Radical Generosity (Praxis Series) - Tim Knipp (Acts 2:42-47)

Cracked earth,
sterile seeds,
dry-baked skies -
all of these
ravaged the land
and pulled it out
from under us,
leaving us nothing
but wits and sinew
and fear
for the future.

Open handed generosity
spilled out
and overflowed,
soaking into the cracks
of need.
Property and possessions
became tools
offered up to benefit others
rather than
accumulations
that measured worth
and status.

Grace goaded them
into generous giving.

(Acts 4:33b-34a)

Having been rescued

from certain

death at the moment

of execution,

gratitude exploded.

(1 John 3:17)

Familial ties

embraced all believers,

connecting them

to the lineage

of David -

purpose driven and

chosen for so much 

more.

Resurrection promised

justice 

and the righting 

of crookedness.

No need to fear tomorrow,

for God is at work

in the world.

Grace.

Gratitude.

Generosity.

Radical generosity

reflects grace -

yet possessions

so often possess us

as we cling fearfully

to our stuff -

my stuff -

and look at others 

through the bars

of our things.

Swimming Upstream - Praxis series; Tim Knipp (Acts 2:42-47)

As creatures,
we worship.
As fallen creatures,
we drift
towards
worship of self.
This is God,
turned inside-out
for He is self-giving.

Resist the current.
Swim upstream.

Habits can serve
to orient:
compasses that point the way,
strengthening resistance,
pulling as surely
as instinct
drives salmon 
to leap gallantly
over whitewater falls.

Adoration 
is a selfless act
composed of
a collection of habits:
submission,
gathering,
sharing,
communing.
Worship is action -
purposeful as the arm
raised and lowered
to cup water
and pull it rearward
again
and again.

He is Goodness
and Beauty;
the Source of
all that is
and not a creature
like us.
His invitation
to worship
is a gift
and our salvation
from the distortion
of
selfishness
we so easily
drift into.

Worship pulls us,
magnet-like,
to the Center
of Life.
We must throne Him
there daily
lest we 
find ourselves 
pulled to false idols
and 
whirlpools
of despair.

Praxis: Devoted to Teaching; Tim Knipp (Acts 2:42-47)

Ferocious focus
zeroes in
on a target,
unflagging.

Gathered in sweaty
enclaves,
guttural voices raise
in statements,
inquisition,
allusions
and arguments.

Ebbing away
to solitude,
minds muse
and meditate,
listening
to the eloquent
silence.

Challenged by twin
tidal pulls
of consumption
and distraction,
we risk drowning,
or worse -
passive floating.
Must truth
entertain us
into mindless
comas of 
self-satisfaction?

Shake off the lethargy
and dive into Truth
with
ferocious focus.

Filter moments
with careful 
attention to detail.
Be alert for messages
in static
and
seeming dullness.
Remove distraction.

Listen.

And swim 
against
the current.

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