Parents
Experiences
Values
Bible
Personality
Sin
Society
Teachers
Media
Faith
Friends
Family
Church
Books
… can shape
the way we see
the world.
Which lenses should we keep
and polish
and which distorting specs
throw away?
To see
as Jesus
wants us to see
and feel as He would feel
and do as he did
for the world in which we live?
Poem
Growing a Worldview
Growing up
Parents
Experiences
Values
Bible
Personality
Sin
Society
Teachers
Media
Faith
Friends
Family
Church
Books
… can shape
the way we see
the world.
Which lenses should we keep
and polish
and which distorting specs
throw away?
To see
as Jesus
wants us to see
and feel as He would feel
and do as he did
for the world in which we live?
Parents
Experiences
Values
Bible
Personality
Sin
Society
Teachers
Media
Faith
Friends
Family
Church
Books
… can shape
the way we see
the world.
Which lenses should we keep
and polish
and which distorting specs
throw away?
To see
as Jesus
wants us to see
and feel as He would feel
and do as he did
for the world in which we live?
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Poem, poetry, Uncategorized, World Views
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Faith, Poem, poems, poetry
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The Baby – A Calling
Helpless!
Following the path
of God incarnate
the child enters
into life
with genetic markers
stumbling parents
and
future choices.
Already,
her calling
is clear and sharp.
She cries praise to God,
and gazes in amazement
at every light and face,
movement and sound.
Wonder fills her eyes
as her mouth explores shape
and texture
while arms and hands
flail with random abandon.
She will be taught
in time
but now
she teaches us
the naïve joy of life
and newness
trust and hope.
She preaches a gurgling word
straight from the Maker.
Following the path
of God incarnate
the child enters
into life
with genetic markers
stumbling parents
and
future choices.
Already,
her calling
is clear and sharp.
She cries praise to God,
and gazes in amazement
at every light and face,
movement and sound.
Wonder fills her eyes
as her mouth explores shape
and texture
while arms and hands
flail with random abandon.
She will be taught
in time
but now
she teaches us
the naïve joy of life
and newness
trust and hope.
She preaches a gurgling word
straight from the Maker.
Categories: Child Theology, christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Poem, poems, poetry
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Holy Sonnet 14: Batter My Heart
Batter my heart, three person’d God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow mee,’and bend
Your force, to breake, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to’another due,
Labour to’admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearley’I love you,’and would be loved faine,
But am betroth’d unto your enemie:
Divorce mee,’untie, or breake that knot againe,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you’enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.
John Donne 1572 – 1631
A statue of Donne dressed in his funeral shroud in St Paul’s London. Courtesy: Google Images
Once again I would like to return to this poem by John Donne. In this most honest of poems he reminds us of the struggle to be sanctified – made holy. In terms of a medieval blacksmith beating his iron, or city under attack he calls on God to take him captive because otherwise he would be the “enemie’s” captive. In an almost shocking and ironic line he asks God to “ravish” him to make him “chast”.
Time and again when I read this poem I am struck by Donne’s use of human love as a metaphor for God’s love. Even his relationship with Satan is described in terms of betrothal. But is it really that strange? The relationship between man and wife, at its best, is a wonderful image of love. Christ, himself, speaks in terms of a bride and bridegroom when he refers to himself and the church.
Donne’s poem is also a reminder in the current debate about marriage that Christians are called to demonstrate with their lives and voices what a Biblical view of marriage is. It is the greatest weapon we have in promoting marriage as God intended. After all, Jesus uses it to give us an insight into our relationship with him. This is something John Donne understood.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, Uncategorized
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Faith, poems, poetry
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Pushing Through Curtains
Pushing back through curtains
upon curtains
billowing in a foggy past
there have been
people whose sepia faces
bring back faint memories
of times and places
now hovering
between reality
and imagination.
There were
school yard boasts
and pranks
too energetic now
for the memory to understand
Friends gone
in distance and death.
Vocations
have come and gone
and come again.
My first students
now have faces
as worn as mine
but their fresh faces
live in their children.
Years hold blessings and pain
hopes and failures
joy and aches.
But when I turn
And stop pushing
At the curtains
There is a future
a timelessness
… and a perfection.
There were
school yard boasts
and pranks
too energetic now
for the memory to understand
Friends gone
in distance and death.
Vocations
have come and gone
and come again.
My first students
now have faces
as worn as mine
but their fresh faces
live in their children.
Years hold blessings and pain
hopes and failures
joy and aches.
