We read that the Word spoke forth creation, but I’m not so sure creation wasn’t sung into being…/Leemos que la Palabra habló sobre la creación, pero no estoy tan seguro de que la creación no haya sido cantada para existir...—Abigail Carroll from “Genesis”
“Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful,” said poet Rita Dove. Poetry, in itself, “is a way of thinking and imaging the world,” as Michael Edwards talks about in his book, The Bible and Poetry.
As we have had a focus on prayer these past couple weeks, turning to pray the Bible as poetry, the psalms are a good place to start. In seeing the psalms through the eyes of poetry we will “find ourselves constantly in the presence of writings that invite us into the joy of words, into a well-shaped language,” as Edwards submits, that “awakens us to expectation”—a hopeful expectation that can deepen our prayer.
The psalms are beautiful, but they can be intense at times. Nan Merrill rewrites the psalms in her book Psalms for Praying, remaking the conversation to be less harsh while retaining their essence as in her interpretation of Psalm 5 below.
Praying the Psalms: An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan Merrill: Give ear to my words, O my Beloved;/give heed to my groaning./Listen to the sound of my cry,/my Love, Heart of my heart,/for to You do I pray./O my Beloved, in the morning/You hear my voice;/throughout the day, I offer myself to You;/I wait for you in silence./For You are love and You delight/in goodness;/all that is of love walks with You.
Showcasing SHA talent: I said psalms, Gisele in 4th said palms. For Palm Sunday, of course.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
5th Grade Aide