Oops

prey or pray?

maaark — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:33:56 +0000

“People are to be prayed upon, not preyed upon”

“We tend to use people and love things. But the rightful design is that we should use things, and love people”

Beauty and tragedy

maaark — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:23:19 +0000

I live in Sugarhouse, an older township community just south east of central Salt Lake City. When my mother was young, living near Liberty Park, Sugarhouse was the end of the city. The Utah State Prison was then where Sugarhouse Park is now. I grew up in the suburbs even further south but we seemed to end up in Sugarhouse for recreation.

My first memories of Sugarhouse are from one of those great youthful summers with friends riding our bikes to the Fairmont swimming pool, which is now a skate park and I still enjoy swimming laps at the new Fairmont Aquatic Center. I remember at age 15 playing in a rock band at a picnic pavilion for some kind of party. Our band was such a typical garage band that we must have played “Loui Loui” 10 times! Then we gravitated to the new Sugarhouse Park east of 1300 E. It turned into a 60’s drug shopping mall which all came to an end with a large police raid in 1971. Mostly though we would just take off our shirts and play Frisbee or go skinny dipping at night in the pond. But there are also strange negative memories lurking beyond these wonderful youthful memories.

At age 16 Craig was driving and we ran the stoplight at 2100 S. 1100E. Getting pulled over the police confiscated our beer and let us go with a warning. A couple years later Craig was arrested over a stack of traffic tickets and hung himself in jail. Oddly, more recently I heard a news story about a man who was killed when broadsided by some kids running the exact same light. Or what about the lady who was found murdered in the public restrooms of Fairmont Park where I am now sitting writing this? Why this horrible contrast between beauty and tragedy?

2 prayers

maaark — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:23:40 +0000

Lord I thank you that so for today I haven’t lost my temper at anyone, offended anyone, haven’t lusted or taken advantage of anyone, haven’t been jealous or resentful; but soon I will have to get out of bed and face the day, then I really really need your help!!!

It is from a Franciscan Benediction…

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Serenity prayer- uncut

maaark — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 03:44:50 +0000

SERENITY

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

Taking as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it;

Trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

and supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Amen

Reinhold Niebuhr 1892-1971

O my dog!

maaark — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:20:08 +0000

Kind of a poem, sort of;

I tried to put my dog in a box, a cute little box,

But he would not go in, just wagged his tail, wanted to play.

I tried to put my dog in a bigger box,

Do ya know what that dog said?

Now way I won’t stay.

Tried to put my dog in a big box, as big as my house,

but he ran away, would not stay.

One day I tried to get my dog into a huge box, big as my church.

He just turned away.

I tried to put my dog into the world’s biggest box, big as the sky!

I cried and said, “Why, won’t you please stay in my box?”

He just laughed at me and said,

“You silly boy, you can’t build a box big enough for me!

And I just will not stay, no way!”

Then my dog said to me,

“Welcome to my house, There’s plenty of room for you here!

Won’t you please come in?” So I did.

Mark a 2001

poem; Word smith

maaark — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 03:14:37 +0000

Word smith

Words wiggle free

Cannot be confined

imprisoned these

words that escape

floating freely

above intellectual

libraries of doom

words wiggle free

when held tightly

to confine floating

freely above all

human entrapment

singing they float

above, ascending

in circles to heights

where humans cannot

It is finished!

maaark — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:22:39 +0000

Thoughts on the last words of Jesus.

The last words of Jesus dying upon the cross; “‘It is finished’ And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). I have never really finished anything in my life. At work I am always leaving things in a state of continual progress. Jesus had said earlier in his life that he was about his father’s work and that he had work to do from his father. The work completed is the work of our salvation, the atonement for all mankind. At this point I must put confidence in the ability of Jesus to complete that which I can never complete. Then my life becomes one of faith and confidence in the overcoming victory won by God in Christ. This is stated most profoundly in my favorite verse Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly”.

Worship, a metaphor

maaark — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:55:39 +0000

A sunflower in the field was gazing upon the sun. I walked up to the sunflower in the field and said in my most authoritative voice, “What are you doing just standing here gazing at the sun all day long? Can’t you get a job, or go to school? Can’t you prove yourself? What good are you?” Funny thing, the sunflower just ignored me, and kept on gazing at the sun.

As sunflowers are meant to gaze at the sun so we as people are created to have relationship with the creator. There are many voices that seem to carry a lot of authority that tell us that this is not important, but we can learn from the sunflower and maintain a steady focus on what is real. There are accusations against us that seem to carry a lot of authority but the one authority that really matters is the creator of the universe. We find acceptance with this creator through our savior Jesus. Speaking in another metaphor Jesus says, “I am the vine you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus guarantees that if we abide in him, or “gaze upon the Son”, we will bear much fruit. The fruitfulness comes out of the relationship. As a man there were many noble things that Jesus could have done with his life but look what he chose, love.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple”.

Psalm 27:4

Poem-Trust

maaark — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:44:14 +0000

Aint gonna trust

no more

Hide my fear

deep inside

Trust

no more.

Aint gonna show

my hand.

Hide

my hand,

Play my cards,

Faces down,

show no one.

Aint gonna trust

no more,

Hide my fear,

Deep inside,

Trust

no more

No more,

Silly soft heart

Dark world,

shark world

Aint gonna trust

no more,

Hide my fear

deep inside

Trust

no more.

Light of life

lift me up

Help me trust

Don’t need

this pain.

surviving church

maaark — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:45:20 +0000

We can think of church as something that should bring us close to God. But how often do we experience a conflict and church seems to create an obstacle to God? Many of us even grow resentful towards church and flee from it. Young people may depart from the church and faith of their parents. These are typical of a growing faith where God may be calling us to look to Him beyond church.

For me to survive church I need a fiercely independent spirit that is more dependent upon God than people. I realize this is a paradox, that I am created with a need for people and community. To grow healthy my needs should be aligned under God’s authority.

To survive church I need to have healthy boundaries. I cannot let other people’s expectations become my rule of conduct.

To survive church I need a generous spirit towards others as they also struggle with these issues.

To survive church I need to keep focused on my Lord.

Eclipse

My mother’s religion hurts.

You’re greater than my mother.

I see you in her shadow.

She should be in your’s.

Tried to set my shadow free,

tripped up over my feet.

Guess I’m destined to misery,

as far as I can see.

A shadow hangin’ over me,

wets my spirit down.

See you through another’s eyes,

distorts the purest light.

For more on issues of dependency in relationships see the poem “Glow”