Coffee Church!

The Story Behind the Castro District Riot in San Fransico last week

stewards of death

 flying over the roofs of hospitals 

slipping silently through keyholes and airvents

they take their place in the corners of rooms

Gallant everlasting giants

beside hospice nurses

and EMTs

they silently wait beside smoldering cars 

twisted metal

and in the clinics where life only ends

emaciated hands point to them as final breaths are drawn

(smiling for no logical reason other than relief)

battle-weary souls see them in glimpses

fleeting thrushes of divinity

they are millions in number each stronger than the hissing hoard of the abyss.

strong, silent,

a requiem of mysterious joy

and the vale wears thin 

toward battles end

it is the victory dance of redemption

they are far safer than we who travel on twilights path.

Betrayal

One should rather die than be betrayed. It is considered the willful slaughter of hope. James dietz

Now this is classic baptist!

I got a free workshop...

on the plane from Ed Lamance.  Darlene's youth minister growing up.  He really stretched my brain about spiritual warfare. Such a mysterious blessing that we met and were able to spend 3 hours from Nashville to Birmingham to Dallas. I feel like he really gave me some hope, encouragement and ideas for dealing with very difficult issues we all face in life. It couldn't have come at a better time. I could write more about it but it would fall short of what happened in our conversation and his teaching. He drew diagrams on the vomit bag. (a metaphor in itself:-) One take away was the warfare that a Pastor sees and how important it is to pray and call it our when the pastor is confronted with it. I feel compelled now to pray differently and with much more passion for the people in my church and for me personally as I try to do the hard work of leadership.

Now in Odessa