The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesiological Theology

SAET Blog

Poetry Posts

• December 17, 2012 by Jason Hood

  “The Bible”

  Not enough poetry and paean about the Bible these days, if you ask me. Psalm 19 and 119 are the classics, but there’ve been more than  few nice efforts in centuries past.

  The following poem was entitled “The Bible,” and appeared on the first page of a few English editions since 1594. For some reason this little poem, which is more a spur to tolle lege than high art, strikes me as more apposite than a “word from the translator” in our current editions (although of course back then the title was long enough then to serve as a “word from the translator”).

  Here is the spring where waters flow, To quench our heat of sin;

  Here is the tree where truth doth grow To lead our lives therein;

  Here is the judge that stints the strife When men’s devises fail:

  Here is the bread that feeds the life Which death cannot assail.

  The tidings of salvation dear Comes to our ears from hence;

  The fortress of our faith is here; The shield of our defence.

  Then be not like the hog that hath A pearl at his desire,

  And takes more pleasure in the trough And wallowing in the mire.

  Read not this book in any case But with a single eye:

  Read not, but first desire GOD’s grace, To understand thereby.

  Pray still in faith with this respect To fructify therein;

  That knowledge may bring this effect, To mortify thy sin.

  Then happy thou in all thy life, Whatso to thee befalls;

  Yea, doubly happy shalt thou be When GOD by death thee calls.

  A rich view of the poem in a 1611 Bible may be found here; note that the poem serves as a sort of theological counterpart to the art and doctrinal chart on the opening pages.

  Categories: General | Jason Hood | Poetry | Scripture

  0 Comments

• August 30, 2011 by Jason Hood

  An Ode to Steve Jobs

  It’s an ode in three parts: epistolary, poetry, and a testimonial narrative.

  Epistolary

  If anyone thinks they’ve got reason to love their PC, well, I had more.  I was of the nation of PCs, of the tribe of laptop; as to the web, an Explorer. As to operating systems, of the eighth generation of Windows (Vista, XP, or whatever was after Windows 7).

  But I didn’t consider my PC-ness as righteousness, and I became a Mac user, that I may be found with an Apple, not having computer greatness of my own, but having my own macrighteousness. Still, even though I’m a Mac user, I don’t consider myself to have “made it”. I press on, working to reach that for which I purchased a Mac, forgetting my PC ways and striving to reach what lies ahead. (I bought my wife a Macbook.)

  Poetry

  Aiming for Apple like William Tell

  Went online and found it tax-free for sale

  Now I’m ruling the web like Mac-iavelli

  I’ve said goodbye to my PC and even my telly.

  A testimonial narrative

  No, seriously.  I’m now so cool that I went outside and fall started. My habits of driving old Grand Marquise (or whatever the plural is of Grand Marquis) and taking very early lunch were once regarded by an unnamed friend as “old man” style.  But because I have a Mac, they are now hip as can be.  The local dealerships have sold out of Grand Marquis and even other similar cars, like Crown Vics.  All the lunch joints are packed at 10:45.

  And no one calls me “sir” around town anymore.  No, they call me “Dude”.  Thank you, Steve Jobs.  Thank you for making me cool.

  Categories: General | Jason Hood | Literature | Love | Messianism | noetic effects of sin | off-topic | Poetry

  3 Comments

• March 5, 2011 by Gerald Hiestand

  Leviathan Overthrown–A Poem in Progress

  The poem below constitutes part of a short novel I’m working on. This is an attempt to construct the biblical narrative in a way that underscores that the chief conflict in the Bible is between Satan and Humanity, with the dominion of earth serving as the primary point of dispute. This is a bit revisionist, in that much of the Christian tradition follows the sort of narrative one finds in Milton, where the primary conflict is between God and Satan, and humanity and the earth are thrown into the narrative as a sort of sidebar. (I have more to say on that, but that’s for another time.) I’d prefer that every other line of the poem were indented, but I can’t figure out how to make that work. Thoughts are welcome, even if critical.

  Behold! On a throne—
  A king and his queen!
  Fashioned by the hand of Yahweh, breathed upon by his Spirit,
  and born into the very image of the Word.
  Exalted in perfection, firstborn of God’s creation,
  and rulers of the earth.
  Given sovereignty and dominion, the very light of the divine
  shone from their faces.
  Who was their equal? To whom did they bow but to Him alone
  who made all things?
  But the blood that ran through their veins was mortal,
  and even in their perfection they fell short of the infinite glory of the divine.
  Destined to fall from the moment they began,
  for freedom was their curse, a gift too great.

