By faith

Haiku responding to

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Faith: the assurance

of things hoped for, conviction

of the things not seen.

By faith God's purpose

is made real; the unseen things

are made visible.

Abraham had faith;

when God called, he headed off

towards the unknown.

Trusting God's promise,

Abraham pressed on towards

God's builded city.

In the promised land,

living in tents, they trusted

God's promise would hold.

By faith, the ageing

pair conceived. A son was born,

succession secured.

Numbered as the stars

and seaside sand, Abraham

and Sarah's offspring.

These all died before

the promises were fulfilled;

watched from a distance.

They did not look back,

but faithfully reached towards

God's promised future.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Things are different, now.

 

Haiku responding to Colossians 3: 1-11

You've been raised with Christ;

seek the things that are above

with Christ, and with God.

Eschew earthly things.

Seek that which comes from above;

live your risen life.

End earthly desires;

sexual immorality,

evil passions, greed.

Rid yourself of wrath,

malice, anger, slander, and

language of abuse.

Always speak the truth.

You've been renewed, so reflect

the image of God.

No more Greek and Jew,

circumcised and not; slave, free;

Christ is all, in all.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Raised with Christ

Haiku responding to Colossians 2:6-15

You have received Christ

hear his words as you travel

through your life with him.

Do not be deceived

by those whose earthly wisdom

makes them ignore God.

In Christ God's fullness

dwells. Through Christ we enter in

to fullness of life

The circumcision

that counts comes from Spirit; true

sign of belonging.

Baptised and buried,,

you were also raised with Christ,

trusting God's power.

You were dead in sin,

God raised you to life once more

when he forgave you.

God casts aside Law's

harsh requirements, dismissing

her fierce proponents.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Before all else, Christ.

Responding to Colossians 1:15-28

Haiku

Christ is the image

of the invisible God;

all things came through him.

Thrones and dominions,

rulers, powers; they're nothing,

he comes before all.

He's the beginning,

head of the body, the Church,

firstborn from the dead.

In him God's fullness

was pleased to dwell,

ending estrangement.

Those who were estranged

are now reconciled through Christ,

and find peace with God

Our own sufferings

don't count; We participate

in Christ's afflictions.

We share the myst'ry

of Christ's presence, that we may

find ourselves in Him.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Letters to encourage

Haiku responding to Colossians 1:1-14

Paul, the apostle

writes letters to encourage,

building up the saints.

Grace to you, and peace

from God the Father. We can

almost feel the smile.

Celebrating faith,

affirming the people's love,

along with their hope.

You received the word

of truth, the gospel of life;

it is bearing fruit.

The gospel bore fruit

among you, from the first day

you heard of its grace.

We heard of your love

and keep praying for you, that

you will know wisdom.

May you be made strong,

filled with power, enduring

with patience and joy.

The darkness power

is dismissed, we're living in

the kingdom of Christ.

The inheritance

of the saints is light. It's yours;

live in light's kingdom.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Let's not grow weary

Responding to Galations 6:1-16

Haiku for doing good

Seek restoration

of one who has fallen short;

be gentle with them.

Shoulder the burdens

of your sisters and brothers;

so fulfil love's law.

Assess your own work

honestly; comparisons

only lead to pride.

Sow to the Spirit

and that is where you shall reap,

life that's eternal.

Let's not grow weary

in standing for what is right.

We must not give up.

When chance comes your way

do good for all; specially

the fam'ly of faith.

Boast in Jesus' cross,

not in earthly signs; turn from

the grasp of the world

Take no notice of

physical signs; what matters

is new life in Christ.

If you get this right

you will be blessed with God's peace;

you'll be a blessing.

© Ken Rookes 2025

For freedom

 

Reflecting on Galations 5:1, 13-25

Haiku of life

That we might be free;

so Christ has set us free. Stand

firm; don't let it go.

Freedom's not doing

what you want; it is about

loving and serving.

All law is summed up

in the one commandment: love

neighbour as yourself.

The things you desire

are of flesh, not the Spirit.

The Spirit gives life.

All the bad stuff; strife,

envy, quarrels, drunkenness,

don't lead you to God.

Live in the Spirit;

you'll bear fruits of love, joy, peace,

patience and kindness.

Generosity,

faithfulness, self-control, these

go beyond mere law.

You belong to Christ.

The flesh must not hold you, let

the Spirit guide you.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Small voice

Responding to 1 Kings 19

Haiku of hope

He's in deep trouble,

Elijah. Happens when you

stand against evil.

Jezebel the queen

sends word: Sort out your affairs;

tomorrow you die.

Elijah shoots through,

fleeing for his life. Frightened?

What do you reckon?

He left his servant

at Beer Sheba and headed

off into the bush.

After a day's march

he cried: Let me die, O Lord,

I have had enough!

He got up, ate, drank,

and travelled forty more days;

reaching mount Horeb.

In a cave God spoke:

Why have you come, Elijah?

They seek my life, Lord.

They turned from you, God,

they have pulled down your altars,

and killed your prophets.

Go to the entrance

of the cave. Watch; you will see,

your Lord passing by.

A great wind split rocks,

an earthquake shook the mountain,

and then came a fire.

Sheer silence followed.

In the silence God is found,

not in flash display.

Return Elijah;

it will be all right. Know this;

you are not alone.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Wisdom calls

Responding to Proverbs Ch. 8

Haiku of the wise

Sofia cries out

in the streets, where all can hear!

Will anyone hear?

From the beginning,

the first of God's creation;

Wisdom came to be.

Before the oceans,

the mountains, the world, the stars,

or all else: Wisdom.

Present with the Lord

as he laid the foundations

and set boundaries

Wisdom, born ahead

of the hills, the fields, the clouds,

the dust of the earth.

First in the Lord's mind,

God's partner in creation;

taking great delight!

Wisdom, rejoicing

in God's presence and taking

delight in mankind.

Wisdom, God's great gift,

calling out to humankind:

will anyone hear?

© Ken Rookes 2025

They named it Babel

Responding to Genesis ch.11

Haiku for a scattering.

A primeval yarn

to explain how languages

divide humankind.

Once we were all one,

one people, language and speech;

so the story goes.

Humankind agreed,

let us build a tower, high

to reach the heavens.

With mortar and clay

bricks fired like stone, the people

began to construct.

How clever we are!

Our name shall surely be great

throughout the whole earth!

God comes down to see

what's going on. Takes one look,

expresses alarm.

Behold how clever

these people are, now nothing

will be beyond them!

Confounding their speech

becomes the means by which God

institutes limits.

Scattered across earth

with languages that divide;

that's where it went wrong!

They named it Babel.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Stripped, beaten, thrown in jail

Responding to Acts 16: 16-34

Haiku of freedom

The fortune-telling

slave girl made heaps of money

for those who owned her.

The slave girl followed

Paul and Co. These men, she cried,

tell God's salvation.

Annoyed, Paul ordered

the spirit to leave the girl.

It left her at once.

The slave-girl's owners,

were not happy at the loss

of their enterprise.

Paul, Silas, were seized,

dragged before the magistrate;

They disrupt our life!

Attacked by the crowd,

stripped, beaten, thrown into jail;

poor Paul and Silas!

Praying and singing

as the earthquake struck; the doors

opened, chains fell off.

The jailer panicked.

Paul cried out: Don't harm yourself,

we are all still here!

Sirs, what must I do

to be saved! Trust in Jesus,

you and your household.

The guard took them home,

made them welcome, dressed their wounds

and offered them food.

The gathered household

hears the word of love and grace

and all are baptised.

© Ken Rookes 2025