The Green is approaching, advancing, converging, its tendrils are growing, its fingers enclosing, surrounding my frameThe Green is encroaching, impinging, infringing, its lusts never slaking, desires ever growing, Begon Devil Weed!My fate I’m addressing, accepting, submitting, to...

Sermon Poetry, 14 February 2010Sermon Title – “The Great Commission and the Church”Sermon Text – Matthew 28:16-20Preacher – Pastor Steve GarrickJesus Christ, Exalted King, has sent His Chosen BrideHe sends as One who rules and reigns, as One Who’s earned the rightBoth God and Man, the Lamb Who died,...

Sermon Poetry, 7 February 2010Sermon Title – “The Great Commission and the Purpose of God”Sermon Text – Romans 8:18-25Preacher – Pastor Steve GarrickFor all of time our God above has been eternal blestSufficient in HimselfWith happiness and joy supreme, full fellowship of ThreeHe made a world that f...

For eons long I’ve seen the stewards of the world live cruel, rebellious livesThe irony’s not lost on my as still I stand while all of they with good, divine responsibility have felt the weight of their rebellion claim the life that they were granted by their kind, Creator...

The gnarled ravages of time have worked their foul and terrifying magic, most insidiously thorough in their deconstructing workWhere once were Keeps and Bastions tall and fiercely bright now meekly stand defiant stones in dying rest, poor serfs of time, that cruel exacting lordI long...

Sermon Title – “Christian Unity and the Pastoral Ministry, #4”Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:12-16Preacher – Pastor Larry VincentPastors preach the Word of God to saved and fellow slavesWith Word and Prayer to minister so Christ in us is praisedThe Truth of God proclaimed and heard, the knowledge of our ...

Sermon Poetry, 24 January 2010Sermon Title – “Christian Unity and the Pastoral Ministry – #3”Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:12-16Preacher – Pastor Larry VincentThe Church of Jesus Christ is held and kept by Grace and LoveShe’s made alive through Jesus’ death and washed by Jesus’ bloodShe’s called t...

  Sermon Poetry, 17 January 2010Sermon Text – John 10:40-42Preacher – Pastor Tom LyonBy Grace God uses preaching ofHis Word proclaimed and heardThe Power of the Word of GodIs Grace of God our LordThe preaching of the Word of GodIs power strong and sweet‘Tis greater than amazing worksThe plac...

I feel a steady warmth alighting on my supple back Its peaceful tendrils coaxing me to life as deep I drink its offered salve, my fast I’m breaking with the dawning of the morn I turn around to live the day, my brothers ‘bout me focused as they face as one into the gift of sweet and ...

The Wayfarer by Padraic Pearse The beauty of the world hath made me sad, This beauty that will pass; Sometimes my heart hath shaken with great joy To see a leaping squirrel in a tree, Or a red lady-bird upon a stalk, Or little rabbits in a field at evening, Lit by a slanting More >

“Dá fhada an lá tagann an tráthnóna” -  “However long the day, the evening will come”A truly immutable fact of life is that time always marshals on.  The sun always rises and the sun always sets.  Plants grow, people age, life decays.  Time carries the seasons along on its steady back a...

I stand here perched by lough and sliabh A puny soul both ably blessed and slyly cursed I’ll never be as grand as all the stony mountains great nor peaceful as the lovely lake that sits below in noble calm tranquility But still I glory in my place, to view the beauty round about m...

Sermon Poetry, 10 January 2010Sermon Title – “Christian Unity and the Pastoral Ministry, #2”Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:7-16Preacher – Pastor Larry VincentLord give me great humilityAs now I learn Your Word to speakPreparing for the MinistryA slave of Jesus ChristThe task is great and humblingP...

In an era when the music industry is dictated by the fickle proclamations of the almighty dollar and when art and creativity are often jettisoned to satisfy the wishes of the nameless, faceless masses, there is much refreshment to be had for music and art lovers in bands like The Decemberists.  ...

Sermon Title – “Christian Unity and the Pastoral Ministry #1” Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:7-16 Preacher – Pastor Larry Vincent In Jesus Christ we have our Head Our slain and living King He bled and died, the Church to save Our feeble praise we bring As Head our Lord has gifted us By Grace More >...

    Weeeee!

