You're Cordially Invited to the Reading of God’s Will

 

We, the people of God, often speak of God’s Will, and each of us most likely has an idea of what that means. For an accurate reading of God’s Will, however, let's see what God's Word says:

 

God’s Will is for no one to perish. God wants us to turn from ungodly ways.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance,” 2 Peter 3:9, New King James Version.

 

God’s Will is for everyone to be saved. We agree with His Will – and help to put it into motion – as we pray for everyone.

“…I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone… for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:1-4, New American Bible (Revised Edition.)

God’s Will is for us to trust Him, no matter what!

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18, King James Version.

A Will does not go into effect until death occurs.

God’s Will went into effect with the death of Jesus Christ, Who overcame death to save us for Eternal Life in the Lord.

 

God’s Will is for all to live in God forever.

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day,” John 6:40, New International Version.

 

God Wills to save the world!

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him,” John 3:16-17, Holman Christian Standard Bible.

 

 

©2021, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet-writer, Bible reviewer, and compiler and paraphraser of the Book of Bible Prayers, which was researched on Bible Gateway as was this post

 

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Would We Recognize a Prophet if We Saw One?

As Christians, we’ve heard of the ministry gifts the Holy Spirit gives God’s people to build up the community of faith. Hopefully, we even know what our particular gifts are. If not, we can always ask God to reveal this as we reflect on the various gifts listed in Romans 12 and First Corinthians 12.

For instance, some of us have a gift of wisdom, discernment, exhortation, or healing, while others have a God-given ability to teach, preach, evangelize, or do administrative work. Usually, we can recognize those gifts in the Christian community, but what about the gift of prophecy? Do we recognize that gift in other people of faith – or in ourselves?

According to a search on Bible Gateway, the word “prophet” comes up at least 450 to 500 times. However, we might have heard more about false prophets, which, ironically, the Bible only mentions a couple dozen times. Apparently, that’s enough to frighten us! But, that's enough of that!

Dare we ask God to reveal the prophets in our midst? Or – to be really daring – dare we ask, “Lord, am I a prophet?” God might stun you with a “yes!”

Anxieties over false prophets can make us wary of that gift in others – and unaware of that gift in ourselves. But, if we dare to pray about it and consider this possibility, we can tell if these descriptions fit us or someone we know.

• Are you drawn to read God’s word, again and again?
• Do your values often differ from those of other people?
• Do you see where things are headed long before they’re there?
• Do you recognize the Lord (or His absence) in the people or situations around you?
• Is truth truly important to you?
• Are you apt to look beneath the surface and beyond the way things seem?
• Can you see into the heart?
• Would you rather please God than people?
• Can you identify problems but also see solutions?
• Do you long to see wrongs corrected?
• Are you sensitive to God’s movement?
• Do you often feel an urgency to pray?
• Do you encourage God’s people to seek and obey Him?
• Do you speak up when no one else will?

Many people think of a prophet as judgmental or some kind of psychic able to tell the future, but that’s not it at all. A gift of prophecy does come with power to discern what’s going on and to see where it’s likely to end up, but, more often, a prophetic gift helps God’s people to wake up to spiritual realities and gain courage to use whatever gifts they have been given to serve the Lord.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

...

Making all things new

New Testament Reading: Acts 11:1-18

Psalm: 148, page 861

Second NT Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

Gospel: John 13:31-35

One of my favorite prayers is King David’s prayer in Psalm 19: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, o Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Isn’t that what we all need? Strength and redemption!

Peter thought so. As we learned in the New Testament scripture reading from Acts, the Jewish Christians called Peter on the carpet! He didn’t overreact or get all defensive and offended though. Instead, he responded by listening to what they had to say. Then he addressed their concerns by providing them with facts – new information they’d never heard of before and, most likely, never considered.

