February 24, 2023

Edgewood Edge-U-Cation (Part 4) Grace for All

To read or listen to the previous entries in this series: 


Grace, Grace, God's Grace

In the Old Testament, when the children of Israel were camped around Mount Sinai, their leader, Moses, was on the top of the mountain, receiving instructions from God, including, but not limited to, the Ten Commandments. While up there, Moses asked the Lord if he could see the Lord. Specifically, he said, "Please, show me your glory." (Exodus 33:18 ESV). 

February 14, 2023

All My Love

All My Love
A Poem for Valentine's Day

She had all of his love.
But what does this really say?
What is “all” and what is loved?
Could it be explained in any possible way? 

There are different reasons, to be sure,
Different aspects and term to define:
Verbs, nouns, and adjectives galore
To clarify and rectify with better words to refine.

I’ll give some points like a preacher do 
With relevance from first to last
Each of these will be nothing new
But together will their image cast

Of love and all of it made clear
About him and that love for her
And how she is the one so dear
To head and heart and hands for sure. 

Point one of all the love he has
Tells us that there exists no other
The only lady that he has cause
To love at all is his own mother.

No woman at all does tug his heart
Nor draw his eye nor steer his mind
So all means all with no small part
Left out, reserved, or left behind.

Not to say he loves not God
But love for her does only grow
When planted in gracious divine sod
Cause godly love does love bestow.

But that’s not all, when all we say
Not just from him but all from her
Her sadness, fears, fondness, play,
He loves those things of this I’m sure.

Strengths and weaknesses and pain
Good traits and bad he takes each one
The woman he loves forever plain
Has been from these together spun.

To review from the first point 
He loves her from his heart, his all. 
And then to give the second point
He loves all of her and of her, her all.

So he holds back nothing of himself. 
None reserved, none on the shelf.
And thoughts of her will none ignore,
He takes all of her, nothing less, nothing more. 

The third and final point is here
Cause “all” one more dimension covers. 
He sees within her eye a fear 
That over time a question hovers. 

Will this last until the end? 
And what about when that is over? 
Old earth and sea and sky God sends
Into abyss to never recover. 

And new world is made unlike the old
Beautiful in its perfection and completion
But those who live on New Earth, we’re told
Are the justified, sanctified, glorified population.

So the love he has for her I’m sure
Won’t dissipate under radiant glory
But will instead be cleansed, be pure
And will continue on: an everlasting story. 
 

February 11, 2023

sermon face

 


Not surprisingly, this is the same look that some people give me while I'm preaching.

January 17, 2023

Tunes for a Tuesday - Trust in You by Antoine Bradford

 


If perfect love cast out fear
Then why should I ever be afraid
When I know that you will always
Be right next to me

But still my vision's kinda blurry
And sometimes I can't see your hand
But even in the darkest night
You'll always be there, oh

'Cause when I trust in you (ooh)
I do the thing I that was made to do (ooh)
To live a life that fully rests in you (ooh)
And all your promises for me (ooh)

Oh, when I, when I trust in you (ooh)
When I trust in you (ooh)
When I trust in you (ooh)
When I trust in you

Jesus, I know you're the good shepherd (I know, I know, I know, I know)
That never, ever lost a sheep (never lost one)
So I lay down all my worries (lay 'em down)
Lay 'em down at your keep (lay 'em down)

'Cause when I trust in you (ooh)
I do the thing that I was made to do (ooh)
To live a life that fully rests in you (ooh)
And all your promises for me (ooh)

Oh, when I, when I trust in you (when I trust in you)
When I trust in you (when I trust in you)
When I trust in you (when I trust in you)
When I trust in you (when I trust in you)

I love you more.

 Dearest Charity,

I love you more.
I love you more than Diet Dew.
I love you more, I really do.
I love you more than TV shows.
I love you more, I hope you knows. 
I love you more than sugar cream pie. 
I love you more, you know that I...
do love you more than free days off. 
I love you more, please don't scoff
at the corny way I love you more. 
Cause I love you more and more and more.

I love you more than every dream. 
I wish, I hope that it does seem,
that I love you more than piles of gold
or chance to live in stories old. 

I love you more than anyone,
except the Lord whom I love most,
but in his love I hope I've shown,
that I love you more than any boast.

In poetry I tell you now, 
though always there, I don't know how
I haven't said it every day...
every minute, in every way: 
I love you more.
I love you more.

in love, 

Matt

Reading with Pastor Matt the Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 1 Part 1

Reading with Pastor Matt:  The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 1 Part 1 - the Video:  or the Podcast: