Poetry for Preachers, B-Day for Dickinson

Issues, Etc. Buttongreat free widgetsWidgetbox

Member's Blogs

Confessional Lutheran Blogs
Our thanks to Orycteropus Afer, of Aardvark Alley. He does the tedious work of maintaining the following Confessional Lutheran Blogroll, and makes the results available to other bloggers.

Other Blogs

CyberStones--A Lutheran Blog

	Highlight posts younger than:
	Blog Home \| RSS 2.0

Currently browsing thread: Poetry for Preachers, B-Day for Dickinson Petersen Dec 10, 2009 07:41:02

Poetry for Preachers, B-Day for Dickinson
Petersen email Posted on: Dec 10, 2009 07:41:02	Thanks again to the Writer's Almanac I learned that today is Emily Dickinson's birthday. They provided one of my favorite quotes from her: "If I read a book [and] it makes my whole body so cold no fire ever can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." Franzmann used that line in a sermon once to describe revelation. When God reveals Himself to us in His Word we feel as though the tops of our heads were taken off. His point, like Dickinson's, is that we know it when it happens. Dickinson is a good entry point for those of you (especially you preachers!) who think you don't like poetry. Try this one: I NEVER LOST AS MUCH BUT TWICE by Emily Dickinson NEVER lost as much but twice, And that was in the sod; Twice have I stood a beggar Before the door of God! Angels, twice descending, Reimbursed my store. Burglar, banker, father, I am poor once more! I like to say that poetry is more about the sound, the words, than the meaning, (which is why I don't think of hymns as poetry, though, of course, they are) but that is not completely true. There is meaning. What makes poetry poetry is that the meaning is conveyed is a powerful way and elicits an emotional response. Poetry hits us in such a way that it feels as though the top of your head is blown off, in a good way. In the poem above, Dickinson is sad at the death of a friend or family member. She thinks of two other times she mourned and how she stood as a beggar before the door of God, begging for her friends back or for comfort or for justice, for something. God provided by sending His angels who reimbursed double for her loss. Then she says a prayer to to God, "Burglar, banker, father," and makes her petition by implication, without actually stating it, saying only : "I am poor once more," which is to say, God, help me. Comfort me again. She sees herself, of course, as a sort of modern Job, or, at least, wants the sort of comfort and hope that was given to Job in his sorrow. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. He is a burglar. But He is also a banker. Job suffered greatly but was given back twice as much as he had lost from God's store. He lost 100 cattle, he got 200 cattle, and so forth. But he lost 10 children and only got 10 back. 2 for 1 with cows and sheep and land, but not children. He only got back 10. Why? Because 10 was double. The first ten were gone but not dead. They had passed through death and into life. They were being saved, stored, by the Banker God for Job in heaven. Thus God is a burglar who takes away, but He is also a banker who stores up our treasures, and our loved ones, in heaven. This Message, brought by messengers, that is, angels, brings comfort, even though it still leaves us poor. We are poor, but we have hope. We will get back what we have lost. The Lord taketh away. But the Lord also giveth. And this burglar, banker God is also Father. What He takes away and stores for us He does with wisdom and in compassion, for our good, the strengthening of our character and faith. He knows what is best and we do not, thus we wait to see how the Lord is good and what He will do, in the confidence that if we ask for bread He will not give us a snake. I love the final statement, no petition, just a complaining exclamation. "I am poor once more!" She will let God do what He will, be the Burglar, Banker, Father, do what is best, what is good, as He has done before, as He did for Job and all the saints, as He will do for her. There are powerful ideas in this poem. But the ideas must take form, must be borne in words. The same thing said a different way would fail if not completely, at least partially, and would almost certainly not be remembered. Listen, preachers. There are lessons here enough for a lifetime of preaching. Dickinson, btw, is a good entry point into the world of poetry because her poems are short, and though profound and beautiful, almost always simple. She is as accessible as Robert Frost, but he where he is formal and proper at all times, Dickinson is as free in her words as the birds, both she and Frost, so loved. Happy Birthday, Emily. I love your work. I so hope to meet you in heaven. I want to thank you probably for the joy you've given me and for the comfort I've known in you in my own poverty.