Step by step, Peter carefully described the vision God had given him – not once but three times – to show he no longer needed to be concerned about Kosher foods because everything edible was now to be included on the menu! This was a big deal! For many centuries, food choices, food preparations, and menus for meals had been a major obstacle between Jews and Gentiles. The differences were so huge, in fact, they could never come together for a meal.

Sharing food and eating together is what we do after church services every third Sunday because dining together is a great way to welcome people, show acceptance, and get to know one another better as we chat and laugh and grab a desert before they’re gone!

Jews and Gentiles had never been able to do this, and so misunderstandings, snide remarks, and hostility had resulted over the years. Now, with Peter’s message, the Jewish Christians heard him saying that God had changed the dietary rules.

As often happens when we’re learning something new, we need to hear the same thing three times before it begins to sink in. God knows this about us, of course, so Peter received the same message from God again and again! Three times Peter received the same vision about the Jewish diet being made new – and much more inclusive of food choices! If Gentiles could eat it, so could he!

The Jewish Christians, however, were not convinced. So Peter told them how the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles, just as it had on them! What a shock this was! The people fell silent, which is an appropriate response to an “Oh? or Aha” moment!

This episode in Acts 11 teaches the importance of clearly communicating a viewpoint, especially if it’s unlike what people expect to hear – a view that makes all things new as perspectives begin to change and our embrace widens to include ideas and people unlike ourselves.

As this new information began to sink in, the Jewish Christians realized God was making all things new – for the Gentiles and for themselves. Once Peter had carefully explained to them why he’d dined with pagans, the early Christians realized that God had included in His plan of redemption the very people they’d thought were hopeless and beyond saving! They believed it! And they began praising God for including – not just more food in their diet but more people empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We, too, can praise the Lord whenever God brings us into the company of people who have different ways of doing things – people who don’t fit in at first. We, too, can give praise for God’s extended family, which brings to mind this poem from my book Praise:

Praise Christ our Body

Who holds us together

in cell and membrane,

tissue and blood,

tendon and tears.

Praise Christ Whose Body

embraces

each part of us –

an ear, an eye, a knee,

a scalp, a head of hair

with each curl counted.

Praise Christ Who gave

His body and

welcomes each one of us –

into the Body of Christ,

the Church –

to work, to play,

and pray together,

to love and forgive,

to worship as One Being

the Lord we adore.

Everyone needs saving! We could make a long list of things that come to mind – and perhaps we should as those very areas of aggravation or concern are usually the ones in most need of prayer and praise. Our own need to change some things is also nothing new!

After the fall in the Garden of Eden, the whole world fell prey to pain, suffering, and death. Everything God created had been placed under our care, but as care-less care-takers, we often left the air, land, water, living plants, and animals to fend for themselves! Then, along came the poet who wrote Psalm 148, which we read in the scriptures today, and heard its overriding theme of praise – praise that includes every created thing! Similar to the way Peter welcomed Gentiles into the family of Christ, the psalmist long before him had welcomed all creation into a new relationship with God and humankind.

Now we might think we have nothing in common with angels or the moon and stars or sea monsters or fire and snow and storms. We might think we have nothing in common with flying birds or wild animals, and yet, this psalms shows we’re connected with God and one another – not through missing links but through our ability to praise God and, indeed, the biblical instructions that we ALL need to praise. We are all connected through the earth itself as I hope this next poem shows:

Praise Our Playful God –

Who created us

from dirt and earth-mud –

like a Holy Child

molding

modeling clay,

loving the results,

but wanting more:

Wanting joy

to mobilize us,

wanting love

to propel us,

wanting us

to respond to Him.

Even if we don’t feel like it, praising God is a way we show our trust in the Lord. Praising God – regardless of what’s happening – is a way we submit to God’s will. And, even if stars fall and fires sweep through town and snow covers the roads or the temperature outside gives us a sunburn in ten minutes or less, praising God shows we know that God knows what He’s doing.

So? What is He doing?

God is making all things new!

