poetry
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“Lord, Lord” – A Poetic Reflection on Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will… Continue reading
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Holy Saturday 2023
I wrote a poem for Holy Saturday 2022 and it was a great creative and spiritual activity, so here’s a poem for this year: The Light of the World has been dimmed but still I rise to switch on the lamp, open the shades, let in the sun —and wait The Bread of Life has… Continue reading
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Reading Roundup: February 2023
I read ten books in February and, as usual, my reading tastes are unpredictable. The genres I enjoyed range from speculative fiction to poetry to journalism and nonfiction to historical biblical fiction. It would be a wild ride if I weren’t, well, sitting comfortably on my couch with a cup of coffee and a blanket.… Continue reading
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Ash Wednesday
Speak o’er me those desired and dreaded words:Pronounce my death while I yet live and breathe.Adorn me with the burnt kiss of our Lord,Preparing me for glory—and for grief. Say to me what I most long and fear to hear!Announce my life to be of little worthEven as you declare that I am dearTo the… Continue reading
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Love
Foremost and fertile, it images the TrueVine in Whom all things are made and made anew.It is at once the soil and root:Love, agapé, the Spirit’s firstborn fruit. I’ll likely add more to this poem in the future, but it seemed thematic for Valentine’s Day. Did you know that love isn’t merely the first fruit… Continue reading
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Thin Places – Podcast Recommendation and Personal Reflection
I listened to this podcast on my drive today and found it deeply enjoyable and thought-provoking. I am eager to read Tracy Balzer’s books and encourage you to listen as well! The conversation on this podcast also reminded me of my own experiences with “thin places” such as the hike to the Hermitage of St.… Continue reading
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Christmas Trees
I.Beside the road, browning in the breeze,Are th’unadorned and corpselike Christmas trees.Their severed stumps pine for forsaken sod,The rootless forest for a promised Rod. Dangling from a beam of their own bark,They wait in vain for cries of joy or “Hark!”In these rejected trees we find reversedThe truth that He who hangs as such is… Continue reading
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After a Children’s Christmas Service
Would the Light of the World have liked light-up shoes?Or eagerly volunteered to switch on the tree?Or struggled not to wiggle when asked to stand and sing? Would he sprint, unsteady, to the altarOr jump merrily from its step—Bowing midair lest He forgetUpon landing? We often consider Him as a baby With all His infant… Continue reading
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Insignificant in Life, Glorious in Death
There’s a tree at the end of my street that is unfairly beautiful right now. It’s nice enough throughout the rest of the year, but in the early autumn it turns a vibrant red. I slow down whenever I drive past just to marvel at it. There’s something somber about this tree. It spends its… Continue reading
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Joyfully, Ryanne
I sign my emails “Joyfully,” which seems ironic. I don’t tend toward cheerfulness when I open my cluttered inbox. Signing my emails this way began as a choice—much like joy. No matter my mood when I type the body of a message, I am forced to rejoice when I sign and send it. The early… Continue reading
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Recent Posts
- Should we be Concerned that Using Music by Bethel and Hillsong is Contributing to our Culture of Immediate Gratification? On Patience and Using CCM Music in Worship
- “Lord, Lord” – A Poetic Reflection on Matthew 7:21-23
- Is Singing Music by Bethel and Hillsong Promoting Peace in the Body of Christ? The Answer is More Nuanced Than You Think.
- Rejoicing with the Truth: Does Using Music by Bethel and Hillsong Generate Genuine Joy in our Churches?
- Is it Loving to Sing Music by Bethel and Hillsong in Our Worship? Reexamining the Debate According to the Fruit of the Spirit Part 1
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Ryanne Molinari 