The Man at The Well

God in his compassion
lowered himself
to the heights
of humanity
and became one of us

Fully God
yet fully us
God with us
Immanuel

The winds of change
storming in the north
led a prophet
a lonely prophet
to utter an edict

A sign will come
a sign from God
a sign that will be God
a sign

A royal bairn will be birthed
from the belly of a virgin
the sign will have a name
that name will be Immanuel

And God came to us
God in his Glory
Jesus the son
humanity in her infancy

He came into the world
the world did not recognise him
he came for his own
yet his own did not recognise him

He was a tender shoot
in dry ground
like a reed
waiting to be broken
justice being
led to victory
God with us

An age passing
an epoch folding
as heaven
intersected earth
in the form of an infant

From the throne of his cradle
with the government
upon his shoulders
our prince of peace
changed everything

He ushered the coming kingdom
the not yet
into the now
the curtain ripped
the laws of old
fell
fell from the heights of old
and landed squarely
in the temple
the temple of our hearts

He made us holy
bore our suffering
separating our sin
like the sunrise from the sunset
and crowned us with
love and mercy

His pierced skin
delivered glorious healing
from an unjust punishment
that set us free
brought us peace
and bought us salvation
salvation
from an everlasting father
and mighty God

He trawled the depths of humanity
set captives free
and rose from his suffering
returned from the hearth of hell
to the hearth of intercession
the abode of angels
and the cathedra of his father

But the altar is smashed
in the now
between what was
and what will be
he is God with us
our wonderful counsellor

Fully human
fully understanding our humanness
honoured with a broken body
in our brokenness
yet complete
to bring our completeness
he is God with us

We are not abandoned
to our coming graves
with his proclamation
on his thighs
the lord of lords
on his cloud of glory
will ride the skies
and finally
every knee will bow
and every tongue
will worship
our king
of kings

The one who was and who is
the infant in the manger
the boy in the temple
the man at the well
and the glorious
prince hanging on a wretched cross

Jesus the Christ
God With Us
Immanuel

A Hit For An Airline Ticket

‘A Hit For An Airline Ticket’ was first released in ‘Ačiū‘, then in ‘Ta!‘. ‘A Hit For An Airline Ticket’ has also been posted at ‘JournEzine

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A Hit For An Airline Ticket

part 1

My name is Shane, I’m a drug dealer and I want to go home for Christmas. Just one more hit to a desperate junkie and I’ll have my airfare and then this year I will get home for Christmas.

Deal is done, hit man’s paid, I have money in my pocket. It’s November and another hit and I’ll buy my ticket home. Another hit for an airline ticket.

My body’s shaking my veins are aching. My mind is only thinking in black. Money in my pocket, one more hit for an airline ticket.

The pain is gone the deal is done I popped my airline ticket. The grass is orange, life is good, I am God and speed is my servant. I need another hit for my airline ticket.

December is here, the snow is falling, I need to sell another hit so I can hitch-hike home for Christmas. Just one more hit for hitch-hiking food.

Deal is done, hit man’s paid, I have money in my pocket. The highway’s blocked with snow. I need to sell a big hit for an airline ticket.

My body’s sweating, my veins are screaming my mind’s gone. I have money in my pocket, I need to sell a big hit for an airline ticket.

Freedom at last no more screaming, I popped my airline ticket. There are jelly beans falling from the sky and the street lights are dancing with me. I need another hit for an airline ticket.

Christmas day is here, I have coins in my pocket. What a great Christmas this will be. A burger with my friends at Denny’s then we will go to the beach and pop our airline tickets.

A Hit For An Airline Ticket

part 2

My name is Shane, I’m a drug dealer and I want to go home for Christmas. Just one more hit to a desperate junkie and I will have my airfare and then this year I will get home for Christmas.

Deal is done, hit man’s paid, I have money in my pocket. It’s November and another hit and I’ll buy my ticket home. Another hit for an airline ticket.

My body’s shaking, my veins aching, my mind is only thinking black. Money in my pocket, one more hit for an airline ticket.

My body’s sweating, my veins are screaming my body screams, bricks are bouncing through my head. Oh God help me, I cannot take any more hours of this. Another hit for an airline ticket.

My sheets are soaked, I stink of wine the air is suffocating. But my stomach is hungry and my head is clear. I need another hit for an airline ticket.

Deal is done, hit man’s paid, another junkie’s high. And high I will be too soon. Cause though I’m scared I sold a hit for an airline ticket.

My body’s shaking, I feel sick to the bone, I can’t meet these people again. I need to pop my airline ticket and spend Christmas at Denny’s again. Pop a hit or an airline ticket?

Oh is this worth it my body’s shaking I’m getting high. The hostess brings me a meal I’m too scared to eat ’cause I sold a hit for this airline ticket.

A Hit For An Airline Ticket

part 3

My name is Shane and I’m a drug dealer and I wanted to get home for Christmas. Sold some hits to some desperate junkies. Now I’m almost home and this is Christmas day.

My body’s freezing cold, I have lost my mind. The snow’s piled high. I’m three doors away from home, two doors, this is my home. I sold a hit for an airline ticket.

Should I go in or should I get high? It’s too late now. The door is open. Kid sister Munno is risking the ice running at me screaming, “Shane” cause I sold a hit for an airline ticket.

This is my family and Christmas. My family’s holding me. Munno’s still screaming. Oh this house seems to hold peace. I blurt out, “I sold a hit for an airline ticket”.

They don’t seem to hear me, Mum and even Dad are crying. Munno’s still screaming. Oh God I’m going to cry. I blurt out again, “I sold a hit for an airline ticket”.

They don’t hear me, Munno grabs my hand and drags me to the tree. There’s a gift under it for me. How many years had they been putting my gift under the tree waiting for me to sell a hit for an airline ticket?

With my new Montreal Canadiens jersey on seated amongst the smiles at the supper table. My Dad with a tear in his eye said to me, “Welcome home my prodigal son”. I said but I sold a hit for an airline ticket.

With peace in my heart I listened as Dad gave thanks. And watched him cut the turkey. Dad looked me in the eye and said words I’ll never forget, “Son we have been praying for you. We give thanks that God allowed you to sell a hit for an airline ticket”.

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Thank you so much for reading ‘out for lunch’. If you would like to contribute, please do. Thanks Kel.