  Behold! In the garden—
  A tree!
  Life eternal, infinite delight,
  and bound to the fate of the world.
  Holding the promise of endless joy, immortal light
  and a knowledge that brings peace.
  Appointed alone as the sustainer of mortal life,
  it was to be a source of blessing.
  What was its equal? What in all the earth could bring life
  but that which bore the fruit of immortality?
  And the life that coursed through its limbs was endless,
  yet even in its perfection it could not sustain the race of man.
  Destined to fail from the moment it began,
  for it could not govern their freedom, a gift too great.

  Behold! In the garden—
  A second tree!
  Deeper than mortal reason, both darkness and light,
  and bound to the fate of the world.
  Holding the keys to life and death, knowledge too deep for
  flesh and blood, and a wisdom that kills.
  Appointed alone as the only forbidden,
  it would become a source of cursing.
  What was it equal? Who could endure its fruit
  but the Word alone after whose image the king and queen had been made?
  And the life that coursed through its limbs was perfect,
  but it was a perfection too strong for the race of man.
  Destined to kill from the moment it began,
  for freedom was their curse, a gift too great.

  Behold! In the garden—
  A serpent!
  More cunning than the beasts, more subtle than the fowl,
  with knowledge deeper than the sea.
  Exalted in perfection, beauty beyond measure,
  and wisdom untainted.
  Appointed alone as the guardian of Eden,
  he beheld the glory of the King and Queen.
  Who was his equal? To whom did he bow
  but to those alone to whom dominion belonged?
  But the life that coursed through his soul was creature,
  and even in his perfection he fell short of the infinite glory of the divine.
  Destined to fall from the moment he began,
  for freedom was his curse, a gift too great.

  Behold! In the garden—
  A war!
  Bringing sorrow untold, a mighty struggle for dominion
  and a curse upon the earth.
  Lying lips, a daring assault upon the world’s throne,
  and the lordship of earth was reversed.
  Destined to change the fate of dragons and men
  It would grant dominion to the lesser
  What was its equal? What has rivaled that war
  but the war of the Second Adam whom the Serpent would also throw down?
  And the defeat of Adam was great, for even in his perfection
  he could not hold back the abyss.
  Destined to fall from the moment he began,
  for freedom was his curse, a gift too great.

  Behold! Hung in the heavens—
  A ruined earth!
  Fallow in its ground, barren in its seas,
  and the heavens were shaken.
  Sunken in misery, spoiled in beauty,
  and the bonds of brotherhood torn asunder.
  Broken and bare beneath a fallow sky,
  it was overrun by the shadow.
  What was its equal? What in all creation was lamented like that fall,
  but the fall of the Second Adam, whom the serpent would also ruin.
  But the fallen beauty that it still refracted was not utterly forsaken,
  and even in its brokenness it was set apart as a royal prize.
  Destined to be redeemed from the moment it began,
  for redemption was its end, a gift so great.

  Behold! In the garden—
  A Promise!
  Son of Eve foretold, ruthless in his love,
  and the dragon overthrown.
  Man returned to glory, the world reborn,
  and earth and heaven are one.
  Given as hope for a spent humanity,
  it was to become Leviathan’s bane.
  What was its equal? What greater comfort has ever been given?
  Behold there is none.
  And the promise of peace was mighty, for even in the ruin
  the light could not be darkened
  Destined to be fulfilled from the moment it was given,
  for it was spoken by God, a voice so great.

  Behold! Throughout the earth—
  A dragon’s eye!
  Casting about, never at rest,
  and full of endless hate.
  Determined in resistance, focused in his will,
  and a mind bent only toward the keeping of his ruined prize.
  Ever fearful of the prophecies, he looked for Him alone
  who would come to cast him down.
  Who was Leviathan’s equal? Before whom did he bow
  but himself alone?
  And in his pride he would not concede the efficacy of the promise,
  for none among the fallen line of Eve could withstand him.
  Destined for defeat from the moment he began,
  the promise was his curse, a gift too great.

