September 11, 2019

A poem of comfort: 9/11


Jesus walked through flames for us.

He brought calm
to the terrorized planes.

The Twin Towers came down
around Him, 

holding
your husband, your wife, your child.


Mary Harwell Sayler©2018/09/11

...

May 22, 2019

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!


February 7, 2019

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Brant Pitre gives Christians from all backgrounds a better understanding of the biblical view of the Mother of Christ.

Published by Image, who kindly sent me a copy to review, the book begins with the author’s questioning the church’s teaching about Mary in his attempt to answer his own questions and those often asked by non-Catholics.

As the Introduction says, “This book is written for anyone who has ever wondered what the Bible really teaches about Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

Then, “Eventually, it dawned on me that the reason I had begun to consider Catholic beliefs about Mary ‘unbiblical’ was that I was not paying enough attention to the Old Testament.”

Does this matter? As the Introduction goes on to say, “When it comes to the mother of Jesus, the stakes are high. Mary is a dividing line between Christians. And the issues involved are serious. If Protestants are right about Mary, then both Catholic and Orthodox Christians – more than half of the world’s Christian population – are committing idolatry on a regular basis. If Catholics and Orthodox are right about Mary, then Protestant Christians – a little less than half of the world’s Christians – are missing out on what the Bible as a whole reveals about the mother of Christ.”

As a Christian who sees where both sides are coming from, I was not interested in who's right but in God’s ongoing command to honor our parents. And, my honoring the mother of my Savior seems like the respectful, responsible thing to do. In addition, I’ve often heard – in the early church and onward –  peoples of all faiths have been drawn to Mary, who then draws them to Christ.

After reading this book with interest, I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about Jesus’ mother and the biblical parallels between her and various women in the Hebrew Bible. In the chapter, “The New Eve,” for instance, the author draws parallels between Mary and Eve, the latter of whom was referred to in Genesis as “woman” before the Fall and only given a proper name afterwards. Since I’d never noticed that distinction before, I could at last see why Jesus referred to His mother as “woman” a couple of times – not out of disrespect but as making a connection between her and the first woman. For, as the New Testament calls Jesus the “New Adam,” Mary can well be considered the New Eve.

Another biblical parallel occurs between Mary and the “Queen Mother” of the Old Testament. For example, the wife (or wives) of a king was not referred to as the Queen Mother, but his biological mother had that particular title. And so, with her Son Jesus as the King of Kings, Mary would understandably be placed in that royal category.

Other parallels can be found in the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Word of God and with Rachel, who weeps for her lost children. But, Dr. Pitre - a graduate of Notre Dame and present Research Professor of Scripture and Theology at the Augustine Institute - explains far better and more knowledgeably than I in this thought-provoking, easy-to-read, engaging book that, I pray, will help to heal the Marian rifts among us.





November 17, 2018

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



...

March 9, 2018

God's crazy love for us


In my Bible study group this week, we discussed Luke 20, which includes the parable of the tenant farmers, who wanted to keep everything for themselves.

As the story goes, the Owner of the Vineyard planted vines then let the land out to vine-keepers, while He went away for a while. When harvest time arrived, the Owner (aka God) sent servants (aka prophets) to collect some of the fruit, but the farmers beat the servants and sent them away empty-handed.

God then sent more servant-prophet-messengers, but they, too, were treated horribly and sent away. When the same thing happened a third time, God sent His Own Son.

By then, however, the renters-tenants-ones-who-didn’t-own-anything agreed they wanted the land for themselves, so they killed The Son Who Owns and Inherits All Things.

The bottom line of the story is typically told with the parable’s ending, which focuses on the wrath the Father-Owner-of-All must now unleash on the leasers. But studying the story this week and looking it up again in various translations on Bible Gateway, I can’t help but recall something I’ve heard elsewhere: The definition for crazy.

Crazy = doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result.

Our all-wise, intelligent-to-the-max, infinitely brilliant, perfectly Holy Lord God cannot possibly be crazy, but, from all biblical accounts, our Holy Father God is crazy in love with us.

