Revival and Renewal

One of my faith heroes is the poet/pastor George Herbert. Inspired by his love of verse, I’ve been writing poems as part of my daily prayer routine. I thought I’d share some with you…

Seeing and Blind (Isaiah 9)

Light for one, darkness another
Clarity, vapid black.
To the Word and Testimony!
A call! Repent! Come back!

Those who have seen will darkness take
To the blind will a new dawn come.
A mystery open;
Light given by the Seeing One.

Crisis

When crisis beckons at the door
in vacillations, inclinations,
The faith we hold will be exposed
our loves, our hopes, our ending songs.

What will we sing in that last day?
A melody of faith or fleeing?
For that day is ever today
and tomorrow ever fleeting.

Vision in the Temple (Isaiah 6)

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of his glory!
And how is it that such holy
would with a burning coal refine me
and cleanse my lips with fire
and fill me with a new desire
and call me, even me holy
and invite me to share his glory.

Woe

“Woe” the sound of wailing
in the holy city
she was not holy as to only
guard and acquit the guilty.

She punishes, vomits out
those proud and haughty ones.
For she is not known as to condone
balaal’s worthless sons.

Careful, friends, it is true:
YHWH is not mocked.
Repent we must lest we be thrust
out with gate forever closed.

Time (Psalm 119)

Time, that sickle-handed foe
supposes I obey his plodding pace:
that time is contained in commodities
like water, capped and rationed out.

Yet time is wrong about its state
he reckons incorrectly.
For time is in my Master’s hand
He to his timely Word directs me.

Outstretched Arm

Respect and fear are not unfitting
to One who rules in sea and sky.
The outstretched arm of YHWH touches
all that is doomed to die.

To save? to smite? Some other purpose?
He alone can say.
I will cling to Golgotha’s portion
when that arm turns my way.

The Bowls (Revelation)

Sun, mountain, stream, sea
each one cursed and turned to thorns.
Nation, king, both great and small
each are brought to wail and mourn.

The angels watch their weary charge
and sigh a loud relief.
For of all idol-making machinations
strong man remained the chief.

(C) Casey Dwyer, 2023.