Praising God shows we believe that. It reconnects us with goodness and beauty and the wonder of each moment. Praise also gives us a new perspective toward ourselves, other people, and life in general. How? Praise frees us from judgmental attitudes and makes us ready to love.

In the Gospel reading for this Bible Talk, John reported the newness we have in Christ as we follow His new instructions. Even though He was about to be crucified, Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment” – that is, a new perspective, a new viewpoint, a new way of seeing the possibilities for renewal found in all creation. Jesus said, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Instead of just following the Golden Rule and treating others as we want them to treat us, Jesus instructs us – no, He commands us – to love one another as He would. Then, He goes on to say, “In this way, everyone will know you’re My followers – if you have love for one another.”

May this poem of praise also be our prayer:

Praise You God, Our Tutor –

for instructing us in the love life

You want us to live,

for training us through

Christ Jesus and Your Word,

for coaching us with the help

of Holy Spirit and the counsel

of good friends who have

suffered through the ache

of daily living and have

come to know You well –

who have consistently come to ask,

“Lord, what’s the loving thing to do?”

Amen!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, poems from Praise!

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Branching from Christ, The Vine

As I stared at a picture of a leaf, the sight jolted me into a new awareness, recalling what Jesus said: “I Am The Vine. You are the branches,” John 15:5. Branches - not a leaf!

A leaf is a singular thing - independent, not communal.

A leaf cannot bear fruit. It does not spread or reproduce, and, eventually, it falls. A leaf leaves!

“I Am the vine; ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing,” John 15:5, King James Version (KJV.)

Jesus Christ The Vine has life, has power.

As branches grow in a healthy manner, they stay in communion with the vine and with other branches, entwining themselves around one another, staying strong, producing fruit, and spreading - making a difference wherever they go.

That’s us! Praise the Lord in Whom we have our life, our power, our fruit, our being.

Mary Sayler, ©2018

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Joy to the world!

Oh, come! Let us celebrate
the birth of the Christ-Child
Who rejoices at our rebirth.

The Holy Infant Jesus –
dependent
on us for His care –
shows us
how we must
come to Him
like trusting children.

Hold Him on your lap
with love,
and let Him hug you,
heal you,
and hum a lullaby.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, from the poetry book PRAISE!

What light do we shine?

As children of God, we’re to be light-bearers to the world – not unlike a lighthouse guiding people out of dangerous waters and into safety on shore. But what if our light flickers unreliably? What if it dims or has no more shine than a nightlight on a vast sea?

Isaiah 49:6 says, “I will make you a light to the nations, extending My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

A Light that reaches to the ends of the earth.... That’s one powerful light! And that’s what our writings need. But how do we get solidly connected to its energy, range, and luminosity?

By praying for the Light of Christ and constantly reading God’s Word….

A discerning Christian friend reminded me of a group I’d felt uneasy about and meant to check out but hadn’t until she expressed similar concerns. A quick Google search uncovered their claims that Christ had returned. If I weren’t familiar with the Bible, I might have been drawn in or fooled by their use of “Christian” catch-phrases. 

As Christian poets and writers, we cannot afford to be led away from God’s Word – not only for ourselves but for the countless people whom our writings influence.

Those childhood recollections we have from Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, or religious classes in parochial schools gave us wonderful flashlights to illuminate our own Christian walk. But we need stronger light, greater power, and more and more of God’s Word if we’re to spread the Light of Christ with beauty, accuracy, and far-reaching effects throughout the whole world.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, poet-writer and Bible reviewer

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Jesus Christ is Risen indeed!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Christ our Lord
is risen
in each of us each day,
and neither gravity
nor a cruel grave
can keep us down.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, from her book of prayers, poems, and contemporary psalms, PRAISE! published by Cladach Publishing
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Trying to keep my eyes on Jesus - with or without clouds

The life of a Christian poet-writer is often clouded with interruptions and disturbances – some desirable, some not!