Mary Harwell Sayler
, ©2018

February 19, 2018

Giving up or adding up: Lent


My first acquaintance with Lent brought the idea of giving up something - usually a pleasure of some kind. My thought, then and now, is that giving up something harmful is a good idea year round, but giving up pleasure for piety’s sake might make us proud or, worse, unappreciative of the good gifts God lavishes upon us!

The whole idea seems somewhat irrelevant to me (maybe irreverent!), assuming I understand the true purpose behind Lent: to draw closer to God and prepare ourselves for the joyful celebration of Easter.

If that’s the case, the question is: Is there an obstacle such as overly busyness I can give up in order to spend more time with God? Or, would I get closer to the Lord by adding a daily devotional reading, a longer or more frequent prayer time, a service to others less fortunate, a regular attendance to worship, a stronger participation in church activities, or _________________ (fill in the blank with whatever God puts on your mind, heart, and spirit)?

Since I grew up being part of Sunday School classes and, later, Bible study groups in almost every church denomination, I’ve had the privilege of studying all sorts of Bible topics, verse, and books of the Bible. These opportunities to plunge deeply into God’s Word help us to broaden our understanding of scripture and the diverse interpretations Christians find.

Studying the Bible only in bits and pieces, however, can prevent us from seeing the enormous view God has of us, the world, and our relationship with the Lord, ourselves, and one another. Therefore, my Lent challenge became the goal of reading the whole Bible, cover to cover, during the 40 days before Easter.

To do this meant putting aside my study Bibles for Lent and finding a contemporary reader’s edition with no commentary or other additions that might (okay, inevitably will!) distract me from the biblical text.

Studying, discussing, and applying the Bible throughout the year is an ongoing blessing, but for Lent, I highly recommend reading the Bible straight through as you would with any beautiful, blessed book. The difference is, the Word of God gives you the Mind of Christ and the sweeping view of God’s compelling purpose and ongoing love.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017

P.S. This year I’ve chosen the CSB Giant Print Reference Bible from Holman to read for Lent. For other options, see my reviews of the many amazing translations available to us on the Bible Reviewer blog. May God bless and guide you in all you’re to do and be in Jesus’ Name.














February 10, 2018

Misery and good company


A Christian in one of my social media groups just admitted to being dissatisfied with the Lord! While appreciating the gift of eternal life he’s been given, he feels his present life has mainly brought misery and suffering with no end in sight.

If we're honest, most of God's people have had similar feelings at one hard time or another. Perhaps we then discovered how the Bible offers many, many, many examples of complaints and laments!

With that certainty in mind, I looked up “Joy,” “Misery,” and “Suffering" on my "go-to" site, Bible Gateway.

Misery may be a warning.

When the Prophet Jeremiah realized the inevitability of war, his whole body experienced the misery of that knowledge, so he could not keep quiet about it! He had to speak and warn the people:

“My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war,
Jeremiah 4:19, English Standard Version (ESV.)

Misery might also be warning us to let go of old habits and grudges at war with our new nature in Christ.

Misery loves the company of Prophets.

In Jeremiah 20:18, the Prophet asked:

“Why did I come forth from the womb,
to see sorrow and pain,
to end my days in shame?”

New American Bible (Revised Edition), NABRE

Misery might come to sensitive people who not only “see” the sorrow and pain around them but feel it too.

Similarly, Micah 7 begins with these sad words as translated in the Common English Bible (CEB):

“I’m doomed!
I’ve become like one who,
even after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the ripened fruits have been collected,
has no cluster of grapes to eat,
no ripe fig that I might desire.”


This ability to perceive the plights of others and readily empathize can be a mark of a prophet, then and now. If so, we can follow the example of the Prophet in Micah 7:7 as he resolves to get beyond the misery by trusting and focusing on the Lord.

“But me! I will keep watch for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.”


Misery loves the company of prayer.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,”
James 5:13-16, New International Version, NIV.

Misery eventually ends with joy to follow.

