Daily Worship

Stones

Jane Denniston September 29, 2014 0 0

John 8: 2-9

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

I look into your eyes, Lord
Or, at least I try,
Yet my eyes drop before your gaze;
My shame is ever before me.
I have tried to walk in your ways.
I have prayed, and read,
I have worshipped and fasted,
I have sung and believed.
But my foot slips;
My eye glances away from all that is pure, lovely,
Honourable and good.
My tongue will not be stilled;
It hurts and harms
Just as it loves and cares.
My thoughts are untamed;
Like the wind, they go where they will.
I follow, and yet I falter,
I fade, I fall.
And I see them watching me,
Judging me!
Their eyes – hot with greed, 
Voracious, voyeuristic,
Enjoying my shame.
Hearts of stone, fists like stones,
Stones clasped in grasping hands.

“Let anyone who is without sin throw the first stone.”

I hear the grumbles,
The disappointed mumbles,
For who indeed, is without sin.
I hear the stones fall;
Thump to the ground.
Pile, one on top of the other
Until they make a wall, and then a house
A sanctuary!
Living stones – the temple of the Lord
Made of all those who have fallen and failed
Upon whom you have looked
With compassion
With mercy
With grace
With love!