"My Circumcised Heart"

 Let me tell you why I love Him...

MY CIRCUMCISED HEART

Deut 30:6; Rom 2:29

 

There was no mohel

no Bris Milah on my eighth day

and no visible drop of blood

from my cloven heart

during the years that followed

so, when and how it happened

cannot be pinpointed

Perhaps it occurred

when I read Moses’ face shone

after he was in the presence

of the Lord, on the mountain

or that David danced

uninhibitedly before the Ark

out of impassioned love for God

or perhaps when I heard Boaz

put his covering

over the gentile Ruth

and became her kinsman redeemer

Oh, it might have been

when I made aliyah[1] in ’86 or ‘87

or again in 2006

each time praying

at the Wall and the Tomb

or it may have happened

upon becoming utterly awestruck

at the Little Cupula of the Tablets

while considering Messiah’s return

or possibly it was the night we sang

every carol we knew

in the shepherd field of Bethlehem

It could even have been

when I drank water from

the ancient Jacob's Well

or the morning I experienced sunrise

over the Dead Sea

dreaming of the Great Day

when fish will thrive

and vegetation bloom, miraculously

in its healed waters

It may well have been

the sight and smell of the land

as I walked in the footsteps

of my Jewish Savior

or when my heart

caught fire while reading

the melodious Psalms

or Solomon's Song of Songs

or as I poured over the account

of Peter's prison praise

Actually it probably was when

I was born anew

and received blessed assurance

that I am eternally saved

by the precious Blood of the Lamb…

 

All I know is

some way, somehow

something happened

to spiritually circumcise

this gentile heart

making it echad[2]

with the Heart of the God

of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

and I haven’t for a single moment

been the same

since—

 

Maude Carolan Pych

---

[1] Aliyah means ascent in Hebrew.

[2] Echad means one in Hebrew.

Maude Carolan Pych

Here I am holding a copy of my book, "Behold the Lamb...poetically!" a compilation of poems I've written over a span of 30 years, about the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The book is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, etc.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

"Sunflowers in the Storm"

 

SUNFLOWERS IN THE STORM

 

My sunflowers lift their faces to the sky

Haloed in golden splendor

they imitate the great orb of light

that shines down upon them

and reflect back its glory

for all they’re worth

 

They stand stately and tall

Beautiful. Confident

swaying with grace

almost dancing in place

day after sunny day

 

and then a storm rolls in

 

Clouds emerge and darken

The rain lets go its fury

pelting them without mercy

The wind blows wildly

 

Pummeled to the ground

the sunflowers spring back

over and over again

They can take it

 

Watching, I wonder

that their slim stalks don’t snap

as they are knocked about

 

Next morning, the sky is blue

the sun shines brightly

and the recovered golden heads

smile at the orb again

 

 

and I know

sometimes I am a sunflower in the storm

sometimes I’m a sunflower in the sun

 

Maude Carolan Pych

More poems?

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

by Maude Carolan Pych

is available online

at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, etc.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

Don't You Love Sunflowers?

 

I'm happy in my sunflower garden.

 

SUNFLOWERS

 

God’s abundance wows me

from a sprawling field of sunflowers

which tower above

on thick woody stalks

 

They lift great ochre heads

framed in ragged haloes

of yellow gold

to shine sunrays upon me

like God’s own radiant face

amid a communion of saints

and I must smile back

 

Their leaves

are big green hearts

In their midst

my own heart

grows and greens

 

How God loves me!

He astonishes His child

with wondrous whimsies

 

Soon, when the season ends

they’ll just nod their weary heads

and shed their golden haloes

on the ground

 

and bequeath their gift of seed

to ravens of the air

which will feast festively

upon God’s abundance

unto them

 

Maude Carolan

Here are Maude's books of poetry:

"Wonderhoods" a memoir

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

For ordering information, go to:

www.maudecarolanpych.net

Sunflowers Are In Bloom!

 

Photo by Maude

FREE GIFTS

 

For weeks now

I’ve been driving by a house

on Totowa Road

that holds no distinction

except for a vibrant flower garden

in front and around the side

 

What catches my glance

and causes me to smile

are perhaps thirty or forty

gigantic golden sunflowers

shouting for attention

 

Today I printed

eight sunflower poems

folded them neatly

and placed them in an envelope

decorated with a scribbled sketch

of a solitary sunflower

and a note saying

I love them, too!

and left the envelope

by the front door

of the house I often pass

 

Sometimes I leave bereavement poems

on a table at a neighborhood mausoleum

or give copies of my chapbook

The Widow’s Song

to newly widowed friends

Sometimes I mail poems

about butterflies

to people who love them

and regularly post poems on my blog

about God’s love and His mercy

with the hope

of reaching those

who need encouragement

 

When the one who gifted me

with a garden full of sunbursts

opens the door today

I hope my simple poems

generate a smile

 

Maude Carolan Pych

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

by Maude Carolan Pych

is available online

at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, etc.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

Behold the Lamb with me...

 On this beautiful summer day I'm seated outdoors, squinting in the sunlight. Next to me is my lamb planter bursting with blooms. Not surprisingly, I've selected a Lamb poem to feature on my blog this week. I hope you enjoy it...

THE LAMB THREAD

Inspired by the April 2, 2021 message

delivered by Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

at Beth Israel Worship Center, Wayne, NJ.

