Poems and readings to reflect on and shape your faith

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Latest Posts

Speak! One Word

 ‘Thou art a God that hidest Thyself’ (Isaiah 45:15)   ... Till Thou givest that sense beyond, To shew Thee that Thou art, and near, Let patience with her chastening wand Dispel the doubt and dry the tear; And lead me child-like by the hand If still in darkness...

Set me Free!

Hear me, O God! A broken heart Is my best prayer; Use still thy rod That I may prove Therein thy love.   If thou hadst not Been stern to me, But left me free, I had forgot Myself and Thee.   For sin’s so sweet, As minds ill bent Rarely repent, Until they meet Their...

A Falling Leaf

… My life is in the falling leaf: O Jesus, quicken me. My life is like a faded Leaf’ My harvest dwindled to a husk; Truly my life is void and brief And tedious in the barren dusk; My life is like a frozen thing, No bud or greenness can I see: Yet rise it shall – the...

Remember

Do not face us, O living God, with the future of a world without justice or a future without mercy; in your mercy, establish justice, and, in your justice, remember your overflowing mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen   Michael Vasey (1946-98).    ...

War knows no Power?

Dear! Of all happy in the hour, most blest He who has found our hid security, Assured in the dark tides of the world that rest, And heard our word, ‘Who is so safe as we?’   We have found safety with all things undying, The winds, and morning, tears of men and...

Sainted Glass

To one kneeling down no word came, Only the wind’s song, saddening the lips Of the grave saints, rigid in glass; Or the dry whisper of unseen wings, Bats not angels, in the high roof.   Was he balked by silence? He kneeled long And saw love in a dark crown Of thorns...

Asleep in my Hand

Here in a quiet and dusty room they lie, Faded as crumbled stone or shifting sand, Forlorn as ashes, shrivelled, scentless, dry – Meadows and gardens running through my hand. Dead that shall quicken at the call of Spring, Sleepers to stir beneath June's magic kiss,...

Tell the Truth

Tell all the truth but tell it slant — Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind — Emily Dickinson...

Never Too Late

So I go  out: my little sweet is done: I have drawn heat from this contagious sun: To not ungentle death now forth I run….   Now I am minded to take pipe in hand And yield a song to the decaying year...   So late the hoar green chestnut breaks a bud, And...

Restore Us

Where our walls Are broken down Rebuild us God Where streets Are neither safe nor sound redeem Rekindle fires of once strong praise Rebound your joys in tone and phrase From ancient stones of walls Once raised for you…   Return Messiah King Let these stones sing...

My Morning Star

O Christ, our morning star, Splendour of light eternal, Shining with the glory of the rainbow. Come and waken us From the greyness of our apathy, And renew in us Your gift of hope.   Venerable Bede (672-735)

Kingdom Come

Lord, it belongs not to my care whether I die or live: to love and serve thee is my share, and this thy grace must give. Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before; he that into God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come, Lord, when...

Our Father: Hallowed on Earth as in Heaven

Speak! One Word

Speak! One Word

 ‘Thou art a God that hidest Thyself’ (Isaiah 45:15)   ... Till Thou givest that sense beyond, To shew Thee that Thou art, and near, Let patience with her chastening wand Dispel the doubt and dry the tear; And lead me child-like by the hand If still in darkness...

Tell the Truth

Tell the Truth

Tell all the truth but tell it slant — Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind — Emily Dickinson...

Harvest Thanks Giving

Harvest Thanks Giving

Thanks be to God for the food on the table; Thank you, our daily cry. Food for today and with more for tomorrow, All of our needs supplied.   Crops from the field, fruit from the tree, Vegetables from the ground; Food from the earth, fish from the sea, Plenty to...

Speak! One Word

Speak! One Word

 ‘Thou art a God that hidest Thyself’ (Isaiah 45:15)   ... Till Thou givest that sense beyond, To shew Thee that Thou art, and near, Let patience with her chastening wand Dispel the doubt and dry the tear; And lead me child-like by the hand If still in darkness...

The Bible: Bestowed Word of God

Majestic like the Sun

Majestic like the Sun

The Spirit breathes upon the Word, And brings the truth to sight; Precepts and promises afford, A sanctifying light.   A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic, like the sun: It gives a light to every age, It gives, but borrows none.   The Hand that gave it...

Born among the trees and leaves

Born among the trees and leaves

O who will show me those delights on high Echo. I Thou echo, thou art mortal, all men know. Echo. No Wert thou not born among the trees and leaves? Echo. Leaves. And are there any leaves that still abide? Echo. Bide. What leaves are they? Impart the matter wholly....

This book of stars lights to eternal bliss

This book of stars lights to eternal bliss

Oh that I knew how all thy lights combine, And the configurations of their glory! Seeing not only how each verse doth shine, But all the constellations of the story....   Such are thy secrets, which my life makes good, And comments on thee: for in every thing Thy...