After a wonderful sisters’ cruise to the Bahamas in mid-March, I came home with a head cold aka sinus infection, both of which kept my eyes looking behind me as I tried to move forward and catch up.

Then, the very day my book of contemporary psalms and free verse poems PRAISE! was to be released by Cladach Publishing, my computer refused to work in total disregard of my plans for promotionals.

As soon as a new keyboard solved my pc problem, I resolved to blab about my book all over the Internet – a smart marketing approach for Christian poets and writers who hope people will actually read what they have written.

New book….
Fun time with siblings….
Head cold….
Fritzed keyboard….

Each caught my attention. Each clouded my focus, and yet each drew me back to prayer and a greater appreciation of the Lord in my life.

Praise the Lord for keeping life lively!

Praise the Lord for scriptures that draw us closer to Christ.

Praise God for speaking to and through us in what we’ve been given to write:

Cloud bank

Around us a cloud –
witnesses
of the faith –

and our faith rising
like cloud wisps
forming Jesus’ face –

a reminder of The One
toward Whom we run

as we leave behind
all hindrances –
obstructions, interruptions –

and open our own
luggage
to be searched by none
but Christ on the throne.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, poet-writer who based the above on Hebrews 12:1-2, today’s Bible verse in a variety of translations from Bible Gateway

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One day in the life of a full-time Christian writer-poet-editor

Years ago an acquaintance from church asked what I do, and I said, “I’m a writer” to which she responded, “I know. But what else do you do?” If you hope to be a “full-time writer” you might wonder the same. Since I’ve been doing this for my most of my adult life – well, part-time when I was a full-time “stay at home mom” – my workday might give you a glimpse of the “real” writing life, which differs each day for each person and each project.

Working in an office at home necessitates a general structure to get anything done. So each morning, as FL weather permits, my husband and I take our coffee onto the deck to watch the arrival of birds and wake up a bit.

Inside, at my desk with half a cup of cooling coffee, I pick up my favorite devotional book, God Calling, and savor the day’s reading, which also speaks a word to Christian writers who have dozens of great ideas and not enough time, “My will shall be revealed as you go.” Yes, thank You, God! I count on that a lot, especially on days when the To-Do list has grown beyond To Do-able.

If I were working on a book contract, I would most likely get right to it. Ditto if I had a book of poetry or devotionals to critique today. Instead I search for something to wear then lug an overflowing laundry basket toward the washing machine and walk away from that mountain as others await.

Without warning, a poem comes to me, and I hurry to write it down before I forget. To be precise, I pull up the Word file for my poems, add and date a new page, then type:

Move

My faith
God’s power
No more mountain

©2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, All rights reserved.

I thought I might be working on new blog postings this morning, but email beckons me to various LinkedIn Groups. Someone I’ve never heard of wants to connect, so I check out his profile and accept his invitation then notice that a bunch of people checked me out too. No clue who, but I recently sent invitations to several editors, who just might approach me with book contracts and magnanimous advances. Most likely though, I'll need to study their current list of titles and topics, see where my ideas fit, then contact one editor at a time for each project.

Sometimes other people make the first move. Years ago, for instance, an editor at a writer's conference, where we'd both been invited to teach, phoned to ask if I'd like to write a series of devotional books for her company. Like, yeah! More recently, though, I discovered I had been made the moderator for a poetry group on LinkedIn without being asked! My first thought was to close down the group, but after prayer, it came to me that those few hundred poet-members might be interested in The Poetry Editor blog and website. So I changed the name to The Poetry Editor Group, added my logo, and encouraged discussions about writing, which doesn't always happen.

This morning, for instance, someone wants to hawk his website under Discussions, but I move the URL to Promotions where it belongs. In the manager’s section, I recognize some names as members of the group (which I’m happy to say has doubled in size!), but I have to look up the Profile for another person who wants to post a comment. Nope, not a member! Oh, why not! As with all the main social networks, LinkedIn is free with no obligation. Oh, well. The poet has a helpful comment to add, so I post what she has to say in the Discussion as she'd intended.

