It's very rushed. I'd only just written it when we filmed, so didn't memorize it. We shot it in haste and had big trouble with the sound. We'll try to do a proper version for next year. But... you get the idea. Share it around if you like:
Category: poetry
A Poetic Anti Santy Ranty
They say there’s a big man who lives far away,
Supposedly jolly but it’s hard to say.
I’ve never seen him, and neither have you.
But the children believe, and I spose that’ll do.
He’s known as a loner, with many a quirk
No time for a chat, he’s embroiled in his work
He keeps to himself, for most of the year,
I reckon we’re grateful he doesn’t appear.
We send him requests, for particular needs,
But we never hear back, who knows if he heeds?
We try to be good, give his arm a twist,
To merit our place on his blessed little list.
And maybe one day if we do what we should,
He’ll give us our things, so long as we’re good.
I’ve had it to here, I’m calling his bluff:
He’s a weird moralistic dispenser of stuff!
Granted, this rant is a strange one to pick
But listen I’m not really after St Nick
As strange as he is, and Santa is odd,
In fact I’m attacking most folks’ view of God.
It’s God who we see as a distant Big Guy –
An ancient, invisible, St Nick in the Sky.
“He’s sees you asleep, He knows when you wake
He’s watching and waiting to spot your mistake.”
And just like with Santa, requests we hand in,
We want all his things but we don’t want him.
That’s our connection with old Father Christmas.
We might dress it up, it’s essentially business.
Throughout the year, good behaviour’s our onus
When Christmas rolls round we’re expecting our bonus.
“Just leave us the gifts Nick, we’ve been good enough!
And then please push on, now we’ve got all your stuff!”
I mean Santa is interesting, curious, quirky
But no-one wants him to share their Turkey!
I’m sure his “ho, ho, hos” are sublime,
But I fear what he’ll say once he's drunk our mulled wine.
That’s old St Nick, but the picture rings true,
It’s how we imagine what God is like too.
But Christmas resounds with a stunning “Not so!”
The One from on high was born down below.
To a world in need He did not send another.
God the Son became God our Brother.
He drew alongside, forever to dwell,
Our God in the flesh, Immanuel.
This God in the Manger uproots all our notions:
A heavenly stooping, divine demotion.
Born in a stable, wriggling on straw,
Fully committed to life in the raw.
Santa gives things and then goes away.
Jesus shows up, to befriend and to stay.
Santa rewards those with good behaviour.
Jesus comes near to the broken as Saviour.
If you don’t like God, I think I know why…
You probably think He’s St Nick in the Sky.
You're right to reject that far-away stranger!
This Christmas look down to the God in the manger.
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IokTM3PEGiM]
Based on this former rant...
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXYcZ3y65Bo"]
Ten Minute Carols Talk: “Immanuel”
Two kinds of woman
I preached in a pub this afternoon. There was a gospel choir giving a concert and I said a few words here and there. While the choir was doing their thing I spotted a pretty young blonde in the crowd who was looking at the female conductor with the kind of look that only jealous women can give. But it was even more complicated than that. It was a look of awe and scorn and genuine confusion. You see the conductor was dancing away, clapping and singing and leading the choir in joyful praise. And the blonde looked like she just about remembered smiling, back before she renounced sudden facial movements for the sake of her plastic beauty. Anyway, it prompted this poem:
.
Plaintive, Platinum, Pained
Caked in make up,
faked up, furtive,
Birdlike watching,
wild-eyed, wondring how she's watched.
Faintly feeble, restless, regal,
perched in peerless poses,
None opposes,
Female poseurs all faced-down.
No finer found
than she.
And she knows it.
Yet on this day, a blaze is lit, to flit
Upon her plastic face. New radiant grace
descends to offend. To bend and afflict her.
Slight frowns a-flicker.
Scowls unfurl.
Lips now curl.
For here a foreign fire is set upon her world.
Another sun is risen.
Unbidden. And previously hidden.
She hasn't sought the room's permission.
And yet she stands four square, bare foot and laughing,
Leading, clapping, stamping, shouting.
Tangled hair and hands upraised,
God praised in ways unfazed
by inhibition.
At once the made-up beauty gapes. Envy's swirled.
There's longing there, in her stare. And rage.
And awe and shame and scorn.
This light has dawned
from some other age. Some distant world.
The light, for her, was meant to fall,
and she to catch its rays,
in dappled hues upon her face.
It had not occured to her at all
That she was meant to blaze.
But then, what Force could ever source such light?
To call it mine and free-forgetful shine.
Much safer to take flight, flee to flattering night,
ever minding others' sight.
And yet true beauty will endure,
she stands secure,
captured by a fierce delight,
And tunes our hearts to Joy's invite.
.
He Rose Up [song repost]
Audio (fixed link - mp3 file).
.
He rose up among us, as told.
He rose up the Promise of old.
My Brother in strife
Assuming my life
Exalted, the Father's Decree
He rose up, He rose up for me.
.
He rose up humanity’s Last
Man's Answer in life unsurpassed
My Champion living
God’s life of thanksgiving
Exalted as I'm meant to be
He rose up, He rose up for me.
.
They raised Him, my Saviour, on high
Man lifted, accursed, left to die
My Priest in atonement
My Lamb in enthronement
Exalted on Destiny's Tree,
He rose up, He rose up for me.
