Pharisees

During my days at a church in Massapequa, headed by a pastor who was infamously connected to Jessica Hahn, I was spiritually troubled by what I intuited was happening. Though I lacked the specific facts, I had two spiritual dreams which infused my sensibilities and furthered my understanding about what was going on behind the scenes there, though I lacked details and information that no one, AND I MEAN NO ONE IN THAT MINISTRY was going to share because lies and secrecy were its foundation and paranoia was its MO. By the way, this is the opposite of what a ministry should be, regardless of the individuals i.e. Jessica Hahn who use it for their own advantage.

At some point, I will reveal the telling dreams. In any case visiting speakers came and went, some of them involved in their own scandalous behavior. Others, like Pastor Goforth were quite innocent. However, I sensed that many of these men, including the pastor of the church were pharisees, standing in judgment over the congregation, though they themselves were rife with carnality and hypocrisy against the Word of God. After all, if one is NOT carnal, they why would they hook up with the likes of Jessica Hahn, who later was publicly exposed for her less than virginal behavior in The New York Post (1987-88) and other magazines and papers, including a piece by Sarah Rymer in a national magazine where Rymer claimed that Hahn had duped her. Duh!

This sonnet was inspired by my experiences at this church with those who spoke or preached there. I am waiting for God's deliverance of them; see the last two lines. I believe it will come and the Lord will show me when it does. (So, call me crazy. ;-) )

For pharisees, the greatest hope does lie
To have revealed the Kindgoms of our Lord.
Who best but they, self-righteous in their sty,
Can least believe the gifts God's grace affords.
And so, accusers of the Lord they be,
And blaspheme He's revealed in meek and mild.
They know, self-righteous, that this cannot be
In some so lowly or in some so wild.
They see reflected in their fellow man*
A beast of nature, small and dark and dim.
Convinced they are in lies of their own sham,
They point the finger out, what is within.
To them may God reveal His greatest grace,
To transform Satan to Christ's shining face.

*man - I am fully aware of the connotations here. Sorry, I have to work out the rhymes to make them OBVIOUSLY female inclusive. Forgive the paternalistically charged word. I mean male and female.