Today

Lesson
Response
Epistle
Gospel
Four readings of sacred scripture
In a traditional liturgy

I have no illusions about the words I write
They are not scripture
But I have felt kinship with Epistle writers
A letter to the beloved community
A personal essay shared with a small group

History
Law
Wisdom
Prophet
Four genres
within the lesson

More even than the
lyrics of the response
the prophets
are the poets
of the bible

They
speak most eloquently
of the grief of the people

They cut through denial
with the call to reality

In the midst of despair
Isaiah describes
the new thing
God is doing

New heavens
New earth
former things forgotten
Jerusalem rejoicing
people a joy
they shall not hurt
they shall not destroy
you will say that day
thanks to God

It may be
that this is the time
for a new thing
what it is
is yet to be revealed

it may be
a time for prophets
though they are difficult to find
in a world of false prophecy

Still
God
is doing a new thing

I am no poet
I write essays

But today
is no day
for an essay

Copyright (c) 2016 by Ted E. Huffman. I wrote this. If you would like to share it, please direct your friends to my web site. If you'd like permission to copy, please send me an email. Thanks!