Mr. Frost crafts smooth, flowing iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter, sometimes rhyming but sometimes not. That he makes rhyme work so well demonstrates the excellence of his art; there are only five – arguably six – vowel sounds in English, which rhymed through the pen or keyboard of a learner usually ends in clunkiness or unintended comedy.
“Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee”. Thus begins one of the most well-known, and possibly most debated, prayers in the history of the Church.
She bites into cranky old Pepper-Cat’s tail
(Something so twitchy must surely taste good)
And Pepper-Cat spanks her; oh, what a wail!
(Dear pup, there’s a difference between could and should)…
God’s heart moves at the speed of love.
He is not constrained by the passage of earthly time.
An answer to a plea that may take an eternity to you
is an eternal opening to the gates of grace for him.
I was thinking about Monty Python and the Holy Grail in all its ridiculous glory when I realized that similar skewed logic is used all the time in the real world, as if it were true logic. The conclusion seems sure before the argument, and as often as not, it is to the detriment of others.
J.R.R. Tolkien, a Biography by Humphrey Carpenter is a nice little biography for those who love Tolkien and the Inklings. Humphrey Carpenter’s several biographies are always well-researched and, even when alluding to awkward moments in the subjects’ lives, infinitely kind and generous.
“I want you to steal the Apples of Inspiration.”
Robin nearly choked on his pipe smoke. “Do you realize that that tree only blooms once every seven hundred years? And the gods guard it jealously!”
The theme for the Winter 2021 issue is Corporal Works of Mercy. These are to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to travelers, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, and to bury the dead. We want to know – what do these ideas mean to you personally? How do you see them in your church, in your life and in the lives of others?
In these pages you will learn about how what ministry means to different people and how authority works in different denominations. You will find non-fiction, poetry, puzzles, book and media recommendations, and a new look at Frozen II. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Books are secret places where words go to hide
When the world goes wrong, and children are hurt
By grownups who never learned how to read or love
Or even tell funny stories around the campfire…
…the king sent out a proclamation, decreeing that whosoever discovered the secret of the holes in the princesses’ shoes would be rewarded greatly. One day, not long after the king sent out his proclamation, Jack and his mother decided to see if the king could help them with their financial problems by selling him their cow….
Censorship is the control of public speech by a government agency; it has always existed and always will. Even the freest government cannot allow state secrets to be published. Censorship, when kept in its legal place, is good; when it is not kept in its legal place, it is bad.
Perhaps that’s all the fire they’ve got this year
Obediently yapping into the dark
In camouflage knee-pants and plastic shoes
Both sides agreeing only in their hate…
The biggest pile that e’re was seen
Of pots, pans, dishes, stacked and unclean,
Nigh on three feet of the countertop covering
I must begin soon ‘fore fruit flies start hovering!
Bitter Old Men Yelping at Each Other:
My country, ‘tis of thee
“Get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap!”
Sweet land of liberty
“What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name!”
Once upon a time, a great king wanted to send his son to live among his people to save them from their wretched ways. First, he chose a woman to care for his child, and then he chose a man to take of them both. They were the poorest of the poor, but the purest to be found anywhere.