 

Rabbi Jonathan delivers

his Good Friday message

with passion that is contagious

and just happens to be

about my favorite thread

in Scripture…the Lamb

 

He begins in Genesis 22

where lamb and love

are mentioned for the first time

It’s that mind-blowing chapter

when God put Abraham to the test

by telling him to sacrifice his only son

whom he loved, as a burnt offering

on Mount Moriah

 

so Abraham bound Isaac

and obediently raised

the glinting blade above the boy

but was stopped by the angel of the Lord

 

God provided

a substitute sacrifice that day

a ram—

 

Abraham named that place

Jehovah Jireh, God will provide

and in the fullness of time

God does provide a Lamb

on that very same mountain

 

I follow my rabbi’s thread

to Exodus 12, the Passover

as the Lord brought His people

out of bondage in Egypt

and saved them by the blood of the lamb

 

then listen as he speaks of sacrifices

in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers

and the cleansing blood sprinkled

upon the mercy seat by the high priest

every year, on the Day of Atonement

 

The mystery continues to unravel

in Isaiah 53 with the astonishing foretelling

of the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant

 

Who was…pierced through for our transgressions

Who was crushed for our iniquities…

 

Who…Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter

and like a sheep that is silent

before its shearers…He did not open His mouth

 

The thread weaves its way to Daniel 9

the mystery of the Seventy Weeks

and the coming of Messiah

Who would be cut off/Crucified

 

I follow along, eagerly

flipping through pages of the Gospels

and listen afresh as John the Baptist proclaims

 

Behold the Lamb of God

Who takes away the sin of the world

 

remembering, the place, in the land of Moriah

where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son

is the very same location

as the Place of the Skull, Golgotha

where the Lamb God provided

was Crucified and died

 

Enthusiasm rises in Rabbi’s voice

and in my heart as he nears the end

of the thread that runs so true

without any loose ends

all throughout the Scriptures

 

He sums up his message

in the Book of Revelation

as the voice of many angels proclaim

 

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

to receive power and riches and wisdom

and might and honor and glory and blessing

 

where resplendently jeweled

the New Jerusalem comes down out of Heaven

shining with the glory of God

 

where God Almighty and the Lamb

are its temple and the lamp is the Lamb

 

Hallelujah! Praise God Almighty—

 

God has provided His Glorious Lamb…for us!

 

Maude Carolan Pych

More poems?

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

Poems about the Birth, Death & Resurrection of Jesus

by Maude Carolan Pych

is available online

at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, etc.

www.maudecarolanpych.net

I Am

 

I AM WHO I AM

Exodus 3:14

 

God said—

I Am

 

He was utterly

straightforward

 

Exists—

 

Is

Am

 

The most important

question

            answered

in the audible voice

of the Almighty

Himself

 

even without

the asking

 

Tell them, He told Moses

 

I Am

sent you

 

That He Is

Was

and Ever Shall Be—

 

is

 

the greatest

            manifestation

                        of our peace

 

Maude Carolan Pych       

Books by Maude Carolan Pych:

"Wonderhoods"

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

www.maudecarolanpych.net

"Worshipful Contrasts, Ocean Grove"

The Cross on Ocean Grove Beach

WORSHIPFUL CONTRASTS, OCEAN GROVE

 

9 a.m. Sunday—

Contemporary worship. Boardwalk Pavilion, Ocean Grove

This is where we worship with snare drums and guitars

funky drama and spontaneous praise dance on the boards

facing sand and spray and rising sun

This is where we lift our hands and shout "Hallelujah!"

louder than the rousing rhythmic praise

of the waves crashing in our midst

This is where families come in tees and tank tops

cut-off denim, wrinkly cotton shorts

bare feet, sneakers, flip-flops

It's where we fan ourselves with song-sheets

chug from Poland Spring bottles

and flip through the pages of our Bibles

It's where we greet strangers, unabashedly

with "Praise the Lord!" and hugs and exit

faces shining with Moses-glow

 

10:30 a.m. Sunday—

Classic worship. Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove

I walk briskly from the Boardwalk Pavilion

(with my Moses-glow) to the old Methodist edifice

with its prominent Cross facing the Atlantic

This is where thousands gather

facing a purpose spelled out in lights:

Holiness to the Lord—So be ye holy

This is where worshipers arrive in crisp pressed cotton

and wrinkle-free polyester, strap sandals, pumps and pearls

where we rise and sing on key, hymns by Wesley and Crosby

where we utter printed responses by rote and in unison

Here, to the accompaniment of a historic pipe organ

we hear a traditional choir sing traditional hymns

and accomplished tenors and sopranos

and some of the greatest preachers on earth

do magnificently what they have been magnificently trained to do

This is where we pray quietly, reverently, solemnly

hands folded in our laps, as 100 silver-haired ushers

process prominently with collection baskets

wearing white slacks, dark jackets and red ties

with white carnations pinned to their lapels

This is where Gordon Turk, the organist

presents a resounding recessional

as we nod at one other warmly

and walk out edified into a balmy afternoon

 

Maude Carolan Pych

 

The Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove

Photo credit: foursquare.com

Books by Maude...

"Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

"Wonderhoods"

www.maudecarolanpych.net