Poetry

Junk Drawers for Jesus

If all God did was clean
then leave us
like a sanitary room
if all we became as followers
was clutter-less
and germ-free too…

If all we became was
silent
obedient
never questioning?
static statues
what good would that do?

Like the junk drawers we all have
full of we don’t know what to do
disorganized and hidden
from view
mystery boxes
we have been bought with a great price
to be renewed.

Do we dare believe
in redemption?
Can God through even us
bring light to the world?
So different
yet so the same
struggling against our sinful will.

As new creatures
redeemed and repurposed
God sorts through all we have and are
when all we felt was lost.
As this miracle transforms us
each the same and yet unique
our rough edges and hidden aspects
are made new by the King.

© Joel Tipple
#16/14

You are Not Enough

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you are not enough
you are not all you need
designed by God, we are meant to be
dependent upon Him
part of community

on belay, with God as our anchor
to arrest our fall
we invite our peril
when we separate
independent of all

we are conquered
when divided
we may withdraw on a whim
but Jesus calls us back and back
home to be with Him

© Joel Tipple
#15/14

No Prisoners

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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 ESV

Love, as God’s gift to us,
is not merely decoration,
and not in league with money,
cares nothing for our station.

Love whispers confidently.
It has no need to be loud.
It radiates confidence
without the bluster of the proud.

When it enters a room
it becomes the natural center.
It is attractive without insisting,
force not being its nature.

Love is always active,
dispersing darkness with its light.
It’s the warmth of a healing fire
when we’re surrounded by the night.

Love mostly eludes definition
giving without being owned.
The food of all good growing,
the harvest of all good grown.

But love defined itself best
as the Son of God on Calvary’s tree,
when instead of taking prisoners
love set the captives free.

© Joel Tipple
#13/14

Net Worth?

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What part does social media play in your life?
Hey there, look at me!
In this world likes are the coin of the realm,
but is that any way to be?

What’s real? Do you have to remind yourself?
What’s real to you? Actual relationships, or your 2,053 “friends?”
What’s real? Is life really about your digital platform?
Don’t lose track of what’s genuine and what’s pretend.
What’s real?

Are your words on the net a means or an end?
Do you consider what it means to be a friend?
Are you content with superficial content?
It’s all worth considering before you hit send.

© Joel Tipple
#12/14

Person in the Pew

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Dear person in the pew in front of me,
I’ve got a problem with my vision,
not because you’re six-foot-three.
It’s not anything about you, person in the pew,
it’s what’s inside of me. Don’t move.

I need to be
centered in God,
right in line.
Fed by love that’s grown on the vine.
Feeding other believers as they feed me
and seeing what God sees.
I’ve got to move.

I can’t sit around and wait until I’m more spiritual,
or whatever it is that I think I’m not.
Newton’s first law of motion’s
conflict with my emotions
has to stop.
It’s gotta stop.

Centered in God,
right in line.
Fed by love that’s grown on the vine.
Feeding other believers as they feed me
and starting to see what God sees.
I have to move.

That habit of independence,
that lie I believed,
that a lone ranger Christian
is just as or more free
restricted my use in the body of Christ
and hobbled what God could do with me.
Then I moved.

Centered in God,
right in line.
Fed by love that’s grown on the vine.
Feeding other believers as they feed me
and starting to see what God sees.
On the move.

Meeting face to face in a small group
and not treating church like entertainment I subscribe to.
Instead of holding up point scores for sermons every Sunday,
I’m now a functioning part of the body.
Hey brother in the front pew,
turn around.
I’m glad to know you.

© Joel Tipple
#11/14

Expression

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Let me return the breath You gave me,
drawn in and then expressed,
with words of exhortation
and encouragement in my address.
Help me to not presume my knowledge
is superior or complete,
but rather seek understanding
of Your Word which is my meat.

© Joel Tipple
#10/14

The Body

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God, do you need me?
I’ve been wondering lately.
I’ve read I have a part to play,
but it just isn’t clear to me.

Trust in me, child. The body needs you.
If you listen and obey, I’ll show you how I choose.
The vision won’t seem clear, not certain from the start,
but a plant of faith has taken root in the soil of your heart.

But what about my limitations?
God, you don’t even know!
If I don’t have faith in me, how can you tell me it’s so?
That I can be of some use in the body of Christ?
Are you sure I’m not just a broken device?

Pick up your bible, child.
Read of great women and men.
They often failed at the beginning, but achieved great ends.
Then look closely at the other folks who were used in support.
Without them the endings would be quite different sorts.

Stepping out now, I choose to move and serve.
If I just take without giving, it’s his body I hurt.
God already chose me, the plan in place from the start.
It’s not all clear to me yet, but I can see the better part.

© Joel Tipple
#9/14

God is not my Hobby

You said:
“It’s nice you go to church.”
You said, “I guess some folks need that. Good for You!”
But, you said it’s just not what you’re into.
and on Sundays you have other things to do.

But…
God is not my hobby.
He didn’t save me to be
just another warm church body
with sanctimonious knees.
God is not my hobby, please.
I didn’t give myself to him
for a sky box in heaven front row seat.
Just sit here a moment with me,
and we’ll talk about the real Jesus scene.
Cause God is not… he’s surely not
my hobby.

You said:
“Religious people are hypocrites. I know some of the people who go to your church.
They aren’t who you think they are.”

But…
God is not my hobby.
You need to check it out with me.
God loves my whole church body.
Though we don’t always behave perfectly.
Real people with real problems,
the need for forgiveness, and a new life,
they’re our friends and neighbors
and to grow we all strive.
No, God is not… he’s certainly not
my hobby.

Then you said,
“I have a really hard time believing this is going to last.
People try to lose weight. They try to give up bad habits.
They fail! How can I put my trust in a god who lets that happen?”

Well, the thing is:
God is not my hobby,
and the word promises me
he won’t leave or forsake me,
though he knows everything.
He loves me as I am
but loves me too much to leave me that way.
God is not… I’m so happy he’s not
just a hobby.

© Joel Tipple
#8/14

There You Go

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(For a friend)

Remember, when I was a child
and you were on your way out the door,
and I said please, can I go too?
Well, now feels like before.

There you go, out the door and to the Lord.
Praise God, it’s heaven’s gain,
but though I’m so full of joy for you,
It’s joy accompanied by pain.

But thank God for blessed memories…
in albums and frames on the mantle.
Those times you celebrated with me.
The times you handled what I couldn’t handle.

I grew older and it was my turn
to open and walk out the door.
You were braver the dad than I was the child,
but behind your eyes there was more.

The grief, now that you’re gone,
is married with joy and pride
for your legacy and the expectancy
I’ll see Jesus at your side.
We’ll look back at the front door together,
this time left open wide.

© Joel Tipple
#7/14