Sermon Poetry, 20 December 2009Sermon Title – “Christ’s Incarnation and God’s Eternal Purpose”Sermon Text – Ephesians 3:11Preacher – Pastor Larry VincentThrough blood and through water our Savior was bornA baby both naked and cold‘Twas beautiful screaming the first sounds he madeFrom Mary he suckled...

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 1 The Pharisee, according to his own perception of righteousness, had every reason to expect that he was right before God.  He followed all of the rules, He kept away from all of the sins, and he was absolutely more righteous than sinners like the tax ...

Religiosity devoid of Christ-enlivened spirituality always and without fail leads to damnation.  This is a sobering lesson of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Jesus made no secret of His detestation of the teachings and theology of the Pharisees.  When He was not teaching do...

Sermon Poetry, 13 December 2009 Sermon Title – “Keeping the Unity of the Holy Spirit” Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:1-7 In Christ we’ve life that comes from GodAs men once blind we seeWe’re called to love our Sovereign KingThe One by whom we’re freeThe sin...

My members float in flaccid, relaxing placidityI skim my brother’s surface in patient calm existenceThe light in sudden, terrifying fury blows through the bows of they we feed to guard my melancholy frameThe pain is fierce, excruciating hell; my senses are aflame, my mind is growing n...

My memory runs long and deep… Past times when men were made as kings, who ruled upon my sweeping mound and then they died and passed me by… Past times when fires came ablaze in worship to the little gods of little men who bled and died and passed me by… Past times when fores...

My glass heart beats a chaotic rhythm of anxious excitement My mind’s aflutter with images of death and glory soon to be My brothers in arm stand to my right and to my left, as confidently frightened as am I The enemy opposed prepare themselves to battle on the crystal field t...

Sermon Title – “Thankfulness for the Great Power of God” Sermon Text – Revelation 11:15-19 Preacher – Jarrett Downs I’m saved by grace, through faith in Christ A sinner, now a saint A rebel once, in Christ a son All thanks to God, I’m saved Although I’m saved, this life gets dark More >...

With harsh and stern ferocity, the hot West Texas sun beats down upon my strong and ironed rim with mean consistent constancy The specters of the boys who played their pickup games are floating in my memories, their names I cannot see, their faces now a passing blur The sounds of bouncing...

The swirling mists rise slowly up from fields of ancient age sublime The water ‘round a constant flow across the rolling land, a gentle source of life and sound The mountains stand as stoic witnesses of life in all its fair and bittersweet expressions as the silence whispers m...

I sit here on my whitened plywood throne, surveying the passing throngs I’ve lived on this world four score and seven, minus years four score and zero My beard is fake, my hat has left, my blackened coat has turned itself to white I move along, the people cheer a small and sitting boy

Sermon Poetry , November 15, 2009Sermon Title – “God and Adam in the Garden”Sermon Text – Genesis 2:15-17 Preacher – Dr. Jim Renihan In all of Creation was beauty to seeMore lovely than can be designedThe Garden of Eden was perfectly madeBoth lovely and wildly refinedThe crowning achieve...

Sermon Poetry, 8 November 2009Sermon Text – John 18:1-13Preacher – Pastor Mike TardiveKind Jesus, Your people are suffering lifeWith sadness and sickness and poverty strongThey’re crying with voices of weakness and sorrowWith quavering lips they are singing their songYou’ve given us cups with a drin...

Sermon Poetry, 1 November 2009Sermon Text – 2 Cor. 2:14-16A fragrance of Jesus, a sweet smelling lifeLord, give me the mercy to beA vessel to witness of Jesus’ great loveThis mercy be showered on meI’m planting the Gospel, I’m watering dirtBut haven’t the power to growThe growing is given through Je...

Sermon Poetry, 1 November 2009 Sermon Text – Genesis 13 Preacher – Pastor Matthew Brennan Lord give me wisdom to live for You So that Your name is praised Your glory loud proclaimed Please give me strength to plant the seeds Of Jesus’ Gospel sweet So men Your mercy see So sinners...

Ecclesiastes 7:1-13   This is a passage written by a man who is tired.  This is a man who is tired of life.  This is a man who is tired of sin.  This is a man who is tired of the wickedness and the injustice of the world.  This is a man who has tried to be More >

  I am not a righteous man.  tells me this.  I don’t truly fear the LORD, nor do I greatly delight in His commandments.  In fact, I seem to sin more than do good.  I am prideful in my sin against God.  Although I want to do good, I often don’t.  I’m rarely ever gracious More >...

