The new

Haiku responding to Hebrews 12:18-29

It is diff'rent now,

not like in the past, with God

clothed in fire and smoke.

Trembling and awe,

encountering God with fear;

that's how it once was.

You who are in Christ

meet the living God with joy

and great festival.

We come to Jesus,

who forged the new covenant

between us and God.

Do not refuse him

when he speaks words of freedom,

accept his life-gift.

God speaks: creation

trembles. Earthly things will pass;

those from God remain.

God's promised kingdom

cannot be shaken. It's ours;

God's gift. Be thankful.

Showing gratitude,

we bring our worship to God,

along with our lives.

© Ken Rookes 2025

You ain't seen nothing!

Reflecting on Isaiah 43

Haiku of anticipation

The Lord reminds them

of the great and mighty deeds

leading to freedom.

The path through the sea,

the army, the chariots

stranded in the mud.

You ain't seen nothing,

says God; I'm doing something

new. Watch out for it!

In the wilderness

I'm making a way, rivers

flow in the desert.

Wild creatures will sing

my praises; the ostriches

and jackals will drink!

My chosen people

will drink, the people I formed

will declare my praise

© Ken Rookes 2025

A new covenant

Haiku of recommencement

Broken covenants;

a sad record of failure

and good intentions.

Not much success here:

promises of blessing, but

failed obligations.

Trust and faithfulness,

obedience to the law,

are what God expects

Just as a husband

cares for his wife, so the Lord

cares for God’s people.

A new covenant

is needed, the other ones

haven’t worked at all.

A new covenant

with Israel and Judah;

this time it will work!

I will put my law

within them; they’ll know, ‘twill be

written in their hearts.

They’ll be my people,

all of them, they will know me.

They won’t need teaching.

I will be their God,

forgiving iniquity,

forgetting their sin.

© Ken Rookes 2024

God's chosen servant

Haiku for a new age

God’s chosen servant,

he on whom God’s spirit rests,

will bring forth justice.

He will quietly

go about God’s work, helping

the weak and broken.

He will persevere,

he will establish justice;

as purposed by God

God who gives us life

calls us, leads us, blesses us

to be light for all.

Called to open eyes,

to set the prisoners free,

from darkness to light.

Former things are gone.

The time is coming for God

to do something new!

Do something new, God!

Stir your people to rise up,

to work for justice!

© Ken Rookes 2023 

New Creation Hope

Haiku for an ideal world

New creation hope;

a new heaven, a new earth.

We could do with that.

The old earth has failed;

its people weren’t up to it.

Not enough justice.

Renew your people,

God. We can do with having

our lives upended.

In Jerusalem

God rejoices, takes delight

in all God’s people.

All weeping will end

the cries of distress will pass

when God makes us new.

Death is in retreat

as longevity commands

the lives of us all.

Those who plant vineyards

will enjoy the fruit; labour

will not be in vain.

Peace and harmony,

abundant blessings will rest

upon God’s people.

The wolf and the lamb

feed together; imaging

God’s new reign of peace.

The day is coming

when power meets its limits

and justice prevails.

© Ken Rookes 2022

The ones who love me

 

The ones who love me

Haiku for the faithful

The ones who love me,

they are those who hear my words,

who do what I say.

By your love you show

that you are mine, by keeping

my command to love.

Those who keep my word

are loved by God. We will come,

make our home with them.

Those who do not love,

who fail to keep my commands,

don’t belong to God.

I am with you still.

Soon I’ll be gone; the Spirit

will come in my name.

The Spirit speaks truth,

continues my work of peace.

Peace I leave with you.

I must go away,

to the Father; I return

to you as Spirit.

You love me: rejoice!

The new thing God is doing

is coming to pass!

© Ken Rookes 2022

Nothing else; only love.

 

Haiku of the essence

The new commandment:

as ancient as time itself,

as new as the dawn.

In love, self-giving,

in sacrifice and in death

God’s glory is found.

My children, shortly

I will be gone. You will search,

but you won’t find me.

Where I am going

you are not able to come.

I give you one rule.

Love one another,

in the same way that I love

you, you are to love.

One thing, nothing else;

by your love you will be known

as my disciples.

Being ruled by love

will be proof that you are mine.

Nothing else, just love.

© Ken Rookes 2022

All things made new?

"But how we delude ourselves! I've been around the Church a long time, and let me remind you of something: in the Church we generally do not like new things! Why, it's the new things that are so often the battlegrounds for church political life!

It'd be fine if the Church stuck with replacing only those things which we want replaced. There's always something we want made new. We want new acolyte robes or new paint in the parish hall. We want the preacher to preach about something new. Sometimes we just want a new priest entirely. But a new sanctuary? Of course not! A new way of praying? No way. Sing to the Lord a new song? No, no, the old ones suit us just fine. The old towers suit us just fine, too.

"All things made new" is one of the most unsettling and downright controversial themes in the Christian Church. Most of us, I daresay every single one of us, whether we are liberal or conservative, whether we are rural or urban, whether we are large church or small church, everyone single one of us have some special image of what church and religion means to us. We definitely do not want that to change. That image is what we inwardly long for when we show up Sunday after Sunday. That image may be what we think we had some time long ago. And it's that image, more often than not, which prevents us from experiencing God."

http://day1.org/2380-all_will_be_thrown_down