Majestic like the Sun

Majestic like the Sun

The Spirit breathes upon the Word, And brings the truth to sight; Precepts and promises afford, A sanctifying light.   A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic, like the sun: It gives a light to every age, It gives, but borrows none.   The Hand that gave it...

Jesus Christ: Crucified God in Person

My Morning Star

My Morning Star

O Christ, our morning star, Splendour of light eternal, Shining with the glory of the rainbow. Come and waken us From the greyness of our apathy, And renew in us Your gift of hope.   Venerable Bede (672-735)

Down to the World’s Cradle

Down to the World’s Cradle

Down to that littleness, down to all that Crying and hunger, all that tiny flesh And flickering spirit – down the great stars fall, Here the great kings bow. Here the farmer sees his fragile lambs, Here the wise man throws his books away. This manger is the universe’s...

Christmas Check Out

Christmas Check Out

"I'm not looking forward to Christmas,"   The lass on the store check-out cries, Pinging the goods on the rumbling belt - The bread, and the wine, and the pies. I watch, as I stand in the fidgety queue As the lassie enlightens us all.   "The fuss and the...

My Morning Star

My Morning Star

O Christ, our morning star, Splendour of light eternal, Shining with the glory of the rainbow. Come and waken us From the greyness of our apathy, And renew in us Your gift of hope.   Venerable Bede (672-735)

Humankind: Sinful, Rebellious and Faithless

My Dragon?

My Dragon?

The times are nightfall, look, their light grows less; The times are winter, watch, a world undone.... And I not help....   Or what is else? There is your world within. There rid the dragons, root out there the sin. ’’Your will is  law in that small commonweal....

Stop the Clocks

Stop the Clocks

  Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He is...

My Seasons

My Seasons

This is the weather the cuckoo likes, and so do I When showers betumble the chestnut spikes and nestlings fly And the little brown nightingale bills his best, And they sit outside at the Traveller's Rest, And maids come forth sprig-muslin dressed, And citizens dream...

My Dragon?

My Dragon?

The times are nightfall, look, their light grows less; The times are winter, watch, a world undone.... And I not help....   Or what is else? There is your world within. There rid the dragons, root out there the sin. ’’Your will is  law in that small commonweal....

The Grace of God: Justifying and Converting

Never Too Late

Never Too Late

So I go  out: my little sweet is done: I have drawn heat from this contagious sun: To not ungentle death now forth I run….   Now I am minded to take pipe in hand And yield a song to the decaying year...   So late the hoar green chestnut breaks a bud, And...

Homecoming

Homecoming

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,      If I lacked anything.   ‘A guest’, I answered, ‘worthy to be here.’ Love said,...

God’s Better Beauty

God’s Better Beauty

To what serves mortal beauty? Dangerous; does set dancing blood....   What do then? How meet beauty? Merely meet it; own, home at heart, heaven's sweet gift; then leave, let that alone, Yea, wish that though, wish all, God's better beauty, grace.   Gerard...

Never Too Late

Never Too Late

So I go  out: my little sweet is done: I have drawn heat from this contagious sun: To not ungentle death now forth I run….   Now I am minded to take pipe in hand And yield a song to the decaying year...   So late the hoar green chestnut breaks a bud, And...

Christ-likeness: Progressive Christian Living

Ring it Out and In

Ring it Out and In

 ... The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind    For those that here we see no more;    Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause,    And ancient...

Forgiven and Forgiving

Forgiven and Forgiving

History teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness, or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general - but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.   Forgiveness lies at the heart of the...

Compassion

Compassion

We in our prideful counting are answerable to you: Facing the cost of our pride, we choose you; We choose you and your compassion; We choose you, because we trust that, You do not deal with us according to our sins, Nor repay us according to our iniquities. So we...

Ring it Out and In

Ring it Out and In

 ... The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind    For those that here we see no more;    Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause,    And ancient...

Holy Spirit: in Christian Experience

Winged Life

Winged Life

My tender Age in sorrow did begin And still with sicknesses and shame Thou didst so punish sin That I became Most thin.   With thee Let me combine, And feel this day thy victory: For if I imp (graft) my wing on thine, Affliction shall advance the flight  in me....

Sing Hosanna

Sing Hosanna

              Holy Spirit, New-Life Giver,             Rushing wind, and gentle inner flame,             Come, inspire us, strengthen, fire us,             to the glory of your name.   Find the riches of Christ in the stranger In the poor and those without...

Hope in the storms of life

Hope in the storms of life

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without words, And never stops at all. And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chilliest...

Winged Life

Winged Life

My tender Age in sorrow did begin And still with sicknesses and shame Thou didst so punish sin That I became Most thin.   With thee Let me combine, And feel this day thy victory: For if I imp (graft) my wing on thine, Affliction shall advance the flight  in me....

Believers: Assured, Called and Prayerful

Caged Skylark?

