Near

One day you're going

to walk into a fast food restaurant

or pull up to the drive-thru

order-speaker and,

instead of asking you

if you want to upgrade

or super-size your order,

they're going to ask you

if you want to downgrade

or minimize your order.

And when they do,

it's going to cause you

to pause and realize

that this is a choice

for more than a particular meal.

 It's about your whole life.

At that very moment,

to quote a radical

first century rabbi,

the realm of God

will be near; very near you.

Pray that, when this happens,

you'll have the courage

and wisdom to be still

in the presence

of that sacred moment

long enough to begin

to be transformed by it.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins

Tenable

Our lives tell a story.

There is a gospel that

the living of our days proclaims.

What is the story

to which your existence

and purpose point?

Pray that, when your

last breath is drawn,

the narrative remembered

is one that hopes the world

into a better place;

that your words, actions,

and even your presence,

in some small and tangible way,

birthed love, revealed grace,

and added an imperfect row

to the warp and woof

of the universe's tapestry

of mercy and forgiveness.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins

2prayers4today

Photo by Lee Lindsey McKinney

Invocation

O God, we are better at re-voking than in-voking, but here we are to do it anyway. At first blush, it seems presumptuous, if not ignorant, to think that we have either the power or the need to somehow conjure your presence with our words. We can't. But what we can do is to consciously make room in our hearts and minds, and slow down long enough to recognize your already-here-ness. Let us, then, in a brief absence of words and an attention to breath, find and rest in your presence. Amen.

Illumination

Let there be fire! Let there be light and warmth, O Lord, and let it dance its precarious flicker in front of us for the rest of worship, so that we may be reminded of the fragility of life; so that we may see and feel the light and warmth of your love; so that we may live and breathe that fire and warmth every day; through Jesus Christ. The light of the world. Amen.

Come and See

“Come and see.”

says the spider to the fly.

“Reach out and touch my web,

and you will surely die.”

“Come and see.”

says the serpent to Ms Eve.

“The fruit that makes you God,

will also make you leave.”

“Come and see.”

says El to Abram’s clan.

“I don’t even have a map,

just a daily travel plan.”

“Come and see.”

says I-AM to shepherd Mose.

“My fire has made the dirt

sacred to your very toes.”

“Come and see.”

says Yahweh to Pharaoh.

“The sea will wash away

the remnants of ego.”

“Come and see.”

says Dave to Philistia’s giant.

“I’ll rock your soul to sleep

and make your troops compliant.”

“Come and see.”

says Jesus to John’s guys.

“The kingdom has arrived.

See with your own eyes.”

“Come and see.”

says the woman at the well.

“The source of Living Water

did my life’s story tell.”

“Come and see.”

the gospel calls us now.

“Dare to let completely go.

The story will show you how.”

“Come and see.”

the Spirit whispers low.

“I’ll set your soul on fire,

and then God’s wind will blow.”

“Come and see.”

is all we have to say;

a three word invitation

to show others the way.

“Come and see

the way our lives have changed.

Our plans and expectations

are by God now rearranged.”

“Come and see.

It’s the only way to grow

into the very beings

who’re both known by God and know.”

© 2007 Todd Jenkins

Hallelujah

In the solemnity of our settledness

we carefully intone pitch-perfect alleluias

precisely by way of the measure

for which they were written.

And we are quieted

at a comfortable,

if somewhat-surface level.

Then comes the unleashing

of chaotic circumstances

beyond our ability to preconceive.

And we hang on for the ride,

not sure where the next breath

will come from, much less

the next step or note.

Somehow, some way,

eventually someday,

we come up for air and realize

that life will go on.

In this sunrise, the music

that rises from deep within

is more powerful,

even if less measured.

It becomes a wild

and glorious hallelujah,

pitched and timed only

by hope's unfettered unleashing;

we’re singing in the key of grace.

Photo by Becky Johnson

 © 2015 Todd Jenkins

Blessing

There really is no such thing

as personal blessing.

Each instance of divine gifting

is scripted within a story

of ever-expanding community;

and all attempts at circling

the wagons in order to increase

individual status and portfolio

 will inevitably diminish the narrative.

 

Photo by DeEtta Harris Jenkins

© 2015 Todd Jenkins

Aha Journey

It wasn't an "aha moment" for the Magi;

maybe even a stretch to call it aha at all.

 They had been studying and

preparing their whole lives.

After all, gold, frankincense, and myrrh

are not exactly ATM withdrawals

for a last minute road trip.

Herod and his cadre of scholars

had a chance to experience it

as an aha but their reaction

indicates it was more of an "Oh no!".

At how many points along the journey

did one or more of them want to quit?

How close did the gifts come

to succumbing to Pawn Stars,

financing this trip without defined end?

Would that we might commit

our whole selves to a journey

toward a divine revelation

of such eureka proportions!

Let us, this Day of Epiphany,

begin again, whether

for the first time or ninetieth,

our own collective aha journey,

and may it not so much

feel like aha as "Yes, yes!"

Photo by Todd Jenkins

© 2015 Todd Jenkins

Available Early 2015

Almost all of the ingredients 
for book next: Tuesday's Muse 2 
(more fuel for the fire 
and passion of your life) 
have been gathered and rinsed. 

The chopping, stirring, 
and mixing will soon commence. 
The pan is ready and the oven 
will soon be preheated. 

After that, the aroma will soon 
waft from the kitchen. 
Get your fingers ready 
for the "Order" button 
and stay tuned. 

While you're waiting, 
put some big "Like" 
on the Tuesday's Muse 
Facebook page.