Wales' Tales

Another year has “bit the dust”

And one’s about to start,

We say good-bye to Twenty 14,

A year close to my heart.

A whole year spent with Trinity,

A year so full of change

That looking forward to the next

Will feel a little strange.

We said good-bye to Pastor Kate

Who ministered so well,

And now she’s headed on her own,

In Texas for a spell.

We spent the year in ministry,

through Lent and Easter, too

through VBS, Day Camp and more

My! How the time just flew!

Before we knew it, it was fall,

To start the new church year,

And in a flash, ‘twas Trunk or Treat,

As Advent moved so near,

And now our Christmas time has come

And soon, it too, will pass,

The winter winds will blow and snow,

It’s mantle cast.

And then as spring once more appears,

Another change will come,

The PNC will then inform that

They have heard from some

Whom God has chosen for the work

To pastor Trinity,

And that will mean it’s almost time

To hear good-bye from me.

But what a joy to serve with you

Until that time will cease,

I’ll be around to preach and teach

And share God’s word of …

                                    Peace,

Wales' Tales 12/15/14

Visions of snowflakes, tinsel and candy,

Popcorn and presents, all of them handy

To make our experience loving and bright

Helping to celebrate one special night.

All of the color, the songs and the candles

Even the music that we know as Handel’s

Try to express the feeling of rapture

That hopes to allow us to finally capture

The joy of the ages, the promise now coming

That beats in our hearts, magnificent drumming

A rhythm in nature that speaks of tomorrow,

The good news of hope that erases our sorrow,

For on this great day, we celebrate birth,

A vision from heaven that comes to this earth

To take away hatred, to heal the down-hearted

To take us all back to the time when it started

A Garden of Eden has now been restored,

Because of this child in which mercy is poured.

The chasm that sin has created ere long,

Erased by the power of love ever strong.

This baby has come to set us all free,

That we might become what we were to be.

It starts in a stable, he stands by the Sea,

His message of life is for folks just like me.

He speaks to the heart, to deep in the soul,

And promises each that they can be made whole.

But those who reject him, who just do not see,

Will put him to death by nails on a tree.

But death will not hold him

He springs back to life,

To end human struggle and end human strife.

And all of it starts with this humble increase,

And ends with the promise of eternal…

                                                Peace,

Wales' Tales 12/1/14

Learning how to wrap a gift

Is such a special art.

You take some paper and a bow,

That’s how you have to start.

You fold the corners neat and square,

Make sure the edges meet,

And carefully adjust the crease,

And then, you must repeat.

The process moves from side to side

And then from end to end,

And somehow as you make the folds

The paper will not bend.

The scotch tape sticks to everything,

The bow then comes untied.

I sense the pressure building up,

At least I know I tried.

On Christmas morn, it doesn’t look

As if someone had worked,

With paper torn and bows askew

As though an imp had lurked

Beneath the tree to make things worse,

Perhaps a child at play,

Would turn this present upside down,

A rather poor display.

But I did try to show my love

By wrapping it myself,

In taking time to buy and give,

Not left upon the shelf.

I should have followed the advice

Of the girl behind the counter,

“Let me wrap it for you, sir”

Much better to encounter

A friendly smile, a gifted hand,

And skill to wrap the present,

On Christmas Day, I’d look quite good,

A winner, not a peasant.

But then again, I really tried,

My guilt I can release.

Though carnage is beneath the Tree,

My gift’s a gift of…

                                    Peace,

Wales' Tales 11/24/14

Christmas is coming!

The goose is getting fat,

There’s so much that I have to do,

And what do you think of that?

The Christmas rush is all around,

We stagger from the load.

We start to dread the time ahead.

We seek another road

To travel at this time of year

Because the pace is rude.

We have to do so many things to do

All sorts of “musts” intrude.

There’re cards to send and gifts to wrap,

And meals to plan and serve,

At Christmas Eve, we want to shout

Let’s stop it all! but haven’t got the nerve.

Tradition is the reason why we feel a sense of guilt,

We Have to do the things we do

Or the tree will start to wilt.

Creating what we think will cheer

Our family and friends,

Reliving what we always do

And yet perhaps, pretends

To be a way to bring us hope

In a hard and dreary world

When war and hunger, pain and loss

In is oft unfurled.

But somewhere in the clutter

Is the story full of hope,

A child born to change the world,

To teach us how to cope.

A story of redemption

To grant us full release

From all the glitz and glitter

To give us love and…

                                                Peace,

Wales' Tales 11/17/14

How do I thank a cow or a tree

For all of the things that they’ve given to me?

How do I show my gratitude

To all those who provide me food?

How do I show my heartfelt thanks

When I deserved no more than spanks

And got instead a kiss and a hug,

A knowing glance and a cocoa mug?

I don’t understand why goodness comes

When life is filled with untold sums of

Flowing love and mercy wide

As though the world is on my side,

Somehow the power of God appears,

A river running through the years

That comes to take away my sin,

And lets each new day to begin

As if the past was never there,

It makes no sense. It is not fair,

But mine is not to question why,

To understand or even try

To plumb the depths of God’s intent

Of why this Jesus had been sent

To live among us every day,

Who came to heal, to teach , to pray

And point us to a higher peak,

A road of wisdom we might seek

To live as though we understood

Though we do not, or if we could

We still would echo words of joy,

With praise and thanks to then employ

Our song of thanks would never cease,

Among the faithful, live in…

                                                Peace,