Good Friday 2014, Remembered

A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

 

BLOOD SKY—

Good Friday 2014, Packanack Lake, New Jersey

“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Joel 2:30-31 NASB

 

The alarm went off at 3:00 a.m., Tuesday

We went outdoors to gaze at the sky

hoping to get a glimpse

of the first blood moon of the tetrad—

Passover, 2014

 

It was there, but we couldn’t see it

Dense clouds obscured our view

 

Blood moon or not, this week is crimson—

I’ve been thinking about blood in the Nile

blood on the lintels

death of the firstborn sons

 

I bought blood oranges in Fairway, yesterday

Had one for breakfast. It was sweet

 

Today is Good Friday—

I am meditating upon the atonement

the Cross, the death of my Savior

 

Now it’s evening—

I’m on my way to the Good Friday service

at the Jerusalem Center in Wayne

As I drive down Osborne Terrace

approaching Packanack Lake

the sky is incredible—amazing—red as blood

fiery red, red like I’ve never seen it before

 

As the setting sun shines on the still water

the lake mirrors the brilliant crimson firmament

and I can’t help thinking of old Moses

as he dipped his staff into the Nile river

 

At the Jerusalem Center, the dancers

fittingly extol the Lamb Who was slain, and

Jonathan speaks of the sun setting and rising—

endings and beginnings

 

and I feel God may be telling me something, or

am I so deeply aware of Him this holy week

that I see Him everywhere

and in every blessed thing

 

Maude Carolan Pych

Blood Moon + Cross

Note: The photos shown here of the blood sky and the blood moon were used from Google Images and were not taken at Packanack Lake, Good Friday, 2014.

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

By Maude Carolan Pych

is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

"He Refused"

 A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

Image credit: awesomebestpictures.com

HE REFUSED

 

They mocked

and drove spikes

and struck and spat and stripped

through His hands and feet.

One offered wine and myrrh

to take the pointed edge

off the Excruciation.

 

The Savior

peered down

through kind, hot eyes,

pursed His parched lips

and shook His bleeding head.

 

He chose...chose!

to bear the fullness

of the sin

that nailed Him

to those crude

crossed beams;

 

chose to drink

the brimming chalice dry,

 

chose to pay the full price,

without bargain or barter,

without wholesaling

or discounting

or quibbling

or niggling it

of its terrible,

priceless

Value.

 

Maude Carolan

Have you read my book?

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

by Maude Carolan Pych

is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

A-Poem-a-Day

 Until Resurrection Day...

Image credit: crosswalk.com

ACCEPTANCE

 

I accept this bitter cup

filled to the brim

with the wine

of sorrow

I'll take

and drink

it dry

 

For I have tasted

the sweet wine

of the red

grapes

of joy

the wine

of gladness

the wine

of blessing

 

I accept this cross—

 

I will lug its weight

upon my

bony shoulder

and trudge

the pathway

of travail

When

I misstep

and stumble

I'll call for help

 

My cross

is so, so small

compared to Yours

My bitter cup

sweet honey

All I need

to make it

Jesus

is Your hand

and Your deep

unfathomable

Love…

 

Maude Carolan

Maude Carolan Pych

author of "Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

at Barnes & Noble, Woodland Park, NJ

Maude's book is available online

at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

"What Was God Doing?"

A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

Image credit: facebook.com

WHAT WAS GOD DOING?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when the Great Climax was unfolding

and His only begotten Son was sweating hemorrhages of blood

in fervent prayer before Him, that night in the garden?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when His Son was pleading

for the removal of that great Grail of suffering,

yet in submission acquiesced to His Father’s higher will?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

during the sentencing and scourging, spitting and mocking,

as His Perfect Pascal Lamb carried the crossbeam to Calvary,

falling and falling and falling again?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when they stripped His Beloved,

held His hand to the beam and lifted the hammer

and pounded the spike through sinless flesh?

Did He hold His ears?  Did He turn away?

Did His tears pour down as the blood ran down?

Did He pound His fist?  Scream?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when His Son cried, “Why...hast Thou...forsaken Me?”

Victory was so close.  Did He almost change His mind?

 

What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when it finally was finished?

Was His heavy heart throbbing

as He darkened the sky and quaked the dry earth,

opened old graves, and breathed life into dead?

Was it with grief or great jubilation

that He tore asunder the curtain to the Holy of Holies?

