God = Not a Sadist

(x = space)

x

x

God = Not a Sadist

(read God equals not a sadist)

x

Pain is good

It teaches us

It tempers us

We come out wholer people

Better for it

Pain is the megaphone

Says Lewis

Pain is loud

Ginsberg might say

(might say)

Pain howls

x

But it doesn’t howl

Because it’s good:

Pain is bad

It hurts

Great pain hurts

Great

After great pain

The formal feeling comes

Does God allow pain?

Does God wish it?

I don’t know

Christ in the garden

Asked not to feel hurt

And he was

Severely

Bloody

Hurt

Until he died

We say he had to die

Well and good

For theology

And there was real joy

In his returning

Perhaps he felt it first

x

I don’t like to hurt

I hope you don’t

I’m in pain now

My neck, my lower back

My eyes from lack of sleep

I have heart disease

And it seems my heart and lungs

Work against me

When it hurts to breathe

Though they are not the source

They are victimized

By fluid

That should not be flowing,

Pressing there

x

Worse, my brother dies from cancer

And it hurts

The medicine might help

It also creates new trials

A passing between pain

And something like sedation

And somehow in the middle

Is what’s living

x

And you hurt

I don’t know how

And the world hurts

In every fracture

x

So where is God?

Where is the love of God?

Where is God is love?

God is there

Love’s there

If God allows

Much less or much more

Created pain

Then there is love as well

Also created

And I think

Preferred

x

But pain is hard

It’s not good

We say pain is gain

But it isn’t

Pain is a signal that

Something’s wrong

And we’ll find out

Everyone finds out

The world dissembles, but

Pain is true

Pain sometimes teaches

Usually after the fact

Or in someone else’s story

x

I think if pain

Could not be real

If we couldn’t have it

That would be

Better

We might say we’d

De-evolve without it

Maybe so

But then

The world would have to change

And would be changed

We don’t know how

We live with pain

We even bear it

When it won’t

Go away,

x

Which doesn’t mean

We should like it

That God should like it

Wish it

Before the fall,

We might well guess

There was no pain

x

Sorry

There’s pain now

I don’t wish for you

Your pain means

A great deal to me

I cannot make it

Magic

Go away

Or mine

We’re stuck

And while we’re stuck

Comes all the learning

All the tempering like

Metal fired

And then struck

At least we’re not the ashes

At least we’re here

For everything

Imagined,

More so

Realized

And that’s what we have to say

Pain is real

x

C L Couch

x

x

(a Sunday School discussion from James 1, an epistle in the Christian New Testament)

x

notes (references)

Mere Christianity

“Howl”

“After Grean Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes”

x

[photographer’s narration] When we visited Utö, the most outer island of this beautiful archipelago in the place we call Finland, I allowed myself to be guided by the incredible energy of Inca, the daughter of the family we were visiting there. She took me to a series of abandoned bunkers from the times this island was a military strategic point and there I found this graffiti that represent very well the feeling of all that has to do with military, war, conflict and drama. With love from Korpo.

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

x

dispersed

(x = space)

x

x

dispersed

(from the beginning of the book of James)

x

we were together, Mom and Dad

(physical or meaningful)

now we are spread far

we can always say

the Romans did this

but there is our own

polemics

stranding us

separated

in a world driven by

its own prince

that drove Jesus

in the wilderness

from one arid part to another

x

I’m sorry we are no longer

together

though we have letters

we are the legacy of David, still

we are a people

and, as always,

we are family

I hope you are well where you are

I hope that work and food

come easily

I fear, because I know

such things are never certain

we came away with what we had

some maybe had accounts

and interests along the Mediterranean,

generally

x

we live today

and in the Messianic time

and must take hope in that

God will return

God also waits for us

like the shepherd by the

clear stream,

both to beckon

x

and God is with us, now

with love

x

with love,

this note from your child

we all are children now

again

x

c l couch

x

x

James is a brief letter in the Christian New Testament; the pastor preached on James this morning at Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana (USA)

x

photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

x

Hebrews 12

(x = space)

x

x

Hebrews 12

x

it’s all right to run a race

it’s all right to win

it’s all right not to win,

which happens to most

in the experience

x

it’s all right to want a prize

running a race is hard

not to mention training

and practicing

your prize is in heaven

might not sound good enough

not satisfying

but it’s true

there is a prize for each of us

for all of us

by heaven

x

keep running

yes, with discipline

also with rest

and if possible

with joy,

Mister Liddell

x

C L Couch

x

x

(photo by) KarlGaff – own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113379539

x

on the altar

(x = space)

x

x

on the altar

x

lord

what shall we give

but everything

and what is everything?

if i offer myself upon an altar

then will you send an angel

to stay my hand?

if i offer up my part in relationships

will you have an angel

tell me

not so much

before i am alone?

if it’s my wardrobe or accounts

or the corporation or the army

(like saint francis)

or plans

x

earthly luxury

or earthly victory

will you send a hallelujah chorus

to tell me, no, not that much?

or will you tell me to keep

going:

my body to begin with

as a living sacrifice,

my mind turning only as you turn it,

the sadness of

living against the world

for the renewing of my mind

x

my body as a sacrifice

in worship

without sacrificing animals

or the worldly counterparts

but sacrificing me

the only thing to set apart,

holy for you

x

could you ask that much

or do you ask that much all the time

while i do not hear?

then i should listen with the

hearing that you gave me

x

c l couch

x

romans 12:1-2

x

x

photo by ricardo gomez angel on unsplash

x

believe when things are bad

(x = space)

x

x

believe when things are bad

x

it’s a naïve message,

I suppose

I thought about it during

Bible study,

which was

about assurance

x

an assurance

that things will go bad

even as

a season entered,

x

but God is there

and we should be as well

(we should

show up)

x

believing is a practice

a practice of

a presence,

Brother Lawrence

might say

in church,

the pastor showed

a picture of

Where’s Waldo?

and I thought

we were

supposed to wonder

where God is

in that;

x

but I understand that

God is there,

all over

x

and the question is,

Where are we?

x

good agnostication

sharp skepticism

I hope

that we have more

x

along with

our petitions in the

practice

of the season

x

c l couch

x

x

Psalm 121, a psalm of assurance

x

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

x

Rainy Water

Photo by sanjiv nayak on Unsplash x

x

The Topic Is Admonishment

(x = space)

x

x

The Topic Is Admonishment

(Sunday morning sermon and discussion)

x

Well, let’s see

God admonished Moses

And admonished worse the rest of

The Israelites

The donkey admonished Balaam

Elijah admonished Jezebel

Ananias and Sapphira were not given

Time to be admonished

But were killed for lack of generosity

And lying about it

x

Admonishment seems to be

A touchy theme

How are we to do it

Without getting killed?

x

Well, we are,

I guess,

To do it

Though I think it has to be

In an absolutely constructive

Fashion

In which we ask each other first

Who we are

And how we are

And why, in love, this is necessary

And then we go ahead

x

Knowing we might lose

The relationship

And lose in other ways

Stones on the path

That God does not remove

Before we strike them

And now

We must do something

Even though

But knowing

That the path continues

On the other side

x

C L Couch

x

This is my response and some (little) summation of the sermon and groups talking about admonishment at Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, Indiana, on 25 July 2021.

x

3 Colossians 16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

(New International Version)

x

1 Colossians 28
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

(Berean Study Bible)

x

x

Blurry Yellow Taxi Cab

Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash

New York, United States

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