Joy and singing

Posted on December 5, 2022 by poemsinseason

Haiku for a blooming desert

When God’s Redeemed come
back to Zion, deserts burst
forth with joy and song.

The celebration;
a measure of God’s glory,
here, with God’s people.

Be strong, do not fear;
your God is here. God will come
and God will save you.

Blind eyes will open
and deaf ears will be unstopped.
The lame leap like deer!

In the wilderness
water will spring up, and streams
flow in the desert.

Life will be God’s gift
in the desert, and among
people ev’ry where.

God will make a way
for the faithful. To a realm
of safety and hope.

The song continues
with God’s people rejoicing
in God’s grace and love.

Third Sunday in Advent, Year A, Revised Common Lectionary. I am focusing on the Old Testament readings, from the book of the prophet Isaiah. For responses to the Gospel passages, look in the archives for Decmber 2013, 2016 and 2019. For 2019 click here.

Promise

Posted on December 13, 2021 by poemsinseason

Haiku for upsetting

News of excitement!
A pregnancy of promise:
confiding cousins!

Luke holds nothing back!
In Elizabeth’s old womb
the child is leaping!

Prophet-like, Mary
announces the radical
program from above.

His way is mercy,
this God who finally comes
among God’s people.

They will be brought low,
the powerful and mighty;
their time is over.

They will be raised up,
the poor and the lowly ones,
their moment has come.

The hungry are filled,
the rich sent away empty;
the great levelling.

The conservatives
tremble; this is not the faith
they were counting on.

Revolutionary Tract

Posted on December 7, 2020 by poemsinseason

Haiku to cause offence

The Magnificat:
revolutionary tract
proclaimed by Mary

A new era comes
where the humble will be blessed,
the wealthy brought low

The powerful ones
are brought down from lofty thrones,
the lowly lifted.

The proud are confused
in their thoughts, the strong justice
of God is revealed.

This is the era
of justice and hopefulness
that God has promised.

Capitalism
is eclipsed in Mary’s song;
the rich sent away.

Let’s stop pretending
that the bible is neutral,
politically.

Song of Mary

Posted on December 16, 2019 by poemsinseason

Song of justice, song of peace,
song of struggle, song that pleads,
song to stir the anxious breast,
song that brings the weary, rest.
Song that speaks into the pain
song to bring us back again.
Song upon the lips of Mary,
song to make the rich folk wary.

Song of revolution shout,
song to throw the despots out.
Song of promise for the poor,
song that opens up the door.
Song to ring across the nations,
song of reconciliation.
Song of blessing from above,
song of unexpected love.

Song for widow, orphan, stranger;
song to celebrate the anger.
Song of laughter, song of tears,
song that challenges the fears.
Song of trouble, song of strife,
song of hope and truth and life.
Song that overturns the wrong,
sing with Mary, join the song.

The great song of announcing

Posted on December 17, 2018 by poemsinseason

Haiku that lead to fulfilment.

Mary went in haste
to visit Elizabeth
at home in the hills

Two women embrace,
both pregnant, feeling wonder
and knowing the joy.

They cry and they sing
their songs of expectation;
the world is pregnant.

The young woman’s song
filled with its socialist themes
won’t win many friends.

The proud are scattered;
powerful kings and rulers
brought down from their thrones.

And yet the lowly,
cast aside, will be lifted
and the hungry filled.

And what of the rich?
They have had it all; send them
away wih nothing.

A promise of hope
for the people who struggle:
The new realm comes!

All old promises
will achieve their fulfilment
in the One who comes.

Magnificat: a haiku sequence

Posted on December 6, 2016 by poemsinseason

Haiku for a revolution

A young teenager,
so the ancient story says,
offered up a song.

The girl is with child;
this is a thing of wonder,
of hope and of joy.

Nobody special,
she is God’s lowly servant;
humble, accepting.

Magnifying God,
she sang with praise, rejoicing
at God’s strange favour.

Mercy unconfined,
across the generations,
for those who trust God.

God’s strength surprises
to scatter the great and proud
in their vanity.

From their noble thrones
the powerful are brought down.
Let the day come close.

The poor, down-trodden;
these will be elevated
to God’s chosen place.

The hungry will eat,
they will dine upon good food;
the rich will miss out.

From this young girl’s lips
came words of revolution.
Most disconcerting.

O Light who is shining

Posted on December 31, 2013 by poemsinseason

O Light who is Shining

O Light who is shining in all the dark places;
shine on me.
Radiate your hope upon shadowed faces;
let them see
the love and the courage of one who’s defying
the powers that threaten, the gloom that’s denying
the truth, grace and justice; together defining
the kingdom that’s coming to be.

O Light who is true and cuts through the night-time;
shine in me.
Let love glow warm when we’re worried and frightened
make us free;
for action to end all the fear and the hating,
to touch anxious hearts when love is abating,
to bring on the peace for which all are waiting;
where faith, hope and love abide: three.

O Light who is life for all of creation,
shine through me.
We are the offspring of Love’s celebration;
sent to be –
the flickering flames of hope where there’s need,
embracing God’s children, regardless of creed.
To gather a harvest, where love is the seed;
we make this our goal and our plea.

Further poems for Sunday can be found here and here