But when I turn
And stop pushing
At the curtains
There is a future
a timelessness
… and a perfection.
Categories: christian, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, Uncategorized
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Faith, Poem, poems, poetry
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Looking and Seeing
Looking is not seeing.
Speaking is not thinking.
Hearing is not listening.
How do we
look at,
speak to
and hear the world?
How do we
make sense
and meaning?
How do we
make decisions
and commitments?
Are we standing
on shifting sand
or solid ground?
Is our sight focussed?
Anchored?
Is our hearing
sharp and clear?
Are our voices strong
and sure …
Rivetted
to the Word of truth.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Poem, poems, poetry
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“Poetry Sucks” a poem for Rohan
“Poetry sucks!” a plaintiff voice cries.
“That is your first line,” I respond.
Why do we fear
plucking words and phrases
and arranging thoughts,
phrases,
pains and pleasures
on paper or a screen?
What is the “horror”
Created by poetic lines?
Why cringe at rhyme or verse,
metre or metaphor?
Let your heart speak
your anger and hope,
and your pen scribble
your love and hate
or the keyboard
the tremors within.
“Poetry sucks …”
at my feelings
and flows through the
straw of my pen …
Image courtesy: Google Images
The God Particle
Eureka!
Higgs boson,
The proof at last …
we think.
We found debris,
left overs, after recreating the beginning of time. The God particle … The trigger for all of this, us, was found beneath Geneva But wait,
didn’t the Creator reveal Himself in word and deed
creation and book, self and cross. Not just a particle, but all of God has been here all along.
The proof at last …
we think.
We found debris,
left overs, after recreating the beginning of time. The God particle … The trigger for all of this, us, was found beneath Geneva But wait,
didn’t the Creator reveal Himself in word and deed
creation and book, self and cross. Not just a particle, but all of God has been here all along.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Higgs boson, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Poem, poetry
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John Donne – God’s Poet
One of my favourite poets is the 16thC English poet and cleric, John Donne. He had the ability to reflect on our imperfect humanity in the light of God’s sovereignty and majesty. With humor and satire he was a poetic commentator on the human condition.
One of the few objects to survive the fire that destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral (1666) was a statue of Donne in his funeral shroud. You can still see the smoke marks on base of the statue.
A brilliant example of his poetry is:
Holy Sonnet 14
Batter my heart, three person’d God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow mee,’and bend
Your force, to breake, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to’another due,
Labour to’admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearley’I love you,’and would be loved faine,
But am betroth’d unto your enemie:
Divorce mee,’untie, or breake that knot againe,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you’enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, John Donne, poems, poetry
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Blessing
Giving self,
freely.
Seeking good
for others.
Putting the ego
second
and seeking
my neighbour’s welfare.
How hard!
To deny self.
Come last.
My own desires
wants and cravings –
unmet.
It’s unnatural.
Un-human.
But …
it is
Divine.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Poem, poems, poetry
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By Faith in Christ I Walk With God – John Newton
Yesterday I posted one of Newton’s hymns which was not Amazing Grace. I couldn’t help
Newton’s grave in Olney. It was moved over 100 years ago from London when his grave was in the path of Tube extensions.
myself. Here is another. What I love about his words/poetry is the intersection of Biblical truth with life’s experience. This hymn also has echoes of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. The words may be quaint with their archaic usage but the truth and meaning ring clear. Thanks once again to cyberhymnal.org.
By faith in Christ I walk with God,
With Heav’n, my journey’s end, in view;
Supported by His staff and rod,
My road is safe and pleasant too.
I travel through a desert wide
Where many round me blindly stray;
But He vouchsafes to be my Guide,
And will not let me miss my way.
Though snares and dangers throng my path,
And earth and hell my course withstand;
I triumph over all by faith,
Guarded by His almighty hand.
The wilderness affords no food,
But God for my support prepares;
Provides me every needful good,
And frees my soul from wants and cares.
With Him sweet converse I maintain,
Great as He is I dare be free;
I tell Him all my grief and pain,
And He reveals His love to me.
Some cordial from His Word He brings,
Whene’er my feeble spirit faints;
At once my soul revives and sings,
And yields no more to sad complaints.
I pity all that worldlings talk
Of pleasures that will quickly end;
Be this my choice, O Lord, to walk
With Thee, my Guide, my Guard, my Friend.
Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, hymns, Poem, poetry
Tags: Christian, Christianity, Devotion, Faith, Poem, poetry
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Travels from Ur 