Poetry – Page 10

A New Hymnody For A New R2K Church Age

To the tune of “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

This was sent to me by a anonymous subscriber. I merely punched it up a little.

1.Onward 2k Cowards,
Retreating from the war,
With the Word of Jesus
Under lock and store
Christ the Royal Master
Tells his subjects “no!
fight not in the culture wars
Submit to your Nero… “

REFRAIN:

Onward 2k Cowards
Retreating from the war
With the Word of Jesus
Under lock and store.

2. Like a Frenchie army,
runs the Church of God
Brothers we are fleeing
Where Christendom had trod
We are schizophrenic
Split personalities
Contradictions in each realm
Norms without clarity

(REFRAIN)

3. Crowns and thrones may perish
Kingdoms rise and wane
But the church of Jesus
All “Contending” it disdains
Gates of hell need now know
‘Christ’s army never prevails
We read Christ’s own promise as
“Don’t try and you won’t fail”

(REFRAIN)

4. Inward turn ye people
Join our schizoid throng
Blend with ours your voices
In our effete song
Live a life that’s common
In the public spheres
Make no waves you pilgrim folk
Just spend your time in tears

(REFRAIN)

————————————————–

Compare the R2K hymn above to a song in our Psalters that is also sung to the same tune

1 Christ shall have dominion
Over land and sea,
Earth’s remotest regions
Shall His empire be;
They that wilds inhabit
Shall their worship bring;
Kings shall render tribute,
Nations serve our King.

Refrain:

Christ shall have dominion
Over land and sea,
Earth’s remotest regions
Shall His empire be.

2 When the needy seek Him,
He will mercy show;
Yea, the weak and helpless
Shall His pity know.
He will surely save them
From oppression’s might,
For their lives are precious
In His holy sight.

[Refrain]

3 Ever and forever
Shall His name endure;
Long as suns continue
It shall stand secure;
And in him forever
All men shall be blest,
And all nations hail Him
King of kings confessed.

[Refrain]

4 Unto God Almighty
Joyful Zion sings;
He alone is glorious,
Doing wondrous things.
Evermore, ye people,
Bless His glorious name,
His eternal glory
Through the earth proclaim.

[Refrain]

Flander’s Field Re-told By An Anti-Statist

In Legends told the stories grow
Of noble causes marked by poppy rows
These give us status; and with each lie
The policy for which men laid down to die
Disappears amidst the hallow glow
Of Bard tales spun to gloriously show
The rightness of wars fought long ago
So that Memorial doth the truth belie
In Legends told

So, I take up the quarrel with the foe
Who would sanctify unholy rows
By conflating brave men who die
With wicked policies from on high
For such support of those who’ve lied
Only insures that more sons will die
And become part of Legends told

The Heidelberg & God’s Fifth Word

Q. What is God’s will for you
in the fifth commandment?

A. That I honor, love, and be loyal

to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I submit myself with proper obedience to all their good teaching and discipline;1 and also that I be patient with their failings—2 for through them God chooses to rule us.3

1 Ex. 21:17; Prov. 1:8; 4:1; Rom. 13:1-2; Eph. 5:21-22; 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-4:1
2 Prov. 20:20; 23:22; 1 Pet. 2:18
3 Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1-8; Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-21

In God’s fifth word He has set aside
Honor for our family line
Love for our own is His desire
Fidelity to kin, what He requires
God has ordained that we would find
His eternal order where we first abide

In God’s family structure I should learn
The introduction to a godly order
By my parents I’m taught to obey
And instructed to walk in God’s way
This teaching begins in my family borders
So, as years unfold, from God I will not turn

Parental weakness with love is covered
In Parental shortcomings I understand
That through their faults, God sanctifies
So teaching me, that I must mortify
The sin that requires that they meet my demands
And the selfishness in me yet uncovered

———————————

In His fifth Word God has set aside
Honor for our family line
Love for our own is His desire
Fidelity to kin, what He requires
God has ordained that we would find
His eternal order where we first abide

In God’s family structure I learn
The introduction to a godly order
By my parents I’m taught to obey
And instructed to walk in God’s way
My teaching is within my family border
So that from God I will never turn

Parental weakness with love is covered
In Parental shortcomings I understand
That through their faults, God sanctifies
So teaching me, that I must mortify
Sin that requires they meet my demands
And the selfishness in me yet uncovered

Ode To Hot Water

When Hunger brays, at end of day there is always ample fodder
But oh to play, in the massaging spray, of glorious Hot Water
The aches and pains accumulate from working hour after hour
But they become negated, as I’m saturated in a simmering hot shower

Oh sing the praises of heated drops
That insures that I don’t falter
And removes assorted weary stops
All hail to heated water

When cold nips, or freezing wind rips, a fireplace is the cure
But repeated sips, of heated drips, of water clean and pure
Can warm me from the inside out as fine tea melts beneath hot water
And is served to me, to relieve my chill, by compassionate wife or daughter

Oh lift your voice and give thanks
For the invention of heated coiling
And lift your glass to vast storage tanks
That can deliver our water boiling

When its time to clean, in places unseen, it is a thankless task
But cleanliness next to Godliness is a virtue for which to ask
So, thanking God, we turn again to the civilizing hot tap
And hot water aids in our cleaning parade, filling heaven’s gap

Oh tip your hat, and raise a glass
to God’s invention of the Hot Spring
Inspiring men to bring hot water en mass
To homes that men might sing

Hot water, Hot water, Hot water, may we never miss your blessing
You bathe our children, and clean our clothes so that in finery we’re dressing
Hot water, Hot water, Hot water, may we never forget the time
When men spent their days, in stinky ways, forever covered in grime

Turning The Heidelberg Into Poetry

Recently the Church I serve has taken to making its own bulletin after years of buying the bulletin covers from some company. One thing that I did not like about the old bulletins is that they often had poetry on the back that had really bad theology in the poetry. Plus, I was noticing that often people in the Church would cut out the poetry from the bulletin and stick it on their refrigerators. So, on the bulletins we are now making ourselves I am putting my own poetry. I don’t suggest that the quality of my poetry is any better than the quality of the poetry that was on the pre-bought bulletins but I am hopeful that the theology is better.

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 103

What doth God require in the fourth commandment?

Answer. First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; and that I, especially on the sabbath, that is, on the day of rest, diligently frequent the church of God, to hear his word, to use the sacraments, publicly to call upon the Lord, and contribute to the relief of the poor, as becomes a christian. Secondly, that all the days of my life I cease from my evil works, and yield myself to the Lord, to work by his Holy Spirit in me: and thus begin in this life the eternal sabbath.

O Glorious day of festive rest
In all the week the day that’s best
Day of Fellowship with God’s Clan
Day to hear God’s grace to man

Day to taste the wine and grain
Forgiveness swallowed, life proclaimed
God’s people join their voice to pray
And bring their alms on this Holy Day

The Lord’s day has a tale to spin
That I’ve given up my practiced sin
And by the Spirit I am blessed
To work the work that reveals I rest