Becca Johnson - Nehemiah 1-3 - To Bellingham and Beyond

God Comes Through - Carlo Furlan "Prophets & Kings" series (1 Kings 17)

 

Darkness chosen,
it hovers over the land
rumbling and
threatening.
Enter Elijah
who says, 
"Enough!"

Clouds shrivel
and evaporate.
Earth cracks.
God points to a widow
and
Elijah follows,
one foot
in front of the other.

The woman is in dire straits
when Elijah
innocently asks for
bread and water.
It is too much for her
and she
lashes out
at cruel circumstances.
She has lost hope
and swallows despair
instead of food.
The future looks bleak;
all doors shut tightly
against her.
God's back is all she sees.

Elijah's words
cut a passage 
through her fear.
He offers his hand
and God's promise.
Limbs atremble,
she puts her bony 
hand in Elijah's
dusty palm
and
steps out.

God comes through.

David Knebel - Prophets & Kings 5.1.16

1 Kings 11:4-6, 9-11

God Comes Down - Tim Knipp, Prophets & Kings series (Gen. 3:8; 1 Kings 6)

Strolling through Eden
just to be with us,
God offers Himself -
a companion 
for life.

A temple rose slowly
in the desert.
Excellence graced
carved doorways
and statues
of awesome size,
Evocative of 
garden space
shared.

God comes down
to be with us
in the here and now,
to stitch Himself
as permanently as shadow
to our fractured
souls
so that we might
never
be
alone.

Prophets & Kings - Johanna Vicklund - 1 Kings 3:16-21

Missions Sunday

Celebrations God's Works

What is it? - Prophets & Kings series, Tim Knipp (1 Kings 3:4-7)

At the beginning
it was good
until the fractures came.
Since then
You have battled
to mend and bring us back
to good.

There came a time 
when we clamored 
for a king -
tired of differing 
from other nations -
and You relented,
though likely with
saddened heart,
knowing the bruises
and dislocation
to come from
our foolishness.

Such children we were,
blinded by the need to fit in,
follow flesh
and have our own way.
Looking back,
the stumbles are easy
to see
as are Your infinite
tender 
mercies.

You asked me in a dream
to tell You what I need
and I asked for the wisdom
to handle my task
with justice.
You showed up 
again and again
to guide me through
the obstacle course,
bandage my scraped knees,
and turn my face
back 
to good.

You are asking 
that same question today:
"What do you want?"
And the question echoes
and trembles 
with significance.

What do I want?