Communion with Jesus
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Because of My Love For You: A Poem of Communion by Frank Carpenter *link
Beloved child, though you had wandered far from me
Though your very nature repelled me
Though your rebellion was deserving of death
I love you still, beloved child
Because of my boundless love for you
I reached out across time for you
I reached out beyond sin for you
I reached out to rescue you
Because of my love for you, beloved child
Because of my perfect love for you
I took your sin upon myself
I bore the cross you should have borne
I died the death which you deserved
I sacrificed my life for you
All for the love of you, beloved child
Because of my sacrificial love for you
I cancelled your iniquity
I cleansed you from the stain of sin
I washed you whiter than the snow
I bought you for eternal life
Because of my love for you
I am my Father’s beloved child
But his love for you is such that he offered me on your behalf
He offered me to suffer and die
That he might draw you back unto himself
Because of his great love for you, beloved child
Because of my gracious love for you
I gave my body to be broken for you
I gave my blood to be poured out for you
The blood of my covenant and my forgiveness
These I offered willingly because of my love for you
Always remember my love for you
May the bread and the cup ever be tokens between us
Taken because of your love for me
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Beholding, Strahan Coleman
Keeping the Feast, Milton Brasher-Cunningham
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Lectio: Revelation 19:6-9
John 2
John 6
1 Corinthians 10
Matthew 19, 22, and 25
Luke 2
With Him
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.” John 6:35
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. Luke 1:53
If I am spiritually dull and my soul feels empty, it is because I have filled my life with other loves. If my life has no margin, I will not realize I am hungry – starving even. Instead, I will find myself addicted to doing and unable to sit. When I fill my life with many things – whether material or immaterial – at the expense of my soul, I will never be satisfied. My soul’s yearnings will come out in impatience, bitterness, weariness and discouragement. No matter how much I hide in my ‘to do’ list, even those things that are good, I will feel a deep unrest. No matter how many things I attain, accomplishments I have or dreams I see fulfilled, my soul will never be at rest unless it is satisfied by him. These things were never meant to fulfill me. This is not the life he has offered me. Instead, he has offered me himself in this life now.
My deepest longings are met during time with him. Here I am tended to by the one who created me. It is here I find perspective and see what is truly important. Things that seemed important before fade away and I see clearly why I was created. It is in this place I find I was truly created for him; to just be with him. I will find my first love once again. My lust to be great is exchanged for a desire to know him and make him known. My life becomes a love story. One where he gently leads and I stay near. My acts become a worshipful response instead of a frantic attempt to gain approval from him and others. My identity no longer rests on my greatness, but on his. I no longer need things to mask my hunger, but I become satisfied and grateful. When I am with him, my soul is satisfied and at rest.
Prayer: Father, Show me those places where I am trying to satisfy myself with things other than you. Give me the courage to let go of the things you show me so I can embrace you. All of the things I am addicted to, whether it be my phone, busyness, alcohol, relationships, shopping, ministry etc point to places where I am trying to satisfy my soul with things that will never bring peace. As long as I look to these things, I will always have deep unrest because these things were never meant to take the place of you. The relief they bring always leave when I am still. Calm my mind and my heart, and give me a new perspective. Let me see things as they are. Where I have a hard time trusting, begin to reveal your heart for me. I want to see you.