Christ Jesus in His First Coming

Christ Jesus in His First Coming
Neither form nor comeliness (KJV, Isaiah)
Not in His First Coming.
The Incarnate cloaked in commonness,
Startling in His human naturedness,
Humbling Himself in this as well.
And then, naked on the cross,
Apart from the crown of mocking thorns
And bleeding lash marks,
He bore the scars of my sin on His skin
With no bitterness within
As He took upon Himself my sin
Before the Father's eternal approval of grace
Christ took my place,
And in some God-ordained agreement,
Gave me His nature as though I'd not sinned,
Agreeable then to be in the Presence.
What response can I have to this miraculousness?
From eternity to eternity, worshipful obedience,
Anticipating His Second Coming
Revealing His glory in its awful fullness.
Even so, come!

Song of Incarnation

Song of Incarnation
[Written in 1969-1970 for Bethel College now Bethel University]

Christ Jesus--Christ Jesus!  Immanuel
God has come to us, has come to earth to dwell.
Sing ye people, let your hearts' voices swell
And glorify our God and His Immanuel.

Jesus, Jesus, God's Holy Christ,
You have come to us to be as we
In flesh encumbered but yet a while
And You will die that we need die no more.

Jesus, Jesus, Holy God. now man as well, O Christ,
We know You came to be sacrificed.
We killed You, O God crucified,
And You rose for us, God glorified.

Christ Jesus--Christ Jesus!  Immanuel
God as man has come to us, has come in us to dwell.
Sing ye people, let your hearts' voices swell,
And glorify our God and His Immanuel.

The Miracle of Christmas

The Miracle of Christmas
The miracle of Christmas is composed of many parts:
That Father and Son and Spirit would open their hearts,
Each to play His role to make the elect whole.
Of course the Trinity is One in some way unimaginable
And equally incomprehensibly Three [true mystery].
Before time God made His unchangeable plan,
Knowing Adam would fall, to redeem each chosen man.
God made His plan and carried and carries it out
No matter how many don't get it or doubt;
What God has willed God will accomplish, perform;
The miracle of Christmas was completed Easter morn.

Vintage, but I still like it.

Tuesday
A friend asked me this last weekend what I was working on.  I said "nothing"; it wasn't a matter of writer's block, but that there were just drips in the bottom of the well now.  I've written a lot more this year than I expected to, pushed to post something most Tuesdays in addition to the other writing, and it is difficult to reach to the bottom of the well now.  But this is Monday night and tomorrow, should it come, will be Tuesday.  So here forthwith are drips from my well.

Don't make appointments with a huge block of time between them unless your Kindle is fully charged.

Wear a wool sweater when you have the least hunch you will need it; some days cotton on cotton isn't warm enough.

Be appreciative if you have caller ID; it will save a lot of wrenched ankles and missed calls.

Be thankful when your doctor tells you that you need to reschedule because of their schedule rather than yours; that is thoughtfulness, even if it seems inconvenient to you when you first hear it.

On a more serious note, I am working on my seven-year plan with the assistance of many, the top of the many being the Holy Spirit, which I am grateful for also.

Garry and Elizabeth at the GTY volunteers party