"Tyger!" Anglicanism and William Blake
Poets are rarely the first choice for insights on church disputes, but Mark Harris finds that William Blake offers an excellent lens for the Anglican conundrum. Blake is, after all, theologically unmanageable and has a seemingly wild agenda. (Originally posted January 20, 2005.)  [posted 2/17/05]

Prayer for the Tsunami Victims
At this time of intense mourning for the tens of thousands of lives lost in Asia, South African liturgist Wilma Jakobsen offers a prayer for God's people to help relieve the suffering.  [posted 1/11/05]

The Christmas Tapestry
First the angel song/ caroling the Word made flesh/ then the murderous fire of Herod's fear/ slaying the Innocents." In a poem, Scottish bishop Michael Hare Duke asks if violence and conflict are an inherent part of the Christmas story. (Originally posted on Jan. 3, 2005.)  [posted 1/12/05]

Hark, the Herald
"Birth, Family, Shepherd King, Message from God/ the bitter Myrrh. There is no other play." A Christmas poem by Nayan McNeill recalls the church pageants of childhood and offers a lifelong theme. (Originally posted December 23, 2004.)  [posted 1/12/05]

This Winter's Discontent
"Every warm manger/ Yields a cold grave/ And every death/ yields to fire." Written under the specter of war, a poem by Mark Harris casts long shadows over the light of Christ's birthday. (Originally posted December 22, 2004.)  [posted 1/11/05]

Finding the Grace in Christmas
The harsh realities of our world today make one wonder whether the Christ child can make a difference. In a lectionary reflection for Christmas Day, Louie Crew reflects on how we can find justice in the midst of such great poverty and pain. (Originally posted December 16, 2004.)  [posted 1/13/05]

For Margaret Hassan
The imprisonment and eventual murder of British aid worker Margaret Hassan in Iraq pained people across the world. Christine Rodgers pays testimony to Hassan with two haunting poems, one written during her captivity and one following her death. (Originally posted December 3, 2004.)  [posted 1/12/05]

A Soldier
"A sacrificial lamb, a frightened child/ Chosen by the rich to be an instrument of war. . ." With no end in sight to war in the Middle East, a poem by Doug Soderstrom pays tribute to the nameless family members who die each day. (Originally posted September 30, 2004.)  [posted 1/13/05]

Bent
"Their private word/ is queer/ their public euphemism, 'Acts against/ nature'. . ." A poem by Louie Crew speaks to "summer's secret joy." (Originally posted August 12, 2004.)  [posted 1/11/05]

From Normandy to Iraq
Scottish bishop Michael Hare Duke has traveled the world, and seen how the language of peace sometimes hardens battle-lines. Looking at Iraq on the 60th anniversary of World War II, he wonders if the U.S. has learned the lesson of the importance of repentance. (Originally posted June 29, 2004.)  [posted 1/10/05]

United with Fire
Iraqi poet Fadhil Al-Azzawi is a hope-giver, having survived torture in prison and years of exile. Jonathan Callard discusses Al-Azzawi's life and reviews his latest book, Miracle Maker. (Originally posted June 29, 2004.)  [posted 7/2/04]

Regarding Mourning
"What/ I would like to see/ is a day of mourning/ for what we are doing/ to this planet." Poet Christine Rodgers reflects on the national day of observance of Ronald Reagan's death. (Originally posted June 11, 2004.)  [posted 1/12/05]

Neutralize!
Human rights abuses in Iraq and the U.S. motivate Mitsuye Yamada to revise a poem she wrote years ago to women political prisoners. "To drown out the silence/ I fill my inner ear with robinsongs/ human screeches and scrapes." (Originally posted May 19, 2004.)  [posted 1/11/05]

In a Time of War
Torture at Abu Ghraib; white police shooting black civilians: tragic headlines deaden poet Rima Vesely-Flad's soul. Yet she cannot be silent: "A refusal to become stone, a commitment to become more/ true to the self, in order to fight the revolutionary/ wars, to stand and speak. . ." (Originally posted May 14, 2004.)  [posted 1/11/05]

Matchstick Legs
Today's sad headlines of human rights abuses overseas form the context for poet Jonathan Callard's worship experience at home. "We are hungry Lord/ In the paper/ A U.S. soldier points/ Grins/ At a naked blindfolded man. . ." (Originally posted May 7, 2004)  [posted 1/6/05]