Poetry

Lectionary Poetry – 16th Sunday After Pentecost (Year A)


Each week we carefully curate a collection of  poems that resonate with the lectionary readings for that week (Narrative Lectionary and Revised Common Lectionary).
 
 

*** Revised Common Lectionary ***

Lectionary Reading:
Romans 14:1-12

 
 

CLASSIC POEM:

Judge Not
Adelaide Anne Proctor

Judge not; the workings of his brain
And of his heart thou canst not see;
What looks to thy dim eyes a stain,
In God’s pure light may only be
A scar, brought from some well-won field,
Where thou wouldst only faint and yield.

The look, the air, that frets thy sight,
May be a token, that below
The soul has closed in deadly fight
With some infernal fiery foe,
Whose glance would scorch thy smiling grace,
And cast thee shuddering on thy face!

The fall thou darest to despise–
May be the angel’s slackened hand
Has suffered it, that he may rise
And take a firmer, surer stand;
Or, trusting less to earthly things,
May henceforth learn to use his wings.

And judge none lost; but wait, and see,
With hopeful pity, not disdain;
The depth of the abyss may be
The measure of the height of pain
And love and glory that may raise
This soul to God in after days.

*** This poem is in the public domain,
  and may be read in a live-streamed worship service.

 
 

CONTEMPORARY POEM:

Judge Not
Theodore Roethke

SNIPPET:

Faces greying faster than loam-crumbs on a harrow;
Children, their bellies swollen like blown-up paper bags,

[ READ THE FULL POEM ]

 
 

<<<<<< PREV. POEM  |
NEXT POEM >>>>>>


ADVERTISEMENT:
IVP - Nourishing Narratives

ADVERTISEMENT:
L10-Launch Promo Blog Phase 1 CTA 1

 
FREE EBOOK!
Reading for the Common Good
From ERB Editor Christopher Smith


"This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities and the life of the church."
-Karen Swallow Prior


Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter & download your FREE copy of this ebook!
We respect your email privacy


In the News...
Understanding Christian Nationalism: Essential Books [A Reading Guide]
Most Anticipated Books of the Fall for Christian Readers!
Ten Theology Books to Watch For – September 2022
Journalist Barbara Ehrenreich died earlier this month. Here's a few video clips that introduce her work
Hilarious One-Star Customer Reviews of Bibles



One Comment

  1. I have often included poetry in my sermons, so I think this new effort is a wonderful idea!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*