As James reminds us:

“Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful,” James 5:10-11, Christian Standard Bible (CSB.)

And, as my favorite Bible verse strongly declares:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” Romans 8:28, New American Standard Bible (NASB.)

Again and again, the Bible lets us know to expect suffering but encourages us to keep faith in God and the promises He gives in Christ Jesus - The One Who Suffered and died for us but then was raised from the dead!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed,” Romans 8:18-19, New International Version (NIV.)

Misery can draw us closer to God and one another as we recognize, believe in, and accept the Lord’s loving hand in our lives.


Let it be so! So be it. Amen.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018









January 30, 2018

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



January 8, 2018

Perspectives: A Novel View


A big decision in novel-writing concerns which perspective you'll present to unfold the story and/or develop the characters you have in mind.

To find what will work best for your book, consider these questions:

• Whose story is this?

• Can your main character tell the story well or will someone else’s view be needed?

• Would a single viewpoint or multi-perspective be better?

• As a reader, which do you prefer?


My favorite novels almost always center around the viewpoint of a single person I identify with or admire such as Anne of Green Gables, Mary in The Secret Garden, and Christy. In addition, I like to observe people and discover what shapes, guides, and motivates them. So, it’s pretty much a done-deal for me to write from a single viewpoint, staying in the eyes, ears, knowledge, and feelings of one main character who intrigues me and has her or his own story to tell. Therefore, I mainly have to decide whether to use first person (I, me, we us); second person (you) which isn’t likely in my case; or third person (she/he, them, they.)

Regardless of persons, the advantage of this single view is intimacy and immediacy. i.e., You feel as though you’re there as the story unfolds and primary character matures. This makes the book your story too as you read. Or, equally important, this gives you an idea of what goes on in the heads of people like and unlike yourself.

In describing my book, Hand Me Down the Dawn, which I recently revised for its second printing, I’d have to call the novel “character driven.” i.e., The motivations, choices, introspection, and action come from one main character, who’s dealing with a theme of trust as she overcomes hard times and enjoys life-changing experiences in this inspirational romance novel set in Florida in 1895.

That’s the story behind my story, but let’s look at a different perspective on perspectives. In his newest novel, Dancing King, Glynn Young needed multi-viewpoint characters to keep his action-driven story in motion. Besides expanding the view for readers to get a fuller picture of the story movement, this treatment effectively produced a potential television mini-series, especially since the book is the third in a trilogy.

But I wanted to know what Glynn’s thoughts were and why a multi-viewpoint story came to him. When I emailed to ask, he wrote, “It's a big story, ‘big’ in the sense of complex. It's the story of a young man unexpectedly finding himself and his family in an exalted position.”

The size of your story and its theme, purpose, and reach can help you determine the perspective that will work best for your novel.

In my novel, for instance, a young woman grows up and learns what love is. And so, telling her story from her point of view makes sense.

In Glynn’s trilogy, the story of the main character – a priest-turned-king “is the heart of all three novels. In the first, it's part of a larger group of characters' stories, but he remains at the center. In the second, there is a period in which someone else must tell the story because he's incapacitated. In the third, the story is so large that it can't be told by just one narrator. To tell it properly requires the key players.”

The overall effect reminds me of an action movie that cuts from one character and scene to another as each episode interlocks to create a larger story with a huge theme: the need for political and religious reform. If, however, a single character had presented such a global story, it would most likely come across as either too cerebral or too slanted to maintain balance, and so Glynn's novel is well-suited to a multiple view.

Character-driven or story-driven (action)…? Knowing which category your novel best fits will help you to find perspective and get your writing off to a good start. Then, you can let your main character or main story idea lead you to The End.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018

Dancing King, paperback



Hand Me Down the Dawn, paperback





January 1, 2018

No Trespassing into the New Year


This first day of the New Year presents us with the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate the past, let go of anything that needs forgiving, and resolve to keep our relationships with God, ourselves, and others free of obstructions.

