The old sorting process has turned up another gem. This is another poem featured in Young Disciple magazine (Volume 6, Number 28). I still remember when I first read it, and the deep impression it made on me then.
Poem: What Then?
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Tag Archives: poetry
Poem: It’s Jewish!
Tonight I started going back through my collection of Young Disciplemagazines, going back to Volume 1, Number 1, when I started working for YD. The intent was to pull out anything I wanted to keep for my portfolio or keepsake files, and to give away the rest. I laughed and groaned at my poor graphic designer skills at the time, and yet I was also blessed by the occasional design that seemed truly inspired, given my skills and software then. I was also blessed to reread some of the stories and items, many written by fellow college students who are friends to this day. (Elbow jabs to Chester, Rose, Andy, Staci, Autumn,Nicole, Eugene … a few of the names I’ve encountered in those first few volumes.)
One of my favorite doctrinal poems of all time (maybe there aren’t too many to choose from!) is this one written by Uriah Smith. It was published in the Volume 2, Number 48, issue of YD. Continue reading
Thoughts From Friday Vespers, August 17
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51 (NKJV).
This story of the unfaithful servant was the subject of our August 17 home vespers. Our leading questions for this study were: Why did the evil servant behave as he did? Is his behavior suggestive of complacent Christians today who may not, in a literal sense, beat up their fellow Christians or hang out at bars or taverns?
Haiku Error Messages
I suppose it takes a certain mind to appreciate Haiku Error Messages. First, a little explanation for the uninitiated of what haiku is: Haiku is a Japanese method of writing poetry. In its modern English form, it usually consists of three lines: the first 5 syllabels in length, the second 7 syllabels, and the final 5 again. It is nearly always free verse, which is to say it does not rhyme. These three lines form the complete poem. (This is a very important point, because if you go to the Haiku Error Messages page linked above, and read it as one long poem, it will make absolutely no sense. Each three lines is a complete, independent poem in itself.)
I learned haiku in elementary school, where it is often introduced as a way for children to get their feet wet in poetry. I may have enountered it later in high school as well. I find haiku fascinating, in part because of the discipline required to create a beautiful (or, in this case, witty) poem within such tight constraints.