Seeing Jesus Christ in Poetry

But you,
What shall I call you? A fountain in a waste,
A well of water in a country dry,
Or anything that's honest and good, an eye
That makes the whole world bright. 

*The Confirmation

Yes, yours, my love, is the right human face.
I in my mind had waited for this long,
Seeing the false and searching for the true,
Then found you as a traveller finds a place
Of welcome suddenly amid the wrong
Valleys and rocks and twisting roads. But you,
What shall I call you? A fountain in a waste,
A well of water in a country dry,
Or anything that's honest and good, an eye
That makes the whole world bright. Your open heart,
Simple with giving, gives the primal deed,
The first good world, the blossom, the blowing seed,
The hearth, the steadfast land, the wandering sea,
Not beautiful or rare in every part,
But like yourself, as they were meant to be.

-Edwin Muir (1887-1959)


*Everything Promised Him to Me

Everything promised him to me:
the fading amber edge of the sky,
and the sweet dreams of Christmas,
and the wind at Easter, loud with bells,

and the red shoots of the grapevine,
and waterfalls in the park,
and two large dragonflies
on the rusty iron fencepost.

And I could only believe
that he would be mine
as I walked along the high slopes,
the path of burning stones.

-Anna Akhmatova (Russian, 1889-1966)

From Sunergoi: A Simple Love

For those in search of a simple life, here is a post by my brother about a simple love:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/article/simplicity-is-about-god

And on creation ordinances:

http://sunergoi.blogspot.com/2014/07/during-conversation-today-seminary.html

St Patrick's Breastplate

Legend says that St. Patrick wrote the words which Cecil Alexander made into an English hymn. Here is part of it:

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

---

Words: attributed to St. Patrick (372-466);
trans. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1889

Grace Trumps Karma: Bono Discusses Salvation

My husband is a U2 fan and over the years he has won me over to an appreciation for this band and it's earnest attempts in song to call out out our soul's need. (And he has taken me to some amazing concerts.)

I think the band does a good job writing on the state of the soul, and their lyrics are full of aching and poignant themes that make a person question, as they should, what is down deep. I do wish they were less cagey about sharing the Answer at times. But for what it's worth, in this interview, with all of it's modern-day cliches (when in Rome...), Bono does just that, expressly.

http://noapologizing.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/u2s-bono-interview-about-christ/

"Shook Foil:" Texas in July

It is another summer in Texas. The world is now pounded out and skinnied to inches and feet and thin miles of brown grass and dirt and streaks of green. The corn is green-turning-brown. Wide roads, under construction, flat and empty, lay a straight course north and south through fields and brick strip malls through places named Grapevine, Frisco, Allen. The white crosses of churches mark east and west, the corners of counties and blocks of tan houses, farm roads and fields, God's claim upon this wide land. First Baptist, Community, Custer Methodist, Crossroads, Redeemer.

The hard brightness shimmers flatly, the sun owns us, laying down heavy upon our neck and back. The virtual clouds drift and hint of a reprieve but don't deliver -- astral mirages -- and the creek struggles past harboring a few hardy trees and animals, who lay very still. They are alive in the stillest of ways. In Texas the plants and animals and people hibernate in summer

But the cows somehow multiply in this rugged terrain in the fields, and their calves suck and rest in the shade of trees and by shallow pools rimmed in dry dirt. These are fields where tall, ageless men with lined faces still drive big American trucks and still wear cowboy boots and hats and still wear denim even on hot days. Human Sherman tanks, moving across yellow fields armored against the sun's bright artillery.

Only the donkeys are irrepressible -- they horse around like it is spring.

The chilled mall is full of strollers and toddlers and moms in shorts and sandals, suddenly cold and needing sweaters. The restaurants specialize in sweet tea and limeade. They know what we want.

The sun seems intent on doing a good hard, bright cleaning, purging humans and terrain of the seeds of luxury and moisture -- but in a slow, patient, unhurried way. There is time, he'll be here for months.

It is a good, hot, clean place to be in July

Hymns and Songs: A Mighty Fortress

A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing
Our Helper He amidst the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing

God is a mighty fortress for those who stand behind his impenetrable walls. Do not stand behind the rickety wooden fence of possessions, people, pride in your own skills and power of your own efforts.

In His grace He has shown us the place to stand, behind the mighty, unshakable stone walls that will not be compromised -- no, not even chipped or burned, never trembling in the slightest -- by the floods or arrows or cannons or even bombs of persecution, distress, tribulation, famine, nakedness, peril or sword. Not a one will pierce the mighty bulwark of our God. His everlasting love which stands around you and which is tender and strong, knowing and forgiving, and long and wide and high and deep. Ephesians 3:17-21

Pray for Chase

I would like to make an earnest plea for prayers for a little boy named Chase and his family, who are friends of mine. They are missionaries in a remote region of Africa (I have quoted them before on this site) heading back post-haste to the US to see doctors. Eight-month old Chase is demonstrating significant developmental delays that are of great concern and resemble symptoms of cerebral palsy. Chase has two older brothers, one of whom was born without thumbs and who therefore has undergone significant surgical work to his two little arms and hands.

Please intercede for this courageous and sacrificial family, for all of their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs to be met here and on the way to the US, and for Chase's condition to end up not being serious. It will take you a minute or two to pray for him, and please consider also putting him on your regular prayer lists. Please pray for God's comforting hand to be with them and to protect this little one.

Thank you!
Anne

Hymns and Songs

How Deep the Father's Love for Us
by Stuart Townend

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory