Jesus Christ | pictured words

A WOMAN, CALLED (Second Sonnet to Mary, Mother of God)

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And who would take my word, this pregnant teen,
Who claimed an angel visited my room,
To tell me God Himself had set the scene
To place His Very Son inside my womb?

And how could I say anything but “Yes,
Be done to me according to Your word.”
And how could I be anything but blessed,
When first The Living Word within me stirred.

And how was I to know that God’s own Son
Would start His life inside a feeding trough,
And end on crucifix (would anyone?),
Exploited, battered, bartered, “crowned,” and scoffed.

And when I think my womb shared blood with God,
Who gave me life? I’m humbled, blessed, and awed.

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Extravagance of the season

Photo by Deanna Marie Metts

The extravagance
of the season, embodied:
God, wrapped in infant.

JESUS, I BELIEVE YOU (Sonnet for The Son of Man)

Image credit: “Nail Pierced Hands of the Ultimate Superhero”

Conceived of virgin, launching life of strife.
In unpretentious setting, You were born.
You claimed to be The Way. The Truth. The Life.
Judged blasphemous, then kinged with crown of thorns.

They say a prophet goes unrecognized
In his or her own town … and this was You.
For there you were, distrusted and despised –
Not warranting the hatred that You drew.

Could they not see Your Father in Your face?
Were they not there to witness healing hands?
Were they not awed by one so full of grace?
Yet all was in accordance with Your plans.

My Jesus, I believe Your every word,
Which, only by Your grace, my ears have heard.

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THIS I KEEP ON DOING (a sinner’s sonnet)

Photo by Deanna Marie Metts

“For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do –
this I keep on doing.” ~ Romans 7:19

Like Paul, I do what I don’t want to do.
The best in me is shallow as a shoal,
That barely covers that which is askew.
An ugliness lies deep within my soul.

Too quick am I to judge and criticize.
This goes against my core belief; my creed.
I want to see my fellow man with eyes
That focus on their value and their need.

I give to Christ my own besetting sin
And ask Him to unseat its hiding place.
I beg of Him to change me from within –
Remove what doesn’t bolster love and grace.

For He alone can break through this façade
To commandeer the part that’s deeply flawed.

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Israelite’ish

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Photo by Deanna Marie Metts

Tell me again
how You parted
the waters
that threatened my soul
to sink.

Remind me
the healings
when reeling
from lie’s ink;
death’s brink.

Retell the hell
from which
you snatched my feet.
Unseat untruth
I tell my past.

I ask, let’s talk
of solid rock
that drenched the earth
and quenched
my thirst.

Recall for me
the blood-soaked tree –
the guarantee
you set me free

from me.

9 Comments

No Longer Under the System of Law

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Amazing grace
complete, profound.
Enslaved in sin, set free.
How great the cost
that shook the ground.
Defining love for me.

(Inspired, of course, by John Newton’s “Amazing Grace”)

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Following the angel’s appearance months ago,
A young woman – mystified, yet willing –
Subjected herself to ridicule
While readying for the baby whose presence
Began making itself evident.

Then came the night
On the heels of a long and arduous journey
In humbleness of setting and witness.

How prepared was the young woman’s weary body
And emotion-laden heart
For the miracle of birth,
Let alone this Miracle of Birth – this holy night
That culminates in pulling her newborn son to her breast,
Offering life-giving milk
To the very One who created life,
And came to offer it eternal.

What God is this who would choose this humble,
Implausible means
Out of love for a sinner?

My God.

My God…

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November 21, 2016

ONE

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Photo credit: Deanna Marie Metts

One heart was freed
One soul was saved
One life unchained
One sentence waived
One died for me
One took my place
One sacrifice
One act of grace
One Holy God
One Trinity
One Perfect Lamb
One thankful me

7 Comments

May 28, 2016

“Mary” (Entry from the journal of Mary of Magdala)

This morning
This mourning broke me.
Reality pierced my soul,
Left a gaping hole, with fears
No tears can fill.

This morning
His eyes haunted me,
As I already strained to recall
The implausible love I saw in them
Before the cross.

This morning
I longed to once again see myself –
Me as he saw me –
The me he presented to others –
Instead of the wretch I see in me.

This morning,
In darkness of mood and day,
I made my way to his tomb.
My heart and breath halted
As my eyes assaulted my senses.

This morning
He was gone.
I was even robbed of his lifeless body?
The cruelty of this was agonizing
And my wounds grew deeper still.

This morning
I wept harder and longer and deeper
Than I ever have before –
Not even at the cross, for I was too traumatized
For tears.

This morning
I saw men? Angels? Someone – something – angels
At the head and foot where he had lain.
They asked me why I was weeping.
How could I explain such pain?

This morning
I turned and saw a man – the gardener?
He asked me the same question the angels had.
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
Once my closed throat allowed me to speak,
I begged of him, “PLEASE sir, where have you put him?”

“Mary.”

Rabboni!

This morning
Mourning broke.
Light rose from darkness,
Spoke my name,
And I will never be the same.

Gospel of John, Chapter 20

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

7 Comments

May 10, 2016

YAWEH ELOHIM

Photo by Keith R. Good

This is the first time I have posted words gleaned from someone else. I created this little site to be a place to pair my own poetry with images from others … but these words from my pastor so richly and deeply touched me, I wanted to share them here. As is often the case, one of my husband Keith’s photos serves as a perfect backdrop.

If you do not know this Yahweh Elohim Pastor Kain speaks of, I would be honored to introduce Him to you. Feel free to leave a comment below, with a way to get in touch with you.

Marie

pictured words

Tag: Jesus Christ

December 24, 2017

A WOMAN, CALLED (Second Sonnet to Mary, Mother of God)

December 10, 2017

Extravagance of the season

October 18, 2017

JESUS, I BELIEVE YOU (Sonnet for The Son of Man)

September 25, 2017

THIS I KEEP ON DOING (a sinner’s sonnet)

May 1, 2017