Poetry in Faith & Worship

 

Poetry’s place as part of mainstream Christian worship practice has perhaps not always been fully recognised or appreciated in the past. Certain events, such as Remembrance Sunday which this year falls on November 14^th, have traditionally included poetry readings such as Wilfred Owen’s, Dulce et decorum Est or John McCrae’s hauntingly beautiful, In Flanders Fields.

 

In recent years however poetry has begun to feature more and more in services outside Remembrance both in traditional but also more modern styles of worship. As a Methodist Worship Leader, I sometimes include poetry within my services but not always where you might expect.

 During an Epiphany service I led in January 2020 (definitely pre-pandemic), I read the poem Ballad of the Bread Man by Charles Causley (1917-2003) which is his take on the Gospel stories from the birth of Christ and the epiphany, through to his crucifixion and resurrection but using modern imagery and language. Some may question the appropriateness of it but my reasoning then – and still – is that we should not be afraid to find new ways of sharing God’s Holy word if it resonates with those who may find traditional liturgy stifling or even dare I say it – boring!

 English literature has had more than its fair share of poets who were also Priests from John Donne (1572-1631), George Herbert (1593-1633), Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889) R.S Thomas (1913-2000) to modern Poet/Priests such as Malcolm Guite (b.1957). There have also been poets who have written about faith and spirituality in their work, one of my favourites being the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), who is most famous perhaps for the poem In the Bleak Midwinter later set to music and now a popular Christmas Carol. Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984) was a modern 20^th century poet who also liked to reference his deep Christian Faith in his work particularly with regard to his beloved Cornwall. Any and all of these poets and their works could be deemed suitable for use in worship given the right occasion.

 When leading worship on Remembrance Sunday I usually use as my text Matthew 6:25-34 with its theme of, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” 

In this reading Jesus tells his disciples that worrying will not add a single hour to your life (v.27) and worrying about clothing is likewise just as futile (v.28). The use of the metaphor of the lilies in the field is intended to show that their beauty is such that not even Solomon in all his finery could compare with them (v.29) but yet – can easily be destroyed by a God who if we allow, can clothe us in something far more substantial despite our lack of faith (v.30). 

Verse 34 is key to this text; “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” 

 This central message is one which has been a constant throughout the ages up to and including today, yet we still seem unable to grasp it fully.

For those of a pacifist persuasion, Remembrance Sunday is often challenging and will prefer to use in worship poems where love, peace and reconciliation are the central themes. While we have the luxury of hindsight some 80-100 years later to debate the justification or not of those conflicts this country participated in, what we can say is that whatever the circumstances, there were those who stepped forward in that moment in time – today’s troubles - who saw it as their duty to do so in the hope of better tomorrows.

One such was Geoffrey Anklett Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929), an Anglican priest who served as a chaplain in the trenches on the Western Front in the First World War. Better known by his nickname of Woodbine Willie, for his habit of handing out cigarettes to the soldiers he ministered to. He was also the recipient of the Military Cross and was known for his habit of going into no-man's-land in the thick of a battle, to comfort wounded soldiers. He was also a poet and wrote arguably his most famous work, Solomon in all his Glory, based on this bible reading from Matthew. In this, he saw the torn and bloodied Khaki uniforms of wounded and dying soldiers as being worthy of comparison with the beauty of the lilies of the field and of Solomon in all his glorious finery, and how in the noble cause of duty and sacrifice, they became like the bloodied robes of Jesus Christ.

 

Solomon in All his Glory

Still I see them coming, coming

In their ragged broken line,

Walking wounded in the sunlight,

Clothed in majesty divine.

For the fairest of the lilies

That God’s summer ever sees,

Ne’er was clothed in royal beauty

Such as decks the least of these.

Tattered, torn and bloody khaki,

Gleams of white flesh in the sun,

Raiment worthy of their beauty

And the great things they have done.

Purple robes and snowy linen

Have for earthly kings sufficed,

But these bloody, sweaty tatters

Were the robes of Jesus Christ.

 I have used this poem as part of Remembrance Sunday reflections as well as in Bible studies and in monthly devotions at this time of year and I’m sure others have too.

 Poetry in whatever format or style or occasion does have a place in our faith and worship practices not just on Remembrance Sunday important though it is. Whatever your interest in or knowledge of poetry, there is plenty of suitable material which can be adapted for use in worship throughout the year if you so choose, and there are innumerable resources available in both Christian and non-Christian publications, so get googling.  

Michael Cronogue originally from London now resides in Walsall in West Midlands region of UK. Writer and blogger discussing matters of faith and theology on his website www.michaelcronogue.com

 He is also a regular contributor to Black Country Urban Industrial Mission (www.bcuim.co.uk) writing on workplace chaplaincy issues. He blogs creatively at https://blackcountrylondoner.wordpress.com