation 1:18b)

"For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

I will walk before the LORD

in the land of the living." (Psalm 116:8-9)

"Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

The table that the Lord prepares for his people is set with the feast of his own flesh and blood, in the face of sin, death, and hell, the enemies whose gates he, as the Son of Man, has now taken as a man for the sake of mankind, so that his people might feed without fear and thus be delivered from the power of those enemies and walk before him "in the land of the living," which is his own eternal life -- which is the knowledge and experience of Himself.

O Great Conqueror

O great Conqueror of sin and death, O Ravager of hell,
What You've done on cosmic scale do likewise to my will:
War against the passions of my flesh and mind until,
Conquering, Your victory extends through me, as well.

Liberator of the captives, Who gave sight unto the blind,
Free me from the lust of flesh and eyes, from boastful pride
Turn my gaze from worthless things to Your pierced hands and side;
Captivate the vision of my heart, my soul, my mind.

O Eternal Word, upholding all creation by Your pow'r,
Righteous Law who rightly orders galaxies above,
Likewise order my life in accordance with Your love
Speak Yourself in me, uphold my soul in faith each hour.

Imprint of the Father's nature, all His glory's Radiance
What You are in essence come and make of me by grace
Dwell in me, make all my body, heart, and mind the place
Where Your name and glory shine in their full brilliance.

Logic of the cosmos, Ground and Goal of each created thing,
Reason for whom all exist, come ground my life in you
Be the wisdom ruling all I want and think and do.
Lord of all, be Lord of me: my End, my God, my King.

Kenosis (a poem for Easter weekend)

Matthew 27:1-54
Jeremiah 2:13, 17:13
Isaiah 43:11, 20-25; 53:6
Hebrews 2:14-17; 13:12
Psalm 24:7-10
1 Peter 4:6
Romans 14:9

"Kenosis"

To th'place of broken cisterns he descends
and there to match them his own vessel rends
or lets them rend -- the Fountain, thus to give
from his own side the draught we need to live.
--Water in the wilds, and desert streams!
The ostriches and jackals he redeems
shall honor him, although the sheep have strayed,
and on him their iniquity is laid.
Alone he blots transgressions out, the LORD,
the only Savior, everlasting Word
of Life, now written in the earth with those
who turned away, forsook his name, for whose
lives he gives up his own. But now Death is
no more the last word written here in this
or any lower place-- "Lift up your heads,
O gates! O ancient doors, be opened wide!"
Eternal Life has come down for the dead,
the King of Glory for those who reside
in darkness and death's shadow, who were lost
to dissolution, separation. Death,
the Lord of Hosts has come to claim your host
as well; your reign has ended with his breath.