First, I wish to share with you the poem I most recently wrote.  Way back in "the old days," :) the comedian, Bill Cosby, shared a stand-up routine entitled "Why Is Their Air?"  His final conclusion, after pursuing many humors 'rabbit trails,' was that God made air to pump up basketballs, football, soccer balls, etc.  I woke up at 2:00 a.m. the other morning with the question, "Why Is There Air?" running through my mind.  (I can't explain the way my mind works, and at my age, I given up trying to make excuses for it!" :0)  Anyway, I thought that this would be a great exercise to give to my Bible students as a creative writing exercise.  Air - we are surrounded by it, "filled" with it - so vital and necessary for life, but something we don't often think about.  I will share some of their endeavors in future posts.  Below is my poem, simply entitled "Why Is There Air?"  I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to subscribe to this blog spot and share it with you friends.  God Bless!

WHY IS THERE AIR?

Why is there air?

~that we might feel the Father’s gentle kiss when a soft breeze caresses our cheek.   

We feel His breath as He kisses us goodnight, and we know that 

He will breathe into us His peace as we sleep and dream.

Why is there air?

~ that we might feel the embrace of Jesus when a warm puff of air spring air wraps itself around us, and we know that we are secure with His loving arms holding us as we walk the Way of Life together.

Why is there air?

~ that we might know the praises of creation as she lifts her arms high tossing miniature orbs of liquid life that coalesce and cuddle into cottony white clouds that show us what bunnies and kittens  were created to really look like. 

When she weeps, wind and water cascade and sweep to cleanse and refresh with fragrance reborn.

Why is there air?

~ that we might know the power of the Spirit with His divine eye of peace at the center of the gale while His arms turn and sweep with the sound of the freight train and the flash of brilliance that reminds us of the power of righteous anger and the passion of controlled fury for Kingdom’s sake.

Why is there air?

~ that we might be reminded of the mandate to master our emotions when we see those arms of the Spirit reach out and snap limbs, uproot trees and crumble the vaunted edifices of man – 

yes, a reminder that passion out of control breeds destruction, pain, wounds that cannot be healed, even unto death.

Why is there air?

~that we might see the playfulness of Papa as He floats His winged children on the magic carpet ride of unseen hands and lifts them high aloft to swirl and dance with such unparalleled  beauty.

Breathe in deeply, dear Brother, dear Sister, the wonder of power, of life and love, 

of  His Spirit Breath, more than air and wind, 

His own Essence! 

Robert E. Preston – September 9, 2012

Thinking about evangelism and poetry . . . .

Does this sound like an odd combination?  Allow me to share the flow of my thoughts.  I have been dealing with two separate issues lately both of which have really been tugging at my heart.  The first issue is how to more effectively share the gospel with others.  Evangelism is the “state of being” wherein we function as “evangels” (from the Greek evangelion) – those who spread the gospel.  The gospel literally means “the Good News” (understood to be the good news of Jesus, the Messiah (or, the Christ – the “Anointed One”) and how He redeemed us with His own blood, shed on the Cross, and innocent, sinless “Lamb of God” who served as our substitute, who pared the penalty of death for our sins.  You know the story, don’t you?

The problem is how do you begin to share this Good News (the Best News ever, really!) with someone (a) who does not have a “Sunday School” or Church background and who is not familiar with our unique “church language,” (born again, washed in the blood, atoning sacrifice, etc.),or (b) who does not recognize the Bible as the Word of God, one who does not recognize the Scriptures as authoritative, or (c) is hostile to Christianity, either due to negative indoctrination against the faith or due to some negative personal experience(s) earlier in life.  Some people simply do not feel a need for God in their life.  They may have grown up in comfort and prosperity and never known true physical want.  They may currently be very successful financially and have all of the physical comforts and security they need.  Other people have strong intellectual and/or philosophical objections to , or questions about the validity of, the Christian faith.  Where to begin?  Paul gives us a key here, and I want to explore his approaches with you.  There are two, in particular, that I would like to examine in some depth in “part 1” of subsequent sequential postings.

At the same time, in our devotional life in my Bible classes at Liberty Christian School, I am challenging my students to “thin outside of the box” by exploring the answers to questions utilizing poetry, metaphor, symbols, art, et al.  I would like to share some of the questions we are (and will be) thinking about and invite you to join in the journey.  I will be sharing these with you as “part 2” of these same postings.  I pray that you will become engaged in these exercises and be blessed in the process.