Author Archives: jackpelham

What is it—This new manna—This joy that comes Fresh with the morningExcept on the very darkest of days—Which I cannot explain—And gives me a nudgeTo start all over again—Even when I had run outThe night beforeAnd had little hope But … Continue reading →

Isn’t it the most remarkable thingThat one person might invite anotherTo come over and help Rearrange the furniture in his heart—

It would be a sinHe saysTo judge the churchesFor their dysfunction. It is not his placeHe saysBut God’sTo declare such opinions.

Whatever else one may make of it allThere is that ever-troubling factThat she does not in fact deserve The treatment she gets. And then there’s the worse fact stillWhich is that she will probably tendTo believe that she does.

There areTo be heardThe voices ofThe ShepherdOf the other SheepAnd of the ancient Wolf.And even so there are manyTo whom it never occursThat some distinctionOught to be madeBetween them.

I just saw a preacher quote on Facebook: “Salvation is not a reward for the righteous; it is a gift for the guilty.” Adrian Rogers My response was this: “Is there no reward, then, for the righteous?”

He was glad his friend had stepped out to observe with him. “It’s always so interesting,” he mused, “to listen whenever the humans talk about death, because by their very nature, they can hardly know anything about what they’re talking … Continue reading →

I would learn in timeThat it was your policyTo handle me with Tatemae.

It is generally our human privilegeTo create new babiesPassing along our heritage on the EarthAnd making a name for ourselves—For a time at least. And I suppose we don’t think enoughAbout either the import of thatOr the honor of it. … Continue reading →