God messaged me through music

Since I grew up in church, hymn lyrics provided the primary poetry in my life. Well, that and Robert Lewis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verse. Decades later, I can still recite some of the latter. And I still like to swing and eat animal crackers but without the cocoa. However, the words to hymns escape me until the music begins and kinetic memory beckons me to sing along.

During the day, I usually turn on instrumental versions of classical hymns to fill my home with memories and uplift my spirit. Often, those same old favorites run through my mind, and I like that good company.

This week, though, an internal recording got stuck on a tune I’d heard but couldn’t recall the words. What made this disconcerting was hearing the phrase, “And shall be till I die” play on automatic repeat!

I tried to change the music in my head, but after a short intermission, there was that phrase again, “And shall be till I die” – playing over and over and…. So, I did what most people now do. I Googled the phrase. Up popped “There Is a Fountain” with sheet music showing five verses, the second-to-last of which ended, “And shall be till I die.”

By this time, I was sure God was trying to tell me something, so I couldn’t help but wonder if He were telling me I’m going to die. Yes, we all are, but I was hoping to wait a while. Nevertheless, with a little trepidation, I read the lyrics of that fourth line, and here’s what I found:

“Redeeming love has been my theme; And shall be till I die.”

Yes! Thank You, God! I can live with that theme! And, Lord willing, that theme – that purpose – shall continue in me until I die.

Amen!

 

©2025, Mary Harwell Sayler

 

 

Classic poetry from a faith perspective

This anthology of beautifully-written poetry from the perspective of faith is a must-read for Christian poets and poetry lovers of hope: The Soul in Paraphrase.

You'll not only have an excellent collection of literary poems to study and enjoy, you'll have the benefit of notes and comments by the prolific writer and long-time English Professor Leland Ryken - an expert in the field of literature and the Bible. I've appreciated his work for years and keep many of his books beside my desk for quick reference!

For a review of the book, click onto the current post on my Poetry Editor and Poetry blog.


The Soul in Paraphrase, hardback



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Are Christian publishers afraid of poetry?

Christian or not, book publishers have the same goal: Selling books. And Christian or not, book editors surely do not want to risk the reputations of their companies or themselves by publishing books apt to have few sales. That’s understandable, but if Christians are to be the head and not the tail of publishing trends, perhaps we might reconsider.

Would we have the poetry of Dante, Milton, Herbert, or Eliot if they were seeking publication today?

Would poems by Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins find a place in our society?

Why does Amazon show 5,240 results for “spiritual poetry” and 22,634 for “religious poetry books” with many new titles released by traditional publishing companies, while 10,453 titles for “Christian poetry” merely include poems by Christians or present the works of poets long dead or overflow with self-published poetry that often demonstrates little thought of readers and no editorial input?

Readers, movie-goers, and television-watchers show an avid, sometimes morbid, interest in the afterlife and spiritual realm, so the “market” is obviously there, and the field is wide. Lord willing, I’ll post an overview of the exquisite Torah-based poetry of a Jewish poet this week on the Bible People blog because I am delighted to see poetry on a literary level bring Judeo-Christian scriptures to life. But we need more Christian poets and writers who speak in an educated, poetic voice to spiritual seekers.

We need more artistically winsome ways to win over people who see the church as irrelevant and win back Christians who have fallen away.

We need more Christian publishers ready to take a stand and take a chance that, yes, all genres have power. Poetry has power, and from the beginning – in the very beginning – was the most highly poetic Word.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved. For articles on a variety of Bible topics, see Blogs by Mary. May God bless and guide our work in Jesus’ Name.
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