No Newness Here
No Newness Yet
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” — 2 Corinthians 5.17 [NRSV]
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.’”
—Revelation 21.5-6 [ESV]
Below is a prayer/poem entitled “No Newness Yet” that echoes the flowing theme through Scripture of new life that God brings into our lives.
—Brad
You are the God who makes all things new. We gladly raise our voices and move our lips to acknowledge, celebrate, and proclaim your staggering newness. As we do, we hold in our hearts deep awareness of all the places where your newness is not visible, and has not come. Our hearts link to many places of wretchedness short of your newness. We picture our folks at home, sick, in pain, disabled, paralyzed and no newness yet. Move our hearts closer to the passion of our lips. Move our lips closer to your own newness. Work your newness in hidden, cunning ways among us. Move us closer to your bodied newness in Jesus, newness of strength come in weakness, newness of wisdom come in foolishness. Draw us from the wretchedness we know to his scarred, bloody wretchedness that is your odd entry of newness into our life. We pray in the name of his suffering newness. Amen. —A prayer written by W. Brueggemann