  Behold! In a manger—
  An only Son!
  Perfected in wisdom, God of God,
  and trusting none but He of whom He was begotten.
  Determined in resistance, focused in His will,
  and a mind bent only toward the redemption of His ruined home.
  Ever mindful of the prophecies,
  He gave himself to the will of his Father.
  Who was His equal? Who possessed the glory of the divine nature like he,
  but the One by whom he was begotten and the Other who from him proceeds.
  He hid himself in flesh and blood,
  And his coming was seen by the dragon’s eye.
  Destined for war from the moment he was born,
  for redemption was his curse, a price so great.

  Behold! In a desert—
  Two combatants!
  Warring alone, fierce beneath a pale moon,
  and entrenched in the shadows.
  Deep in lore, utter in earnestness
  and each confronting at last his mortal foe.
  Deciding the fate of the world, there clashed
  the power of immortal minds.
  Who was their equals? Who could withstand the fury of their wisdom
  but He alone by whom the one was made and the other begotten?
  But the Second Adam would not fall,
  and in his greatness the Serpent could not cast him down.
  Destined for victory from the moment he was born,
  for the dragon was his subject, a creature not too great.

  Behold! On a cross—
  A ruined Son!
  Forsaken by God, spread out upon that second tree,
  and tasting also the forbidden fruit.
  Deep in mystery, utter in despair,
  and the darkness of Hell rejoiced.
  Lifted up above the earth, his death spelled doom
  for the race of men.
  What was its equal? What death has ever been more grievous than that death?
  Behold there is none.
  But the Serpent’s dominion would not endure,
  and even in the might of his darkness the dragon could not hold back the glory.
  Destined to live from the moment he died,
  for his death was the death of death, a gift so great.

  Behold! In a tomb—
  A risen Son!
  Undiminished in victory, holding in his hand both trees,
  and offering at last their blessed fruit.
  Deep in mystery, the head of the serpent crushed,
  and Adam reborn in victory.
  Exalted in freedom, the strength of his divinity
  could not be mastered.
  Who was his equal? Who could raise again the ancient songs,
  but he alone who composed them in the deeps of time?
  And the fire of his eyes cannot be quenched,
  for even in the frailty of his incarnation the darkness could not withstand him.
  Destined to endure for he never began,
  freedom was his right, a gift he alone could wield.

  Behold! Coming down from heaven—
  New creation!
  Prophecy fulfilled, the throne reclaimed,
  and the earth again made young.
  Now exalted in power, confirmed in love,
  and the hosts of heaven bow.
  Bringing the divine blood to mortal veins,
  the rivers of the earth flow with life.
  What is its equal? What is greater than that union of heaven and earth,
  but the marriage of the Lamb in which bride and bridegroom are one?
  And the dominion of humanity is eternal, for the life which flows
  throughout its veins is now divine.
  Destined for glory from the moment they were foreknown,
  for the nature of the One became their strength,
  and freedom a gift no longer too great.

  Categories: General | Gerald Hiestand | Poetry

  0 Comments

• December 21, 2010 by Matthew Mason

  Immensity Cloistered

  I don’t have Pastor Hiestand’s poetic gifts.  But I do think poetry’s a great medium for theology.  And Christmas means John Donne.

  Annunciation
  Salvation to all that will is nigh,
  That All, which always is All everywhere,
  Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear,
  Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die,
  Loe, faithful Virgin, yields himself to lie
  In prison, in thy womb; and though he there
  Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet he’will wear
  Taken from thence, flesh, which death’s force may try.
  Ere by the spheres time was created, thou
  Wast in his mind, who is thy Son, and Brother,
  Whom thou conceiv’st, conceiv’d; yea thou art now
  Thy maker’s maker, and thy Father’s mother,
  Thou hast light in dark; and shutst in little room,
  Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb.
  Nativity
  Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
  Now leaves his welbelov’d imprisonment,
  There he hath made himself to his intent
  Weak enough, now into our world to come;
  But Oh, for thee, for him, hath th’Inne no roome?
  Yet lay him in this stall, and from the Orient,
  Stars, and wisemen will travel to prevent
  Th’effect of Herod’s jealous general doom;
  Seest thou, my Soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how he
  Which fills all place, yet none holds him, doth lie?
  Was not his pity towards thee wondrous high,
  That would have need to be pitied by thee?
  Kiss him, and with him into Egypt goe,
  With his kind mother, who partakes thy woe.

  
  

  Categories: Christology | General | Poetry

  0 Comments