Caged Skylark?

As a dare-gale skylark scanted in a dull cage Man's mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells - That bird beyond the remembering his free fells, This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life's age....   Not that the sweet-fowl, song-fowl, needs no rest  -...

My Signal Box

My Signal Box

The signal box sometimes feels like one of those invitation tests: go to the wilds, endure the emptiness of yourself and return reformed. Confront that which is most you: stray to the dark realm of your bruised heart and let the light in, let the grand voice of...

Grow Younger

Grow Younger

My heart leaps up when I behold     A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began;  So is it now I am a man;  So be it when I shall grow old,     Or let me die! The Child is father of the Man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety....

Caged Skylark?

Caged Skylark?

As a dare-gale skylark scanted in a dull cage Man's mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells - That bird beyond the remembering his free fells, This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life's age....   Not that the sweet-fowl, song-fowl, needs no rest  -...

The Church: Provisional but Necessary

Restore Us

Restore Us

Where our walls Are broken down Rebuild us God Where streets Are neither safe nor sound redeem Rekindle fires of once strong praise Rebound your joys in tone and phrase From ancient stones of walls Once raised for you…   Return Messiah King Let these stones sing...

Low Sunday?

Low Sunday?

Often I try to analyse the quality of its silences. Is this where God hides from my searching?...   These are the hard ribs of a body that our prayers have failed to animate. Shadows advance from their corners to take possession of places the light held for an...

You’re Welcome

You’re Welcome

You're welcome until you're homeless. Until you're drugged up, or drug dealing. Welcome until you're angry, or angsty, or anything other than sane....   Welcome until it's harder to let you in than keep you out. Until the questions you carry are a gospel of...

Restore Us

Restore Us

Where our walls Are broken down Rebuild us God Where streets Are neither safe nor sound redeem Rekindle fires of once strong praise Rebound your joys in tone and phrase From ancient stones of walls Once raised for you…   Return Messiah King Let these stones sing...

The Mission of God

Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come

Lord, it belongs not to my care whether I die or live: to love and serve thee is my share, and this thy grace must give. Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before; he that into God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come, Lord, when...

Caged Skylark?

Caged Skylark?

As a dare-gale skylark scanted in a dull cage Man's mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells - That bird beyond the remembering his free fells, This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life's age....   Not that the sweet-fowl, song-fowl, needs no rest  -...

Holy Island – What Me?

Holy Island – What Me?

Leave me alone with God  as much as may be, as the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore, make me an island,  set apart, alone with You, God, holy to You.   Then, with the turning of the tide, prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world, beyond...

Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come

Lord, it belongs not to my care whether I die or live: to love and serve thee is my share, and this thy grace must give. Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before; he that into God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come, Lord, when...

Moral Justice: a Vision of God’s Kingdom

Don’t Retreat

Don’t Retreat

Do not retreat into your private world, That place of safety, sheltered from the storm, Where you may tend your garden, seek your soul, And rest with loved ones where the fire burns warm.   To tend a garden is a precious thing But dearer still the one where all...

Victory?

Victory?

Professional Sports   The endless carnival of those sports constitutes a dramatic affirmation of power, wealth and virility in which victory is accomplished by many abusive exploitations, all in pursuit of winning and being top of the heap of the money game....

Human Being!

Human Being!

Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, the name of human you cannot retain. Sa'adi Shirazi (d. c.1291/1292), On the wall...

Don’t Retreat

Don’t Retreat

Do not retreat into your private world, That place of safety, sheltered from the storm, Where you may tend your garden, seek your soul, And rest with loved ones where the fire burns warm.   To tend a garden is a precious thing But dearer still the one where all...

Glory: Now and Then, Here and There

World Without End

World Without End

This world is not conclusion; A sequel stands beyond, Invisible, as music, But positive, as sound.   It beckons and it baffles; Philosophies don’t know, And through a riddle, at the last, Sagacity must go.   To guess it puzzles scholars; To gain it, men have...

Autumnal

Autumnal

Mars burns bright and close this October: I watch it through the window, as I lie, too-awake, in the dark. Drawn-in under covers as the cold bites, I shrink, foetal-shaped but old-fleshed, frail.   I am autumnal: dry-leaved, mud-under-foot, dark-dayed,...

SKYLIGHT

SKYLIGHT

You were the one for skylights. I opposed Cutting into the seasoned tongue-and-groove Of pitch pine. I liked it low and closed, Its claustrophobic, nest-up-in-the-roof Effect. I liked the snuff-dry feeling, The perfect, trunk-lid fit of the old ceiling. Under there,...

World Without End

World Without End

This world is not conclusion; A sequel stands beyond, Invisible, as music, But positive, as sound.   It beckons and it baffles; Philosophies don’t know, And through a riddle, at the last, Sagacity must go.   To guess it puzzles scholars; To gain it, men have...