I often start or join group discussions too, but if I do so now, I won’t get anything else done, so I sign out, then check Facebook to see if family or friends posted anything significant. Yeah, someone had a birthday I acknowledge then notice that one of the literary journals I “Like” has posted a call for poems that relate to a particular picture. Checking my Word file, I find 2 two-lined poems that fit, so I post both under Comments as the editor instructed. I then check my Facebook “Author” page and The Poetry Editor page I maintain and am happy to see new “Like’s” on both!

That’s encouraging since I really do want to offer helpful tips to poets and writers in each post. But, oh, I see someone has been posting on my page! I don’t mind if other writers and poets respond to something on my page with a link to theirs. But this guy put a hotlink to his website which is rabidly against anything ecumenical. After deleting that post, I see a note from another writer in another country, who wants me to take a "quick look" at his work.

How can a full-time writer-poet-editor take a “quick look” at anything? Why can't the writer take a long, serious look at his own work, reading it aloud and listening for areas that need improvement without asking me to do it for free? This comes up so often by so many people in so many places that I sigh, pray, and tell the man he will find many helpful articles and resources freely provided on my blogs and websites. I also let him know that I’d be glad to provide a professional, one-on-one response to his writings for a reasonable fee, but I probably won’t hear from him again.

Feeling discouraged by the frequency of requests for freebies, I remind myself how Jesus said that “workers are worthy of their hire,” but I hit the “like” button on several FB postings to encourage other Christian poets and writers as much as I can. In the process, I notice an announcement from Sally Stuart – The Expert in Christian publishing whom I interviewed in this blog last year – about the release of her 2012 marketing guide. Hitting the “Share” button, I let FB Friends know about this valuable resource.

Before untangling myself entirely from the Internet, I check email for The Poetry Editor and see new followers of the blog and also, an editor’s acknowledgment of a manuscript I submitted. In my personal email, another editor-writer agrees to an interview I hope to post soon, and a writer tells me how the contest I judge helped to boost her confidence. Nice to hear – and a good idea to discuss in another blog posting.

My coffee has gotten cold, but I sip it anyway, and my husband sticks his head in the door. Yeah, I’m ready for our half-mile round-trip walk to our rural post office, where, no, the manuscript someone was supposedly sending for a writing consult did not arrive.

Back home, I dump a load of darks in to wash then come back to the computer to see if one of the editors of my upcoming book of poetry has responded to the poems she asked me to send as representative of the book. Picking three was easy enough, but in case they didn’t speak clearly for the book’s theme, I added a note to explain, “Basically, what I’m saying is: We’re part of the universe. Although I’m aware that nature can seem cruel, love and spirit continue on, regardless."

It’s now almost 10 a.m., and I need to focus on blog postings that got behind while I redesigned my websites. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I wonder, “Lord, did You want me to start so many blogs?" or was this my big idea? Either way, the biblical injunction comes to mind of doing whatever the hand finds to do. Hand – mind, whatever.

All of the blogs began as I researched Bible topics that interest me: For instance, “Christian Healing Arts” got started because I wanted to give credit to God who created everything, including methods and ideas for healing that people seem to think they invented all by themselves. “Bible Prayers” began with research for a Bible study class that took almost two years to cover with excellent feedback from everyone in the group. As a Christian concerned for families (especially the Family of God), I also wanted to see “What the Bible Says about Love.” In addition, my personal Bible readings often resulted in Bible person-poems.

Initially, I'd hoped to do a one-year devotional or nonfiction book on the Bible topics I had researched, but having no immediate takers, I woke up one morning with “Do blogs” in my head. Hoping that God had put the idea there in answer to prayers for guidance, I soon discovered that juggling several blogs gets tricky! Or sticky! i.e., I now use computerized “Sticky Notes” to type the name of each blog and the last date posted. I also keep a Word file for each completed article, along with a list of titles and dates posted, and I type in words or phrases that suggest ideas for future articles. If blog followers ask a question that might interest other writer-readers, I note that as a potential topic too.