 

What oh what was God thinking

at that Climax of climaxes

with Satan and sin squashed under His heel,

and after the Ascension,

at Their glorious reunion,

did Father and Son

dance the Hora in Highest Heaven?

 

Maude Carolan

Maude Carolan Pych

The above poem is one of 95 poems included in my book, "Behold the Lamb...poetically!" The poems were written over 30 years and are about the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble or go to www.maudecarolanpych.net.

Truth

A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

Image credit: christianobserver.net

WHAT IS TRUTH?

John 18:38

 

I first learned

the importance of truth

at my mother’s knee

My children

learned it at mine

 

Life has taught me

truth is truth, even

if no one believes it

if no one wants to believe it

if every man is a liar

 

What’s true is true, even

if millions are spent

to disprove it

if it’s argued against

lobbied against

debated against

railed against

voted against

legislated against

 

Truth Is

 

absolute—

 

even if it’s watered down

to make it acceptable

skirted around

to soften its appeal                        

lubed with oil

so it goes down

nice and easy

sugar coated

to make it palatable

 

even if it looks

soooo, soooo good

 

Truth is Truth

whether it’s popular

or unpopular

 

…even

in the face

of persecution

 

Pilate asked,

What is truth?

 

The Psalmist wrote,

The sum of God’s word

is truth

 

Jesus said,

I Am the Truth

 

He also said,

Everyone on the side

of truth

listens to Me

 

I believe the supreme

Truth is a Man

and His unchanging Word

 

…even though           

He be crucified

 

Jesus—

Salvation Truth

Resurrection Truth                                                                                           

Living Truth

 

Truth—

I can stand up for

 

Maude Carolan Pych

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

 

He is Not Here...For He is Risen

 A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

Photo credit: constancedenninger.blogspot.com

HE IS NOT HERE

Israel Pilgrimage--2006

 

Some believe

the Body of Messiah was placed

in the highly venerated

tomb located in the Church

of the Holy Sepulcher

 

Some believe

He was buried

in a pastoral place

known as the Garden Tomb

 

The important thing is—

He died. He rose.

He’ll come again.

 

The important thing is

as a placard proclaims

at the entrance

to the Garden Tomb:

 

He is not here—

For He is risen 

 

and the important thing is

our sins are atoned—

 

We live because He lives

 

so there’s nothing

left to say, except

 

Hallelujah!

 

Praise be to Jesus, Our Risen Savior!

 

Maude Carolan Pych

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

by Maude Carolan Pych

is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

"Behold the Man"

 A-Poem-a-Day

Until Resurrection Day...

Image credit: stdeniscmf.org

BEHOLD THE MAN

Good Friday, 2009

 

There’s an archway in Jerusalem, engraved with the words, “Ecce Homo,” which represents the place where Pontius Pilate paraded Jesus, bloody and bedraggled, before the hostile crowd, and exclaimed, “Behold the Man!”

 

I. Behold Him:

 

The King of all kings, downcast

among those He came to save

wearing a robe, stained crimson

crowned with twisted thorns

clenching a brittle reed—

His royal scepter

in His royal right hand

 

as Blood trickles

down His brow

spittle drips

down His chin

His eyes

are puffed and dazed

His strength, gone

 

He stands

amid those He loves

mocked, scourged, silent

silent as a docile lamb

He is the Docile Lamb

 

The multitude

cry out in unison

 

Crucify Him!

 

Soldiers lead Him

stumbling and falling

to the crucifixion site

the ominous Place of the Skull—

 

They pound sharp nails

through cringing flesh

and post the charge

above His thorn-crowned head

further mocking Him

with Truth—

 

This is Jesus

the King of the Jews

 

II. Behold Him

 

In the fullness of time

This Once Mocked King will return

crowned with beauty and majesty

to reign—

 

hallowed with Hallelujahs

and Hosannas

 

Multitudes will gaze

with wondrous awe

upon the Risen One

the One they pierced, returned

 

A multitude of knees

will kneel upon the ground

as countless tongues proclaim

with resounding adoration:

 

Jesus is Lord!                                                     

 

and this once ridiculed, bedraggled

crucified Savior King

will be hailed in Heaven and on Earth

by men and angels                                                   

as Our King of all kings forever—

and ever and ever

 

with Alleluias earnest

 

…at last!

 

Maude Carolan Pych

Here I am, reading from my book,

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

It's available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.maudecarolanpych.net