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?
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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!
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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….
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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.
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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!”
“Is there a vegan option?”
“Are these fish from renewable stocks?”
“Is this bread gluten free?”
“Is this all you’ve got – bread and fish?”
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.
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In practiced unison we again recite
The liturgies of flashlight batteries
Bottled water, paper plates and plastic sporks
And Meals-Ready-To-Eat, though they really aren’t
Have you ever rooted for a character, wishing you could be there to help them in the hard times and to rejoice with them in the good times? We always give that treatment to characters we love, sometimes even the ones we don’t always like, and for good reason.
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As we were finishing our meal and our catching-up, the restaurant manager walked by slowly with an elegant, elderly lady on his arm.
“This is my son,” the elegant lady said to us. “Don’t you think he is handsome?”
He steps into the center of the lobby
He steps up and sends into inner space
Tennis balls Tennis balls Tennis balls
Tennis balls
At the water’s edge he saw a stunning woman playing the flute. Weeds were woven into her glossy, dark hair. She was submerged in the murky water from the waist down. Her delicate fingers skillfully danced upon the flute. Bobert was entranced.
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I eventually watched the movies. That’s when things really started to bother me. What was it with these movies and showing a colorless world? It irked me to no end for I truly enjoy a good splash of color.
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Crinkly, wrinkly pages in a missal
They’re water-stained – how did that come to be?
The sisters came to a sudden stop right before the fairy ring and ducked behind some trees. They gaped as they took in the sight. A spaceship had landed in the fairy ring! It landed perfectly too, the mushrooms looked unharmed by the weight of the ship.
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Have you ever wondered where they got the names for some of their characters, or how close they were, if they didn’t know, to their own faith? There was bound to be some similarities, but I’ll bet you didn’t know that many of their characters were named after saints, whether intentionally or not.
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Book shops offer us civilizations
Democracies of the living and the dead –
Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, and you
Over cups of coffee wrangling meter and rhyme…
LogoSophia Magazine 