Leviticus 14:1-32   At first glance, this passage in Leviticus 14 is simply a set of ceremonial rules to make a formerly leprous man ceremonially clean once again.  This passage is not giving rules for making a leprous man clean or verifying the leprous man had been cleansed (that was ...

I can’t feel my veins My skin is ripped and tattered The green is slowly rushing from my cold and dying frame Goodbye, ye harsh and feral world …

I ride my roller-coaster train from orb to orb across the vast expanse of cold, inviting space as I am hurtled forth to soon engage a painting bright and full of warming light and colors e’er intense and many hued to be received by matching eyes in many heads creating art or being used to More &...

In damp and ragged sheets my quaking lungs do thoroughly exhale My skin is covered in raging torrents of terse and icy frigidity With photographic precision my life runs long before me, engulfing my seeing sense and overwhelming my thinking eyes A bright reality tears asunder the encroaching...

  It moved from “I like” to “I love” to “I do” and “I will, for all time, ’till the end when we die” In sickness and health is our promise to love one another as husband and wife Now Lovers, once friends; now friends, ever...

Sermon Poetry, 11 October 2009Sermon Title: “Resurrected and Reconciled to Worship”Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:19-22Preacher: Pastor Larry VincentI once was dead, I’m now a saintIn Christ I’m made aliveNo growth exists where death is kingIn Christ does life now thriveIn Christ, the Jew and Pagan liveHi...

  The crisp and cold air whips my crystalline frame all around and atop all the proud mountain peaks standing high, sitting tall I soar like a bird or a cloud on the wings of the wind as I dance and I sing making art in the sky My heart sings with glee as I look More >

Sermon Poetry, 4 October 2009 Sermon Title – “A Review of the Advantages and Difficulties of the Christian Life from Ephesians” Sermon Text – Ephesians 4:17-32 Preacher – Pastor Larry Vincent Good God, I’m a sinner I love myself more than my neighbors around My love is for me more than the F...

As I’ve been blogging this past year I’ve been writing two different (and fairly unique) types of posts. First, I love Irish culture and as I’ve been trying to teach myself Gaeilge, I keep running across “Irish Proverbs” on different sites.  These are just pithy ...

Preacher – Dr. Tom Ascol The Father is seeking and saving and loving To save all His children He loves He sent Christ tas Savior to bleed and to suffer So sinners like us might be saved He loves us with fervor, ’tis shown on the Cross christ died so that sinners might live He...

Sermon Poetry – “Lord, Help Me” Sermon Title – “Preaching Christ to the Natural Man” Preacher – Dr. Tom Ascol We live in a time where there’s gods all about We’re proud of our pluralist ways The people don’t know of the God of the Word Ignoring the Ancient of Days Lord help me when walkin...

Sermon Poetry – “Complete what You’ve Begun” Sermon Title – “Preaching Christ to the Christian” Preacher – Pastor Fred Malone Although I’m saved I need the message of my Gospel King The Revelation Fair and Sweet that Christ has died for me I need to hear of Law and Sin and how I’ve been...

Sermon Poetry – “Lord Keep Me from Deficiency” Preacher – Pastor Tom Ascol Lord keep me from deficiency Help me to preach theology To tell of you, my Father Sweet My kind and sovereign King Lord keep me from deficiency From apastoral mockery In loving all your children sweet And she...

Sermon Poetry – “We’re Preaching the Scriptures” Preacher – Fred Malone The preaching of God is stupidity to all the world and the people therein A message proclaimed to a people in need, to a people all rotting in sin It’s Grace of our God that He’s given to us all a message by whic...

Sermon Poetry – “Salvation’s Found Alone in Christ” Preacher – Dr. Tom Ascol Come look what God has done in Christ He sent His Son to live and die He died for us, so you and I, Can praise His Holy Name Salvation’s found alone in Christ The Bleeding S...

Sermon Poetry – “Give Me Eyes to See My Christ” Oh that I was a man on the road to Emmaus Hearing my Savior explaining the Word How my heart would be burning, my ears would be tingling Such beautiful grace of our glorious Lord Lord, help me see Christ in the...

Sermon Title – “Christian Liberty #4: Christ Our Only Lord” Sermon Text – Romans 14:1-9 Preacher – Pastor Steve Garrick Jesus is Lord, the Savior who came Who stooped, who bled and who died He rules as our King, His praises we sing The perfect and pure sacrifice Our worship we offer unto Hi...