Poetry

I’ve never thought of myself as a “poetry guy.” My interests haven’t reached beyond elementary school memorization of “In Flanders Fields,” and a few Psalms, or so I thought. But, recently, doses of self-awareness have caused me to drop from the ranks of “prose only.”

First, in the middle of the night, between Saturday and Sunday, I was awakened by the lyrics of a more than century old poem by Anne S. Murphy, “Constantly Abiding.” I haven’t sung that tune for more than a decade, but it was “There,” in the recesses of my spirit, every word, and wonderful memories of the arenas in which I learned it. Even though more than 100 years old, “Constantly Abiding,” is as contemporary as tomorrow.

There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave,
A peace it cannot take away;
Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,
I’ve a peace that has come here to stay!

Refrain:
Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly abiding, rapture divine;
He never leaves me lonely, whispers, oh, so kind:
“I will never leave thee”—Jesus is mine.

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,
When peace sweetly came to my heart;
Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,
Blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,
While here on His footstool I roam;
But He’s coming to take me some glorious day,
Over there to my heavenly home!

After rolling over, dozing off again, and reawakening to the lyric, tune and truth, I thought, “This is a great Advent hymn.” The Emmanuel theme is imbedded throughout, the “Savior” and “King” truths are rich. Let’s begin singing the poem again – this week!

Another experience chipped away at my “not-a-poetry-kind-of-guy” posture. My friend Chris Rainey published Touching Other Worlds: A Collection of Poems. Chris was a high school football quarterback and a Marine. He enjoys the outdoors, is a serious Bible teacher, pastor and scholar. Few probably have seen the poet side of Chris.

Chris’ poetry reeled me into an appreciation for another kind of communication and art form. I heartily recommend reading, musing and praying through the ideas, truths and insights into human behavior Chris Rainey’s lines will provoke. I found them moving, deeply challenging. His boyhood story, experiences in New York City, and relationships with family are all enriching and sometimes sobering.

I rarely endorse items with commercial connections. However, I make an exception and recommend you purchase Touching Other Worlds. It is available at Touching Other Worlds at Barnes and Nobel or Touching Other Worlds at Amazon. And, no, Chris has not asked me to do this and we will not receive financial remuneration. I just like sharing good things!