Hands Empty; Praxis series - Tim Knipp (Acts 2:36-42)

The drum roll thunders,
languages erupt
to flow like
red-hot lava.
Drawn in to
the spectacle,
the hordes 
hear
that a dead man
is King and Lord -
the long-awaited one
lives again.

Surrender then;
and turn away
from darkness
to light.
Embrace Him
wholly,
hands empty
but for Him -
let all others
drift between 
your fingers
as you run
to His arms.

When your heartbeat
steadies,
settle into 
a steady walking pace
for the long haul,
his Spirit clinging
to your heels,
shadow-like.

Look inward
when diversions come,
when potholes
derail you,
leaving your knees
bruised and bloodied.

Dig deep 
into your sadness
and disappointment
and trust Him
as you let go 
of the known
and reach out
to grasp His hands
over the abyss.

Trust that He will
pull you up
into a joy 
you've only
dreamt of.

In Step with the Spirit; Praxis series - Brady Bobbink

Open hands
receive the Gift,
open minds 
respond in joy
without reserve.
Open heart surgery
replaces stone
with flesh.
The old must die
for eyes
to open anew.
All are eligible
for the promised
outpouring.
Stand under the salted sky
with open arms,
ready to die
to your idea
of who you are.
His holy breath 
will resuscitate you
as you open 
your lips
to meet His.
Begin to live
a life
of liberating
spirit-dependence.

By ourselves
we are helpless
and all we touch
is tainted,
but
with His breath
in us,
we can do 
anything. 

Praxis: Living Out the Jesus Way - Brady Bobbink

There is more to do
in me -
more rough patches
to be sanded down,
more hollow 
space to be filled
with life.

I should be
an arrow
whose shaft 
is honed and aimed
at God's glory.

If I am truly
to follow Jesus,
then rescue 
is my goal.
Can I say 
that, yes,
this is so?
(I fear no.)

Can I serve with
no hope of gain,
spilling my time
and energy 
prodigally?

Can I overcome
my inclination 
for independence
and identify
with the group
He is building?

Can I be His sheep,
His bride,
His fruit-bearing
branch,
His body part,
moving only
as He commands?
Laying down my
intellect,
my dreams,
my personality,
to merge
into something
bigger than I?
To transcend 
my
self?

Celebration Stories