"He Is Close"
Our Core Sundays were again a beautiful and formative time. Thank you to everyone who participated. I was particularly moved this year by Kenny's painting and Brad's poetry. I asked Brad if I could post his poem, so here it is.
He is Close - Brad Everett
After death there is always something else with our God
Closer than the air that fills our chest, He is not a far God
He is close
He is close
And he chose to give you his words- His laws
That have the power to resurrect
If only you would be strong and courageous
He ain’t through with you yet.
If only we would let His blood save us
We would find that broken jars are meant to be fixed
And that broken hearts will always beat
Because our God gives us something our bodies should never reject
His words-His laws
Which are the carriers of His grace and His Love
And he was
The neighbor who did not pass us
But we are-the criminals and victims of sins condition
That needed his care lest we die while from his presence-sin’s prison.
But after death, there is always somethin’ else with our God
Closer than the air that fills our chest, He is not a far God.
He is close
He is close
And he chose to give us his Laws-
His words that have the power to resurrect
These are promises always kept-never lost
But come to Him- We could not
And yet-He stops-for us…this is God!
And who has sold all their possessions for a pearl in the field
Who has left greatness for a wayward bride
And be willing to die so that He might find her adorned in garments that heal
These are white robes that appeal the condemnation and condition of sin
This is Jesus, he is the seed and sower-He is the word that seeps within
Spread upon our hearts so that we might grow more-in Him
In his likeness
So that the slightness of our view of His love would be an inverted blindness
An ever growing bias for love sent to us from the highest
Fight for it! Fight for it!
Fight for the Lion
Who has swallowed up evil and searched history to find one - Ewe
And are we not immortal
Warriors who carry words that are lethal beyond our imagination
Soldiers who lay down our weapons because death cannot defeat our mission
Nor our faith in
The King of kings whose power knows no end
And are we not FOREVER because we said yes to Him.
And are we not STRONG!
And are we not COURAGEOUS!
When we wave bloodstained flags because we chose not to hold on
To our lives but instead gave them
To the one True God who created-men
And now chooses to remake those who maimed Him
Those who crucified and tried to contain him.
But after death, there is always something else, With Jesus
Closer than the air that fills our chest
He is the only one who will not leave us
He is close
He has always been close
And he chose to be us
And his words
Heal
Transform
Cleanse
Adorne
His words
Protect
Perform
Miracles that make the weak strong
They Dance
And Create
They Are truth
And they save
His words
Wash
And admonish
They are power
And they astonish
His words embrace
And remind us
That he will always find us
They awaken
And give life
And they claim us
As His right
Our God’s words illuminates our being
With His light forever seen
And we are the redeemed ones
And our God’s love is freedom
And are we not God’s Children-heirs with the risen Son that never sets…
If only we would be strong and courageous
He is not done with us Yet