But here it is 11 a.m. on a Saturday, and I just put in the second of four loads of laundry. Having skipped my dish of yogurt, I’m thinking about lunch – most likely left-overs of home-cooked meals I make by the batch a couple times a week and freeze.

Living in the country does not make home delivered pizza a meal-time option, but the rural environment provides a wonderful place to get quiet, enjoy nature, and write about whatever God brings to mind. You might wonder, though, when and if I do any actual writing during the day, but, the truth is, while we’ve been chatting, I’ve been writing this article, which, Lord willing, I will tighten and revise after lunch and laundry and post long before church tomorrow with its welcomed day of rest.

~~

© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

For additional help with your writing: See the Interview with Sally Stuart. To find a list of the above mentioned blogs and hotlinks, visit Blogs by Mary. To connect, visit hotlinks for Profiles or pages on the major social networks. Thanks. And may God guide and direct your work in Jesus’ name.

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Evangelism and the Spoken Word Performer: interview with Christian poet and Boeing 777 pilot Phil Long

Mary: Phil, I haven’t seen or heard anything as innovative or effective as your poetry performances since Carmen evangelized and captivated crowds in the 1980’s by singing Gospel stories such as Lazarus. How did you get started with your amazing ministry?

Phil: I’d been a closet poet and writer for 30 years before I discovered slam poetry on a layover as a commercial airline pilot. I recognized the potential for engaging people with the hope of the Gospel, and the beauty of the art involved was appealing too, so I dove in.

Mary: How do people generally respond?

Phil: Audiences respond well when the poetry is written for and to them. I have found that to succeed in this community of spoken word artists one must not only have something that they want to say but also respect the audience. This is particularly true in a poetry slam where the audience judges one's poetry and decides who advances to the next round of the competition to perform again.

Mary: So true! Yet so many poets seem to think that published or public poetry is only about themselves and their own words. Your ministry, however, physically draws people, so you can see their faces and energy, and immediately sense their reactions, which poets and writers usually cannot do. Most of us work alone at our personal computers or laptops, but your ministry sounds like it involves other people from the start. Does it?

Phil: I, too, write alone, but there is no question that spoken word poetry is interactive and viscerally personal. You get to see "the whites of their eyes" and hear them react audibly as you perform. You watch your art strike and move the audience. This, of course, means that you need an audience. I have performed and networked for over 3 years now, and that effort is producing more gigs and more contacts. I collaborate with many individuals, churches, and organizations such as Prison Fellowship (approved speakers list), CRU (Evangelistic Speakers Forum), the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association (Next Generation Alliance), and others to complement their mission rather than promote any agenda of my own.

Mary: What do you hope will happen? Where do you see this ministry going?

Phil: That is the most exciting part for me! The young Christian poets I have encountered along the way are brilliant and native to this genre while I feel a bit like an outsider who has moved into the neighborhood. I am recruiting and building a collaborative community of Christian poets who write of their faith like it really matters primarily for spoken presentation with secular audiences. I'm finding this to be a surprisingly rare pursuit. I find that most Christian spoken word artists write for Christian audiences. The goal of a nonprofit poet community I am building, the Sacrificial Poet Project is to "promote faith conversations through the art of spoken word poetry." Our YouTube channels are "jesuspoetryslam" where we have showcased videos for some of our younger poets' work along with some non-Christians who write about our faith and "madatamyth" where my own, lesser, material is moldering. So, my main effort now is to expand success in this genre to other young Christian poets who write and perform for secular audiences.

Mary: Excellent! Although your work will undoubtedly encourage Christian poets and writers and strengthen faith in general, your performances for secular audiences make your ministry highly evangelical.

