out for lunch

Beyond my Expression
It was like the clouds had fallen from the sky and frozen to the sea shore.
Cumulus, wispy, swirling, curling, white as snow and frozen to the core.
Walking, stomping, running, jumping, laughing on a cloud.
The clouds just frozen solid to the beach, still silent and loud.
So I look to the sky to where they [...]

This is a simple God-focused book of poetry. Each of the seven poems follow the theme of ‘a church for others’. They explore subjects such as outreach, listening to God and social justice.

‘a church for others’ is a powerful, warm and sometimes sad collection of poems which will draw you closer to God.

To buy the [...]

Words
Let the silence say what needs to be heard,
Instead of filling it up with words that say nothing at all.
Words spoil everything,
they spoil death,
they spoil life,
they spoil music,
and they spoil conversations.
Miscellaneous words kill both good and evil.
I wish the world would just shut up and let me think.
Shut up and let me feel the suffering [...]

Silent Ground
Don’t walk on silent ground,
least it hear your footsteps.
Don’t tread on sorrow plough,
least it knows you name.

The Poem
The understanding is in the reading,
For the poem’s voice can be heard in the mystery,
Carefully calling your name from beyond the script.
And if you read the written words searching for interpretation,
It is like looking at a sunset and only seeing a setting sun.
Death is an enemy when it finds you.
But death is a friend [...]

Like a deserted fencepost in a windswept field, there stood Nothing, ridged and cold yet alive.
Nothing in his loneliness, his solace, his helplessness, Nothing focused on the nothingness.
Nothing’s glance found emptiness, bareness, Nothing’s glance found nothing.
Nothing’s eyes pondered on the junction of north, south, east and west, they found nothing, nothing at all.
Yearning and exploring [...]

Many of you may be aware that we have just returned from the Vineyard Benelux conference. A couple of days before the conference I was asked to bring poetry related to the theme of ‘Church for Others’. It was expected that I would simply pull these poems out of my existing collection, but I had [...]

Questions
Where are you Jesus?
What language are you speaking?
And who is listening?
What language does the man in the convenience store experience you in?
Are you the smile on a random customer’s face?
Or are you the person who took his dad away?
What language does the single mum hear you in?
Are you the sparkle in her child’s eyes?
Or are [...]

Church Is
Us, them, we, you, me.
The titles ain’t helpful.
And what is this need – this compulsion?
Why do we always need to speak your message?
Church ain’t Sunday services,
Wednesday home groups and worship practice.
Church ain’t leadership meetings,
And programmed outreaches.
Church is our society, our community.
Church is our many daily interactions.
Church is our attitude at the service station.
It is [...]