Before The Code And Northern Mail

Before the code to Baptist ilk,
And northern mail with culture’s tilt,
You spoke, O Lord, amidst the fray,
Revealed the my job which starts today –

The job correcting Wayne’s mistake
(Or mine – whichever) – I’m to make
Correction on the five balloons,
Precision bring, which less assumes.

For he was right – more right than I
Who had no clue – asked with a sigh,
“What is this we are dealing with –
I sense cannot be quick dismissed?”

But filtered was his answer keen,
By his mistake – where he had been –
As if God used photography
To take the cash to folks like me –

Empowering with His magic touch
With power, resource, availing much;
’Tis true, but on diagonal,
For body-life He uses still.

And then I saw it – clarity
At last – the part reserved for me:
’Tis interceding prayer indeed
In which I’m now to take the lead.

“Availeth much,” in fact that’s true,
For prayer does that for me and you –
“Do this and that for me”, You say,
“And I will show the folks My way.

“My way of life – prosperity
With righteousness, that you might be
Availed of life which is sublime,
As folks begin to walk the line”.

It struck me, Lord, a part’s left out,
Concerning me without a doubt,
For God inside religion’s fine
But that’s where lies the role that’s mine:

For God pours power and resource
Into the culture, then of course
Our media proclaim, display,
His saving act to us this way –

But there is more – it’s not like that
(Or just) – a shift of flow in fact
Is how God acts – empowering us,
Enriching us now freed from lust –

For all that passes ’fore our eyes,
Like kids a-sparkle, glitter’s ties
Of hearts to things – quite covetous –
Insatiable – and bondage thus.

The “Word” – that is my ministry,
Has always been a role for me;
Photography has been a way
For me to speak with punch today.

It’s White Bear where it got shut down,
Where media for all around
Empowered those outside the pale,
Alternative to keep and jail.

I split the engine from the car –
Alas that did not take me far;
I tried to shut things down – but “No”
You said, “press on, someday you’ll know”

And so I did – as Redvers can
Attest – as well as Manor – plan
For ministry come Works-of-Power
Released those folks in Swat Team’s hour.

First time – I saw it yesterday,
Where CASIL now comes into play,
And Mamascatch – the whole shebang –
Brought to the fore where no birds sang.

For Lord indeed I see in part
Your task for me, as things now start
To need a truck to bear the load
Of what’s ahead on Victor’s road.

The key is in corrected view
Re-cast – the part through me you do –
Diagonal plugged in today
That You can pour resource our way.

Empowering, yes, but cash and kind
Are more the parts You have in mind;
Form follows function – that’s the part
I had not seen until this start –

It’s not the part I do for man,
But what You do, if do You can
Through us, if we could only hear
Your words to us as we draw near.

I hear, “Fire up your company
That it will soon become for thee
What it was meant to be – a tool
Augmenting Word with pictures cool.

“But you need structure now, my son,
To do the work you’ve now begun
Not just with text, with cash and power
From God to folks through you this hour.

Thanks Lord for this.

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