Retreat Poem 2 (of 2)

Followers of a Party-Trick God (based on John 11)

This happened so the glory of God may be revealed.
Lazarus broken,
his family distraught.
A hope deferred to the future met that day.

This happened so the glory of God may be revealed.
How obscene is that?
Children backed over by cars,
lives wrecked by disease,
families broken,
townships swamped.
The towers of our predictable, scientific world come tumbling down.

This happened so the glory of God may be revealed.
Your church scandalously divided,
squabbling to own those who can only be Yours,
excising themselves from Your world.

This happened so the glory of God may be revealed.
A world mistaking knowledge for understanding,
reducing wonder to statistics,
humanity to commercial value,
and beauty to symmetry.

Lord, do wondrous things through us,
the church cries out each day.
Fill us with your power and your glory,
so that we may point to you.

Lord, do wondrous things through us.
Pour us out for the hurt and unloved.
Expose us in our fragile humanity.
Lead us to die for those who hate us.

No, Lord, can't you just let us be?
Allow us to devise wise techniques and programs,
granting deliverance safely through statistics and strategy.
Mine be the glory.

Your faithfulness will not let us go.
Your love draws us in,
there's nothing left for us.
So, let us walk to Jerusalem with you.

Lord, replace our pride with your compassion,
substitute our control with your love.
Shake, shatter and rebuild us in your image once more,
so that your glory may truly be known through us.