"An Advocate?" (1 John 1:8-2:2)
“An advocate?” You ask – I’d say
An advocate indeed – the way
He shows to us as “counselor”,
Lest we be stuck on “insular”.For body-life is how He lives;
He, as the head, direction gives
To body members – “Hey! Connect!
Don’t rest alone as God’s elect!”That’s what baptism meant for me –
I crossed that line to member be
Of body-life – alone no more,
Once walking through that watery door.I’d been baptized, confirmed, ordained,
Yet Baptist ways quite firm remained;
“It’s not without its graces, Stu”,
Said Elder rising from the Pue.Indeed it was not – what the heck,
Together-life’s not happened yet;
But that’s what this next part’s about –
Stepped back now forward – less in doubt.This stuff works better in a song,
Then folks in doubt can hum along
With “Priestly”, “Purifying”, stuff;
“Propitiating?” Stop! Enough!A Presby clergy in his day,
No head-nor-tail could make his way;
Gave up – “Assume He did somehow,
And live out implications now”.He called his group (or others did),
“The Quakers” – they just put the lid
On fussing ’bout theology,
And shone their light folks to see –Not “See some wonky way to think”,
But, “See their way back from the brink”;
For great’s rejoicing up in heaven,
With risen bread’s from scattered leaven.“Authority is given to me”,
Christ said, so let us let it be,
And get on with the word that speaks
Into our hearts as life we seek.Dear Lord, this is a puzzling part;
Perhaps it’s best expressed in art –
As members of “whole world” we rest
In Christ’s life-giving righteousness.Thanks Lord for this.
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