Poets & Saints

Scripture   Genesis 12:2 (NRSVUE)    I will make of you a great nation,   and I will bless you, and make your name great,   so that you will be a blessing. Refrain   The blessing I receive becomes the blessing I give. Quote / Poem   John O’Donohue    “May the gifts you have been given   find their way into the world.&n...

Scripture   Isaiah 41:10 (NRSVUE)    Do not fear, for I am with you;   do not be afraid, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you, I will help you;   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Refrain   God holds me when I cannot hold myself. Quote / Poem   Frederick Buechner    “Faith is not a clenched fist&nbs...

Scripture   Psalm 32:10 (NRSVUE)    Many are the torments of the wicked,   but steadfast love surrounds   those who trust in the Lord. Refrain   I am surrounded by mercy. Quote / Poem   Julian of Norwich    “God is nearer to us than our own soul,   for we are endlessly held   in His vast and tender mercy.&nbs...

Scripture   Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSVUE)    Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,   whose trust is the Lord.   They shall be like a tree planted by water,   sending out its roots by the stream.   It shall not fear when heat comes,   and its leaves shall stay green;   in the year of drought it is not anxious,  ...

Scripture   Psalm 119:105 (NRSVUE)    Your word is a lamp to my feet   and a light to my path. Refrain   God guides me one step at a time. Quote / Poem   Eugene Peterson    “God’s direction is not a spotlight   that floods the horizon with certainty.   It is a lamp—   small enough to carry,   bright...

Scripture   Psalm 51:10 (NRSVUE)    Create in me a clean heart, O God,   and put a new and right spirit within me. Refrain   God renews me from the inside out. Quote / Poem   Howard Thurman    “There is in every person   a quiet center,   a place of renewal   where God whispers life again.   Return...

Scripture   Isaiah 43:1 (NRSVUE)    But now thus says the Lord…   “I have called you by name,   you are mine.” Refrain   I am the one God loves. Quote / Poem   Brennan Manning    “Define yourself radically   as one beloved by God.   This is the true self   every other voice tries to silence. &n...

Scripture   1 Corinthians 6:19 (NRSVUE)    Do you not know that your body is a temple   of the Holy Spirit within you,   which you have from God…? Refrain   God dwells in this body. Quote / Poem   Hildegard of Bingen    “Your body is a sacred vessel,   alive with the breath of God.   Do not despise the earth...

Scripture   Psalm 27:8 (NRSVUE)    You have said, “Seek my face.”   My heart says to you,   “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Refrain   My desire draws me toward God. Quote / Poem   John of the Cross    “In the desire of the heart   God is already present.   For longing is the humble doorway   through w...

Scripture   1 Kings 19:12 (NRSVUE)    …and after the earthquake a fire,   but the Lord was not in the fire;   and after the fire   a sound of sheer silence. Refrain   God meets me in the quiet. Quote / Poem   Kathleen Norris    “Silence is not the absence of God—   it is the presence of God unforced. &nb...

Scripture   2 Corinthians 4:6 (NRSVUE)    For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”   who has shone in our hearts   to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God   in the face of Jesus Christ. Refrain   Love shines through everything. Quote / Poem   Julian of Norwich    “The love of God cr...

Scripture   1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSVUE)    Give thanks in all circumstances,   for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Refrain   Gratitude opens my heart to God. Quote / Poem   Mary Oliver    “It is a serious thing   just to be alive   on this fresh morning   in this broken world.   I...

Scripture   Colossians 1:17 (NRSVUE)    He himself is before all things,   and in him all things hold together. Refrain   All things are held together in Christ. Quote / Poem   Teilhard de Chardin    “By virtue of creation,   and still more of the Incarnation,   nothing here below is profane for those who know how to s...

Scripture   Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE)    Blessed are the peacemakers,   for they will be called children of God. Refrain   I carry peace wherever I go. Quote / Poem   John Lewis    “Peace is not simply the absence of war or tension—   it is the presence of justice,   the manifestation of compassion,   the active p...

Scripture   John 1:4–5 (NRSVUE)    In him was life,   and the life was the light of all people.   The light shines in the darkness,   and the darkness did not overcome it. Refrain   The light within me is the life of God. Quote / Poem   Rabindranath Tagore    “The same stream of life that runs through my veins night an...

Scripture: Ephesians 5:8-9 (NRSVUE) — “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light; for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” Refrain: I turn toward the light and walk in grace. Quote: Wendell Berry: “It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which...

Scripture: Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE) — “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Refrain: I surrender into love. Quote: Thomas Merton: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. I hope I have that desire...

Scripture: Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE) — “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Refrain: In stillness, I remember who I am. Quote: Thomas Keating: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In the silence of the heart, God speaks more than words—She is not limited to s...

Scripture: Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE) — “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Refrain: I release what no longer brings life. Quote: Rainer Maria Rilke: “I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, and I have been circling for thousands of years, and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song. All that matters is tha...

Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSVUE) — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Refrain: Grace meets me in the new beginning. Quote: Jan Richardson “Still, this blessing comes— a quiet breath, a gentle nudge, a hand placed lightly at the small of your back as you move toward what is waiting for you. T...

Scripture   2 Corinthians 3:18 (NRSVUE)    And all of us, with unveiled faces,   seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,   are being transformed into the same image   from one degree of glory to another;   for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. Refrain   I become what I behold in love. Quote / Poem ...

Romans 12:5 (NRSVUE)    So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,   and individually we are members one of another. Refrain   I was made to belong. Quote / Poem   Jean Vanier    “Community is a place of belonging,   a place of vulnerability and trust,   a place where each person’s gift   can be revealed and shared.&...

Scripture   John 20:27 (NRSVUE)    Then he said to Thomas,   “Put your finger here and see my hands.   Reach out your hand and put it in my side.   Do not doubt but believe.” Refrain   Even in my wounds, I am becoming whole. Quote / Poem   Wendell Berry    “Even in the dark,   the hand may be held, &nbsp...

Scripture   Matthew 11:29 (NRSVUE)    Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,   for I am gentle and humble in heart,   and you will find rest for your souls. Refrain   I open my heart to gentleness. Quote / Poem   Macrina Wiederkehr    “I will believe the truth about myself   no matter how beautiful it is. &nbsp...

Scripture   Colossians 3:3 (NRSVUE)    For you have died,   and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Refrain   I am held in the mystery of who I truly am. Quote / Poem   Henri Nouwen    “Spiritual identity means we are not what we do,   not what we have,   not what others say about us.   We are the beloved...