For we are God’s poema … His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God planned for us long ago.” Eph 2:10
(Click here to listen: Noticing the Miraculous All Around You with Jody L. Collins or here to watch it on YouTube)
Hey friends,
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know when I tell you that learning something new is uncomfortable!
If you grew up in the same generation I did, you may remember that when children turned about six or seven, piano lessons were almost a rite of passage. Our parents knew the gifts that music would bring. Learning to play an instrument was considered an important part of becoming a well-rounded human being.
And so, you began.
Those first few months—maybe even that first year—were agony! Your fingers felt awkward on the keys. You didn't know where to put them. And what came out of that piano often sounded more like chaotic clamoring than music.
But if you stuck with it, something wonderful began to happen. Your fingers started finding their places. The notes began coming together. And eventually, instead of irritating noise, beautiful music began to emerge.
For many of us, that’s what reading poetry has felt like.
We’ve been intrigued by it. And we sensed enrichment waiting if we stuck with it.
But we’ve chosen what was comfortable and ignored it instead. Today, we can change that!
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Journeying Through the Genres
Here we are at Ep 8 of the Sanctuary Stirrings Fall Series—and the final conversation in our mini-series journeying through the genres, as we've been exploring reading as a powerful piece of our discipleship.
I’d love to hear how you’ve felt. Have you enjoyed the mini-series? Winced at topics that aren’t normally a part of the conversation about our spiritual growth? Or been somewhere in between?
We began by stepping beyond our familiar reading habits with K.C. Ireton and the gift of fiction.
Then we took a leap into the imaginative world of fantasy with Kelsey Zahn.
And today, we're venturing into—what has been, for many of us, the most unfamiliar genre of all.
POETRY!
You're going to love this conversation with workshop leader and poet, Jody L. Collins, who helps children and adults “Make Friends with Poetry”
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Poetry Awakening
This year, as I began my journey with George MacDonald, the nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and author, I cringed when I discovered that George's first literary love—as was true for many writers of his time—was poetry.
If I'd largely ignored fiction and pulled back from fantasy, I'd practically run the other way from poetry!
Yet, I knew this was something the Lord was inviting me to step into. I’ve learned that if I want to grow, I must obey the Lord’s leadings—even when it’s uncomfortable.
So, I took my first steps.
I started reading George MacDonald's Diary of an Old Soul—a wonderful place to begin because it's arranged in seven lines of poetry for each day of the year. Just seven lines.
Surely, I could manage that!
Since then, I’ve been exploring other great poets like Wendell Berry and Rainer Maria Rilke, listening to poetry in song lyrics on the radio, probing poetry websites like TweetspeakPoetry.com and PoetryFoundation.org, and delving into one of the most famous books of poetry in the Bible—the Psalms from the Native American perspective in the First Nations Translation.
Like your fingers getting comfortable on the keys, poetry takes patience and perseverance.
But even in those baby steps, the first melodies of poetry began enriching my spirit, soul, and body.
Poetry's Unique Gifts
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s poema … his carefully crafted masterpiece that He has created to do good works that He planned for us long ago.
Friends, what if I told you in this world …
… of hurry-- that there was a way to slow down and notice the miraculous all around you?
… of overconsumption—that you could quell your insatiable appetites and learn to receive more from less again?
… where we are becoming increasingly like machines—that it is possible to fully embrace your human experiences and emotions, let go of control, and become more childlike again?
There is. It’s called Poetry.
The Poetry Experience
Today, instead of just learning about poetry, you can experience it!
Get comfortable right where you are. Take a deep breath and invite the Lord to work inside of you.
Read this poem aloud two times, slowly. Don’t worry about figuring out every line. Just listen for one word or phrase that stands out. And then pause and ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to say to you.
Introduction to Poetry
I avoided it as long as I could,
skirted the issue like a wallflower
at my first dance, curious
from afar about such beauty
and grace, wondering at the words.
I felt unequal to the task, conversing
with verse — or worse — writing it.
Why, what if I was wrong?
I hesitated long, delayed
the appointed time of our meeting
like an obligatory trip to the dentist.
When at last we were introduced
(by a mutual friend) my fears dissolved
like sugar in a steaming cup
of tea — surprised by the sweet
welcome (never mind the toothache).
I extended my hand,
enticed by the freedom of words
on the page just so, black on ivory
a gleaming smile beckoning
me to the dance.
I raised my pen and began.
Jody L. Collins, Mining the Bright Birds, Poems of Longing for Home
Jody wrote this poem about the first time she let herself follow the holy impression that had been inside her for so long — to write poetry.
God may not have called you to write poetry, but what has He called you to that you have resisted for a long time?
Worth Noticing:
I keep thinking about those piano lessons and the glorious music waiting on the other side. Let’s keep showing up to things God has called us to! If poetry is one of those, let’s do it together. These resources are a great place to begin. It’s amazing what just a few minutes a day can do!
Making Friends with Poetry by Jody L. Collins (free download)
Jodie’s Website jodyleecollins.com
Mining the Bright Birds: Poems of Longing for Home by Jody L. Collins
Luci Shaw – The Calling of Words, Renovare podcast interview
Worth Pondering:
“Make a place to sit down. Sit down. Be quiet … Breathe with unconditional breath, the unconditioned air. Shun electric wire. Communicate slowly. Live a three-dimensional life; stay away from screens. Stay away from anything that obscures the place it is in.”
-- Wendell Berry, How to Be a Poet
So thankful to be journeying together,
Lori