.
He rose up from death He arose
Immortal to crush all His foes
The Lord of all history
My Christ has the victory
Exalted, the darkness must flee
He rose up, He rose up for me.
.
He rose up to heaven, He rose
Ascended beyond other thrones
My Friend in high places
My Fountain of graces
Exalted, my Heavenly Plea
He rose up, He rose up for me.
.
I rise up, I rise up in Him
Emboldened in spite of all sin
In Jesus attaining
My destiny – reigning
Exalted, with angels to sing
I rise up, I rise up in Him
.
He Rose Up
[audio https://christthetruth.net/audio/HeRoseUp2.mp3]
.
He rose up among us, as told.
He rose up the Promise of old.
My Brother in strife
Assuming my life
Exalted, the Father's Decree
He rose up, He rose up for me.
He rose up humanity’s Last
Man's Answer in life unsurpassed
My Champion living
God’s life of thanksgiving
Exalted as I'm meant to be
He rose up, He rose up for me.
They raised Him, my Saviour, on high
Man lifted, accursed, left to die
My Priest in atonement
My Lamb in enthronement
Exalted on Destiny's Tree,
He rose up, He rose up for me.
He rose up from death He arose
Immortal to crush all His foes
The Lord of all history
My Christ has the victory
Exalted, the darkness must flee
He rose up, He rose up for me.
He rose up to heaven, He rose
Ascended beyond other thrones
My Friend in high places
My Fountain of graces
Exalted, my Heavenly Plea
He rose up, He rose up for me.
I rise up, I rise up in Him
Emboldened in spite of all sin
In Jesus attaining
My destiny – reigning
Exalted, with angels to sing
I rise up, I rise up in Him
.
100 King James Phrases in 3 minutes
Why not share this around, see if it might drum up business for the book.
The words with references are below...
Ode to an evangelical sage (repost)
O thou brain -- exalted, senior,
Holding forth from pulpit's throne.
Feed us with thy academia,
Meted out in monotone.
‘We could never,
‘We could never,
‘Plumb such myst'ries on our own.'
Hear the classics now recited,
Tumbling from thy tutored lips.
Nooks ignored are now ignited,
By thy greek and latin quips.
‘O how richly
‘O how richly,
‘Wisdom from each sentence drips.'
Teach us frames to fathom glory,
Scriptures' tale doth not agree.
Pure distil the Jesus story,
Into subtle sophistry.
‘All was darkness
‘All was darkness,
‘Till thou spoke and now we see.'
Pompous, ponderous, proud, pretentious,
Leaning o'er thy preacher's perch.
Pressing out the sap that quenches,
Thirst for knowledge, Eden's search.
‘Breathe thy wisdom
‘Breathe thy wisdom
‘Till inflated is thy church'
O thou noble mind pray guide us,
Through the darkness and the lies.
Warn us from thy foul deriders,
We shall fear, avoid, despise.
‘Raise a banner
‘Raise a banner
‘We shall chant thy tribal cries.'
How to mark our true devotion?
What could ever count as praise?
But to clone thy stale emotion,
Forced to feign thy learned ways.
‘Where's my pulpit?
‘Where's my pulpit?
‘I'll abide there all my days.'
Marching strong into the brightness,
Resolute, we set our face.
Staunch persistence, clothed in rightness,
Rectitude, our saving grace.
‘Call us onward
‘Call us onward
‘Grimly to our resting place.'
Then one day in vindication,
Face to face at last we'll see
Precious few in that location,
Gathered with thy coterie.
‘Now receive us
‘Now receive us
‘To thy ‘ternal library.'
.
The tune for Praise My Soul works
.
.
A poetical, audio-visual, King-James-themed something or other… Help!
I'm a bit stuck. I've written a poem to mark the 400th anniversary of the Authorized Version. It crams in 100 phrases that have passed into (more or less) common parlance in the space of about 3 minutes.
I'd like to turn it into a video where I speak it to screen and for that to be a quick "grabber" which will make people want to find out more - e.g. order my upcoming evangelistic book based on KJV, go to an evangelistic event based on KJV, or visit the King's English.
First I need you to cast a critical eye over the poem (below). If it's rubbish, there's no point going ahead with anything else. If it can be improved let me know how.
Next I'd need help with the video. I'm thinking of delivering it to camera - and a tally of the verses can go up as I speak. There are different ways I could film it. One that appeals to me, but it's technically difficult, begins in a pulpit just off Brighton's funky shopping district (the Lanes). Then I walk through the Lanes (cameraman with steady-cam walking backwards along with boom operator) to the pier. It gives the idea of the word of God going out into the world.
But, for that I'd need specialized kit - a steady-cam and a boom mic in particular. Any ideas about how I can lay hands on this and/or on any other video expertise?
Any better ideas about how to shoot it?
Help!
Poem below...
...continue reading "A poetical, audio-visual, King-James-themed something or other… Help!"
“Son of mud” a sonnet
Over at King's English Michael Mates has written a wonderful sonnet in response to this post.
Son of mud
And other crud
Lift up your eyes
For you shall rise.Conceived in dirt,
Be bold to flirt
With Light who woos
What once was ooze.Man of dust,
It’s time to trust
Your Maker’s thumb
And, soft, succumb.Let Him weep for you today,
For wetted dust is yielding clay.
Thank you Michael!