Poetry for Preachers, B-Day for Dickinson

Petersen
email
Posted on:
Dec 10, 2009 07:41:02

Thanks again to the Writer's Almanac I learned that today is Emily Dickinson's birthday. They provided one of my favorite quotes from her:

"If I read a book [and] it makes my whole body so cold no fire ever can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry."

Franzmann used that line in a sermon once to describe revelation. When God reveals Himself to us in His Word we feel as though the tops of our heads were taken off. His point, like Dickinson's, is that we know it when it happens.

Dickinson is a good entry point for those of you (especially you preachers!) who think you don't like poetry. Try this one:

I NEVER LOST AS MUCH BUT TWICE
by Emily Dickinson

NEVER lost as much but twice,
And that was in the sod;
Twice have I stood a beggar
Before the door of God!

Angels, twice descending,
Reimbursed my store.
Burglar, banker, father,
I am poor once more!

I like to say that poetry is more about the sound, the words, than the meaning, (which is why I don't think of hymns as poetry, though, of course, they are) but that is not completely true. There is meaning. What makes poetry poetry is that the meaning is conveyed is a powerful way and elicits an emotional response. Poetry hits us in such a way that it feels as though the top of your head is blown off, in a good way.

In the poem above, Dickinson is sad at the death of a friend or family member. She thinks of two other times she mourned and how she stood as a beggar before the door of God, begging for her friends back or for comfort or for justice, for something. God provided by sending His angels who reimbursed double for her loss. Then she says a prayer to to God, "Burglar, banker, father," and makes her petition by implication, without actually stating it, saying only : "I am poor once more," which is to say, God, help me. Comfort me again.

She sees herself, of course, as a sort of modern Job, or, at least, wants the sort of comfort and hope that was given to Job in his sorrow. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. He is a burglar. But He is also a banker. Job suffered greatly but was given back twice as much as he had lost from God's store. He lost 100 cattle, he got 200 cattle, and so forth. But he lost 10 children and only got 10 back. 2 for 1 with cows and sheep and land, but not children. He only got back 10. Why? Because 10 was double. The first ten were gone but not dead. They had passed through death and into life. They were being saved, stored, by the Banker God for Job in heaven.

Thus God is a burglar who takes away, but He is also a banker who stores up our treasures, and our loved ones, in heaven. This Message, brought by messengers, that is, angels, brings comfort, even though it still leaves us poor. We are poor, but we have hope. We will get back what we have lost. The Lord taketh away. But the Lord also giveth.

And this burglar, banker God is also Father. What He takes away and stores for us He does with wisdom and in compassion, for our good, the strengthening of our character and faith. He knows what is best and we do not, thus we wait to see how the Lord is good and what He will do, in the confidence that if we ask for bread He will not give us a snake.

I love the final statement, no petition, just a complaining exclamation. "I am poor once more!" She will let God do what He will, be the Burglar, Banker, Father, do what is best, what is good, as He has done before, as He did for Job and all the saints, as He will do for her.

There are powerful ideas in this poem. But the ideas must take form, must be borne in words. The same thing said a different way would fail if not completely, at least partially, and would almost certainly not be remembered. Listen, preachers. There are lessons here enough for a lifetime of preaching.

Dickinson, btw, is a good entry point into the world of poetry because her poems are short, and though profound and beautiful, almost always simple. She is as accessible as Robert Frost, but he where he is formal and proper at all times, Dickinson is as free in her words as the birds, both she and Frost, so loved.

Happy Birthday, Emily. I love your work. I so hope to meet you in heaven. I want to thank you probably for the joy you've given me and for the comfort I've known in you in my own poverty.

Comments...

Dec 10, 2009 11:13:02 Re: Poetry for Preachers, B-Day for Dickinson - Mike Erickson
I also appreciate Writer's Almanac. I am not a big fan of Garrison K but very much like how he reads poems. His voice, inflection, etc. really draw you in to the poem.

All times listed in GMT -6 (DLS) / EST

Comments no longer accepted for this post.

An Orca Script

Current Project

Donate to Redeemer's General Fund

Support Cyberstones Hosting Costs

Bad Bot Trap: Clicking this link may cause your ip to be banned.

Cyberstones-A Lutheran Blog

CyberStones--A Lutheran Blog