This is a great poem about living boldly for truth. The call to rely “on only your soul” in the second stanza misses it, but replace “soul” there with “God” and this is it! So many compelling images pressed into service for calling us to stand for what is right regardless of public opinion or […]
Archive of posts tagged poem
Be Not Dismayed, Thou Little Flock
My poem of the week this week, is this bold hymn by Johann Michael Altenberg, 17th century German pastor. He wrote this hymn during the turbulent times of war which followed the Reformation, and they seem pertinent today. Be Not Dismayed, Thou Little Flock Be not dismayed, thou little flock, Although the foe’s fierce battle […]
Herbert’s Poetic Portrayal of Pastoral Ministry
I’m continuing to glean from the reading of George Herbert’s The Temple, an amazing collection of poems describing the Christian life. His poem, “Aaron,” is a compelling, honest portrayal of the challenge of pastoral ministry. Herbert poses the problem of the reality of the preacher’s sinfulness and the holiness of God. How can a sinful […]
An Indictment on Evangelical Worship
At the start of a new semester, I have chosen for my poem of the week a stirring critique of all too common experiences in our evangelical worship services by Justin Wainscott. We have probably all seen the things skewered here. Let us labor for better. An Indictment on Evangelical Worship Set the stage and […]
Prayer, “the soul’s blood”
I have for some time enjoyed the poetry of George Herbert. While reading Tim Keller’s recent book on prayer I came across Herbert’s poem, “Prayer (I),” which Keller deals with in some detail. The poem describes prayer with a series of compelling images which are worth pondering. Prayer the church’s banquet, angel’s age, God’s […]