The Lord’s Prayer or Our Father reminds us to do this every day. Indeed, Jesus teaches us to ask for God’s forgiveness with the understanding (condition?) that we, too, must forgive.

Most translations of the Matthew 6 version of the prayer call us to forgive “debts,” but that connotation of a monetary obligation can be confusing. To clarify, Jesus goes on to say:

“If you forgive others their trespasses against you, your heavenly Father will forgive yours too, but if you do not forgive them for their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours,” Matthew 6:14-15.

In addition, Christians in many church denominations regularly pray the Our Father, asking God to:

“Forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.”


In my church, we not only pray the Lord’s Prayer each Sunday, we end each Bible study session with this prayer Jesus gave to His followers. But, this Sunday, one of our newer members told me he couldn’t think of any trespasses against him!

I had to laugh. Moments earlier he had expressed concern for a woman who lived in one of his rental properties. When she couldn’t pay her rent one month, he lowered it from $800 to $500, which she reportedly could handle. But then, when she didn’t pay even that lesser amount the next month, he told her $100 would be okay.

When she made no attempt to pay anything toward her rent or make any arrangements at all or even discuss the matter, he reluctantly told her she would have to move. The deadline came and went, and she remained – rent-free – in his house, despite the financial responsibility this put on him. But here’s the thing:

It did not even occur to him that she had trespassed against him!


Although it’d become clear that the woman was taking advantage of him by staying in his house, she continued to trespass on his property. She kept increasing her debt. And yet, this man took no offense. He did not see himself as being victimized or put upon.

Seeing this Christlike response, I realized that forgiving those who trespass against us is the bare minimum we’re to do!

Greater than our need to forgive is the God-given ability for giving others empathy, kindness, the benefit of the doubt, and the generosity of a loving spirit that isn’t even offended!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018










 






December 22, 2017

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!

November 25, 2017

Saving your files and updates


First, we had floppy disks then hard disks then CDs and DVDs to backup copies of our word processing files. Then flash drives came along with yet another option. Despite the many choices still usable for the safekeeping of manuscripts, there is a problem: We have to remember every step involved and do it!

Often, I don’t. Or, even if I do think about saving my updates and new files on a flash drive, I might not have a spare one on hand, and the nearest store is 30 miles away.

After investigating DropBox and Google Docs as online storage options, which many people use and like, I uploaded my Word files to Docs and uploaded the digital photos stored on my hard drive to Google Photos.

Eventually I discovered that, with Microsoft Word for my writing projects, the newer versions include OneDrive, which can keep off-line work in sync with each update stored on the Cloud. At first I couldn’t find my off-line files as easily, but I’m very grateful for this way to keep my poems, blogs, books, and bio intact because, a couple of weeks ago, my hard drive crashed, wiping out all of the files and programs stored in my computer.

With a new hard drive ready to repopulate files with the backups stored on Google Docs, Photos, and OneDrive, I considered doing all of my writing online from now on. But then, the Internet went out!

For several hours I could do no work because what I needed wasn’t yet in my Word files. I had to go online to get them, but with no Internet connection, I couldn’t. Nevertheless, I’m glad this happened at my moment of indecisiveness - not as a coincidence but a God-incidence meant to guide me into doing my writing off-line then backing up to a Cloud.

The next decision concerned whether to continue with Microsoft Word as my sole word processing software. Prior to my computer crash, I had Word 2010, which came with my computer. With that program gone, the local technician who fixed my computer installed a retro copy of Word. So I had to decide whether to buy an upgrade or go another route.

The problem with upgrading software is that it’s a never-ending and often expensive choice, but if too many years lapse between word processing versions, glitches inevitably occur with no patches to close the gap.

This may change, but at the moment, I’m enjoying the FREE word processing download from WPS. Not only does it remind me of earlier programs that better suited my needs as a writer, but with each “save,” it asks me if I want to save a copy to the Cloud! Yeah!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017














Me, Myself, and Eye Care

  Over a decade ago I began this blog, and, as time has flown, so has my vision. With a few other blogs to maintain, I hope to post/ repost ...