The cost

Haiku for disciples

Think priorities.

Discipleship must come first,

before family.

This is difficult.

Know what you’re getting into

when you answer ‘yes!’

The cross you carry

is an instrument of pain.

You will feel its weight.

Finish what you start.

Sit down, estimate the cost

before you begin.

I have looked ahead,

can see what’s waiting for me;

know who you follow.

Carefully reckon

the cost of discipleship:

follow anyway.

Don’t let anything

keep you from the kingdom path.

Be a disciple.

© Ken Rookes 2019

An old creation story

A poem for the Narrative Lectionary

An old creation story

Haiku from the dreamtime

The ancient story

sees the divine creator

sculpting humankind.

The Eden garden;

fruitfulness to be enjoyed,

The man must tend it.

The tree of knowledge

of good and evil is there;

a great temptation.

What did God expect

from her arboreal ban:

don’t eat of this tree?

Humans dominate

the other creatures, even

giving them their names.

The man sleeps deeply

as the woman is taken,

rib-like, from his side.

Fashioned from the ground

the man and woman of dust

belong to the earth.

She is his helper;

he will be her helper, too.

They will be partners

What means this order;

first the man, then the woman?

Damn patriarchy!

Two will become one,

this divine purpose: friendship,

support, and oneness.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Heirarchies of honour

Haiku for the humble

We all observe them,

the heirarchies of honour

that show our status.

Do not be troubled

by lists of significance

and where you fit in.

Simply be yourself,

unconcerned about status.

Honour comes and goes.

Be humble, accept

whatever God allots you,

God will exalt you.

Don’t invite your friends,

your brethren or rich neighbours:

they will pay you back.

Learn to be gen’rous.

Give to those who can’t pay back,

and make them welcome.

Share with the cripple,

the poor, the blind and the lame;

they can’t repay you.

Generosity

is its own blessing: be blest

as you share your love.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Not on the Sabbath

Haiku of freedom

Jesus was teaching

in one of the synagogues,

it was the Sabbath.

She came to see him,

the woman; she hadn’t stood

straight for eighteen years.

As we might expect

Jesus spoke words of freedom;

touched and made her whole.

Standing straight, praising,

and giving glory to God,

the woman rejoiced.

The law is broken!

They protest: Six days for work,

don’t use the Sabbath!

You are hypocrites!

he answers. On the Sabbath

we do what we must.

It’s not the Sabbath

that stops you rejoicing, but

your hatred for me.

Get hung up on law,

ignore what God is doing;

how sad you all are!

© Ken Rookes 2019

Fire on Earth

Haiku of urgency

He brought division,

surprised us all; we wanted

polite religion.

His words were crazy,

wild, disturbing our comfort,

not respectable.

Co-opting his words,

we made of them a program

of pious order.

If you want polite,

respectable and ordered,

you’d better leave now.

Your world is dying

and all you sing is pretty.

Don’t give me pretty.

Your world is dying,

open your eyes, can’t you see?

Time to do something.

Don’t give me love songs,

give me love’s revolution;

let me take the pain.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Being ready

More haiku for disciples

He gives the kingdom,

what more will you ever need?

Nothing else matters!

Give it all away!

Give alms, sell your possessions;

they’re not important.

Make sure you’re ready.

Be alert and be faithful,

live the way God wants.

Let love rule your life,

work for justice and for truth.

Live for the kingdom.

It is not enough

to simply live decently;

make a difference.

Perhaps tomorrow,

we don’t know when it all ends.

Love makes you ready.

The kingdom good news

is concrete hope and justice;

make sure you do it.

© Ken Rookes 2019

An abundant harvest

Haiku for a capitalist world

Jesus, we are told,

refused to act as a judge

between two brothers.

He told a story

to warn against greed and wealth.

Take care! he told them.

The love of money,

a later follower wrote,

gives rise to evil.

Ignoring others

when your needs are paramount

leaves no place for love.

Building bigger barns

in which to store one’s riches.

Keep them for yourself.

Wealth and more money,

cannot satisfy the rich;

there’s never enough.

How empty the hearts

of the wealthy; emptiness

that is never filled.

Best give it away,

create some empty spaces

for God to dwell in.

© Ken Rookes 2019

A lesson in prayer

Haiku of generosity

Lord, teach us to pray.

A request from disciples

eager to know more.

He tells a story

of a nocturnal knocking,

requesting three loaves.

Don’t ask me for bread;

that is far too much trouble!

(This could not happen!)

The story’s hearers

would have laughed in disbelief.

Quite impossible!

Hospitality’s

demands for generousness

are laid before us.

This lesson in prayer

offers one decisive point:

God is generous

When we come in prayer

to God we can be assured:

God is here for us.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Hospitality

Haiku of grace

Martha and Mary:

the sisters receive Jesus

and make him welcome.

Hospitality.

Someone has to cook the food,

Marha is busy.

On the other hand,

Mary is quite indolent,

list’ning to Jesus.

A gen’rous spirit

is key to any welcome,

but Martha complains.

Lord, do you not care?

she protests, asking Jesus

to judge between them.

It’s all right, he says.

Mary hears my words of grace;

you should listen, too.

Jesus’ correction

is not without affection.

One thing is needed.

It’s about choices,

every day we make them;

choose grace ev’ry time.

© Ken Rookes 2019

The lawyer's question

Haiku for heroes

The lawyer’s question;

a test of orthodoxy,

unconcerned for truth.

What does the law say?

Love God and love your neighbour.

Now that’s a big ask!

The lawyer wants rules

to define loving’s limits.

Which ones must I love?

A Samaritan,

much despised, is made hero

in Jesus’ story.

Maligned foreigners,

and other ratbags, become

heroes through their love.

The Samaritan

is Muslim, refugee, and

other suspect folk

Unlikely heroes

confront our own shortcomings.

Best discard this tale.

The lawyer concedes

Yes, love is the way to life,

true and eternal.

Here alone is life!

Like Jesus told the Lawyer:

Go and do the same!

© Ken Rookes 2019

Sent ahead

Haiku for mission

Seventy, there were,

in pairs, sent ahead of him

with a word of peace.

Jesus said to them,

The harvest is plentiful,

we must bring it in.

Be a labourer.

Tell of the kingdom’s good news;

touch them with new life.

You will be like lambs;

vulnerable. It’s all right;

that’s the way it is.

Those who follow me

must deal with hostility.

It is always so.

Travel light; no bag,

no purse. Don’t be distracted

from the work of peace.

Some will welcome you.

Stay with them, be satisfied.

Bring healing, breathe hope.

It is coming near,

God’s kingdom; we’re bringing it.

This is a great work.

Rejoining Jesus

they spoke with joy and wonder

of what they had seen.

© Ken Rookes 2019