Sam.

Every morning at breakfast you'd see him arrive.
Had just turned 15,and weighed 135.
Kinda narrow at the shoulders, the same at the hip.
And everybody knew he was full of it.
Big Sam.

This son of Sam was a real cool guy.
He'd wink at girls, they'd start to cry.
Was always good for a joke or two
Everybody called him a walking cartoon.
Sam cool.

Now everybody knew this Sam on sight.
He lived on the colony, a real hutterite.
Black pants, suspenders, a ten gallon hat.
They seen the hat a'walking, they said who dat?
Dat Sam.

One day he tried his at hand at his bro's guitar.
Dogs started howling from near and far.
Babies started moaning and men shook with fear.
And that was the end of his new career.
Poor sam.

Then one night late, probably two am.
He started getting restless and thoughts began.
Maybe gonna try my hand at the rigs one day.
That's when he knew he'd run-away.

And one Sunday morning before the sun came up.
Sam packed his bags and moved on out.
Took off to the rigs, for a job he applied.
T'was easy hiring on for this working hutterite.
This sam.


His first paycheck bought him a pair of blue jeans.
Some booze and smokes and his first big screen.
And all the things that he couldn't have back home.
Nintendo and movies and his own iPhone.

He walked with a swagger cause man o life.
He was finally free, no more hutterite.
Away from the orders and all those rules.
He was his own boss now and man was he cool.

When sunday rolled around he would crack a beer.
Who needs church? Look what I have here.
I can watch some movies or a bit of ball.
Or maybe just sleep, all day long.

"This is the life" he would say to himself.
Should a done this sooner, just look what I have.
My own credit card and a nice set of wheels.
But most of all I can do as I please.

He worked real hard and he loved his pay.
But something was missing at the end of the day.
Something all the good times just couldn't fulfill.
He finally figured out that he'd never fit in.

A lonesome feeling crept into Sam's bones.
And deep inside, his heart was pulling home.
But his stubborn pride was equally as strong.
For to go home now was to admit he had been wrong.

For it all added up to a bunch of wasted years.
Trying to get ahead of the debt around his ears.
And all he had amassed wasn't really worth a lot.
And couldn't give him comfort when his life he tallied up.

For you see back when, when Sam was home.
He worked for the young, the sick and the old.
Working for all, no personal gain.
And all that he did was for his fellow man.

Poor Sam was in a bind, and was being pulled apart.
Pride was on the one side, the other side his heart.
What he'll end up doing at the end of the day.
Is really up to him, we can only hope and pray.
For Sam.

The Christ.

The Messiah, nailed to the rough hewn cross, blood streaming from gaping wounds, hanging naked between two criminals. The Creator, sentenced to die by crucifixion by his creations. The wrought iron nails that pierced his wrists and feet fastened him to the cross, but they surely didn't keep him there, what kept him suspended there on the cross was his supreme love for us, also the sins and transgressions of those he came to save, they had to be paid for in blood and suffering, each and every one, the sins of you and me. If we choose to accept the offering of God's Son on the cross.

Just a short time before he had cried out to them "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!"

And yet they had no compassion for him. The cry had rang out "crucify him, crucify him." And their wishes had come true. They crucified the Son of God, their Messiah. A death reserved for hardened criminals. The most agonizing and dehumanizing death known to man. Had they really known who He was, they might not have crucified Him. But they had eyes and saw not, they had ears and heard not, they had all the signs and prophecies, but they chose not to accept Him.

And how are we different in this day and age? Do we choose to accept him? Are we still nailing Him to the cross? Are our sins part of what prolonged His time on the cross?

Sobering questions from louieville.

Why Communal Living?

After Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead, he spent 40 days on earth showing himself to be alive to many and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Then before Jesus ascended into heaven he instructed his apostles that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which was to be the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.
The apostles then returned to Jerusalem and according to Acts 1:14 "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." And when the day of Pentecost came; Acts 2:(2) "There came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
This new gift of the Holy Spirit moved the apostles to preach to the masses in Jerusalem, (37) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles "Men and brethren, what shall we do"?
(38)Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (39) For the promise is unto you, and all your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
(One might ask; How does the Lord call us? The answer to that question is 'through his Gospel', as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:14. "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" and as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.")
(41)Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls. (42)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (44)And all that believed were together, and had all things common; (45)And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
So here we see that one of the very first acts that this new gift of the Holy Spirit compelled these believers to do was to form community and to have all things in common.
We as Hutterites believe that this early act was very significant and was the will of God, even as David had foreseen and prophesied in Psalms 133; (1) Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

God's ultimate plan for us is to be and dwell with him and all believers forever and ever in his majesty, and what better way to prepare for that glorious time then to practice community here on earth. Where if we fault and hurt a fellow brother or member we reconcile, where we cannot simply ignore different personalities (that clash with ours) but learn to live together and sort out our differences. Where all our effort and work is not for our personal gain, but for the gain of the whole community, the old and sick that can't provide for themselves anymore, the widowed, the young...

Maybe that's why the Holy Spirit compelled the very first Christians to form community. Maybe its a foreshadow of the kingdom that is to come...thoughtsfromlouieville...