Phil: Well, writing that "preaches to the choir" lacks a certain authenticity and edge that we are looking for in this project, so I prefer to let the secular audiences decide who is a competent Sacrificial Poet. If a poet succeeds while presenting the hope of the Gospel to a hostile or indifferent audience, they have what it takes. There's a certain laziness of expression that infects one's writing when speaking to an audience that already shares your view. Personally, I find it invigorating to share my faith with people who may be antagonistic or skeptical, and doing so in a way that they will appreciate. The challenge, of course, is to remain true to the Gospel while doing so. It's a fine line.

Mary: Provocative term “Sacrificial Poet,” but I want to understand exactly what you mean, Phil, and readers will too. Expound on that a bit.

Phil: "Sacrificial Poet" is a term I've lifted from the poetry slam world. It describes a non-competition poet who is invited to the stage before every slam to perform an original piece so that the newly selected audience-judges can practice their untested judging skills. And since God is clearly a poet and a spoken word artist, and since we are His poema (Greek word for workmanship), and since we reflect Jesus Christ who is the ultimate Sacrificial Poet and The Word become flesh, it just seemed a natural fit on so many levels. Stunningly, really. We call our collaborative community of poets the Sacrificial Poet Project, and I'm actually amazed that the URL for our website wasn't already taken since this is not a new idea. For example, Acts 17 records the apostle Paul in an ancient example of the contemporary "open mic" scene that these Sacrificial Poets frequent today. If you remember, Paul quoted classical Stoic poets to his audience as a bridge to the hope they could find through God "in whom we live and move and have our being."

Mary: Well-said, Phil – and well-done. I hope what you're doing will encourage other Christian poets, writers, and performance artists to seek new ways to make the Gospel message come alive, so people can hear. May God continue to bless you and your good work.

~~

© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Did Jesus read poems, quote poetry, and pray printed prayers?

Jesus prayed spontaneously as shown in the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father and in the High Priestly Prayer in Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John. However, as a regular worshipper in the synagogue and one who often stood up to read aloud “as was His custom” (Luke 4:16), Jesus undoubtedly read the printed prayers and poems scrolled into the book of Psalms.

Then and now, Jesus and other Jewish people drew from Psalms for many reasons. Then and now, Christians rely on Psalms, too, as shown in Acts 1:20, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16 and many other Bible verses. Why? Christians and Jews love the book of Psalms as:

Written prayers

Songbook

Anthology of poetry

Source of godly wisdom

Examples of heartfelt prayer

Outlet for genuine emotion

Devotion and meditation

Inspired writings

Prophetic word

Apparently Jesus also memorized at least some of the psalms because, from the cross, He quoted Psalm 22 not only to express the agony He felt but to encourage His followers who knew, as Jesus did, how the psalm ends. In addition, this fulfilled the word of prophecy recorded in that poem and printed prayer.

What does this have to do with us today as Christian writers, editors, and poets? Hopefully, a lot! For example:

Written prayers are preserved prayers, private prayers, public prayers, proven prayers, and prayers that immediately connect us with one another and with God. Whenever and wherever you pray a psalm or other Bible prayer, countless prayer partners stand with you in all times and places.

Psalms provide long-loved examples of beautifully written songs, poems, instructional teachings, and wisdom writings. Studying and reading aloud each psalm can help us to attune our ear and improve the poetic quality of our writing in all genres.

Psalms give us insight into the spiritual life and also the life of faith realistically lived and written in all genres.

Psalms draw us closer to God, not only with praise and thanksgiving but, more often, with laments! Thankfully, those laments typically end on an encouraging word of faith, helping us to cry out with true feelings and draw on faith that has been tested as we, too, write prayers, poems, and writings in all genres.

Psalms remind us of the ongoing timeliness of the Bible and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s Word, written into our lives as Christian poets, editors, and writers in all genres, all places, and all times.

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If you would like to discover prayers in the Bible that enliven your faith and guide your prayers and writings today, follow the Bible Prayers blog. May blessings abound on all who enter that space.

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© 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.
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