UCC Musicians Association - Inviting the Poet's Voice into Worship

Inviting the Poet's Voice into Worship

By Rev. Dr. Carrie Call

I often think of good liturgy as good poetry. Both have intentional silence and pauses while also employing curated words (and music) to invite us into a place where we might see the world in a new way; a place where our emotions will be engaged, our spirits kindled, and our hearts or minds open to change. What might happen, then, if the worship planner(s) intentionally introduced poetry into a worship service? Could poetry enhance worship life? I believe that it can, and as an art form used for centuries in religious life, poetry works with music and prose to open our imaginations and draw us closer to the mystery that is God.

Of course, our worship is already suffused with poetry in the form of psalms and hymns. For many, the first poetry we learn could be as simple as Anna Bartlett Warner's 1859 ditty "Jesus loves me/this I know/for the Bible tells me so."¹ Or, as adults, we might lose ourselves singing the haunting words of Christina Rosetti's 1872 poem, "In the bleak midwinter/frosty winds made moan/earth stood hard as iron/water like a stone."² The rhyming poetry of hymnody and the physical engagement in singing bring us to a different place, facilitating healing and comfort.³ In similar fashion, we learn psalms as poetic language to carry with us. The well-known verses of Psalm 23 (NRSV), "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me/all the days of my life/and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord/forever" can serve as a comforting poetic fragment, a mantra, or lectio divina.

Given our knowledge of hymnody and the psalms, what might non-musical, non-biblical religious poetry bring if introduced and used intentionally as a centering reading prior to worship, a prayer during worship, or a closing benediction? Poetry operates differently in the brain than prose, opening minds to greater introspection.⁴ Shared poetry can heighten the worship experience by refracting words from a different angle, allowing us to see a theme or narrative from a new perspective. If this encourages greater introspection, worship may speak to or touch us in novel ways.

For example, using a poem at the beginning of the service before the prelude (and having it printed in the bulletin or on the screen) is an effective way of centering and focusing the congregation. Denise Levertov's "On the Mystery of the Incarnation" works well for this purpose at the beginning of an Advent service centered on the incarnation – such as the Annunciation story. Levertov writes regarding the mystery and miracle of God entering human flesh,

It's when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do, and shudder to
know
the taint in our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind's shell and enters the
heart:
not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts
as guest, as brother
the Word.⁵

Levertov's contemporary poetry is deeply spiritual and provocative. This poem may encourage us to look inward and reflect anew on the miracle of the incarnation. With similar depth, Rainer Marie Rilke is familiar to many for his luminous poetry about God. Rilke published his Book of Hours in 1899, which still speaks today. Many of his words fit naturally into worship. Reflecting on God, Rilke writes,

…We become so accustomed to you
we no longer look up
when your shadow falls over the book we are reading
and makes it glow. For all things
sing you: at times
we just hear them more clearly.⁶

Poetry can provide gravitas and reaffirm a theme or message at the close of a service as well. The first Sunday in Advent includes lighting the Advent wreath candle symbolizing hope. Jan Richardson's poem Rough Translations is an excellent closer, reading in part, "Hope where we had ceased to hope./Hope amid what threatens hope./Hope with those who feed our hope./Hope beyond what we had hoped."⁷ The entire poem/blessing is also effective in special services in other seasons. Richardson's poetry and blessings add a reimagined form of spiritual reflection to worship. Her book Circle of Grace is especially useful as it is divided into sections based on Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Richardson's words in "Blessed Are You Who Bear the Light" are fitting for Advent and Epiphany, or even during a time of national crisis or instability,

Blessed are you
who bear the light
in unbearable times
who testify
to its endurance
amid the unendurable
who bear witness
to its persistence
when everything seems
in shadow
and grief.⁸

These words can move hearts and spark inspiration differently than scripture. They are novel, contemporary, easily understandable, and speak to current reality in a way formal prose may not.

Using poetry as a prayer in a liturgy is a simple way of pulling in the poet's voice. Mary Oliver, a beloved American poet, works well for this purpose. Her 2006 book Thirst contains pages of possibilities for worship. In section 5 of Oliver's poem, "More Beautiful than the Honey Locust Are the Words of the Lord," she composes her own prayer,

All day I watched the sky changing from blue to blue.
For You are forever
and I am like a single day that passes.
All day I think thanks for this world,
for the rocks and the tips of the waves,
for the tupelos and the fading roses.
For the wind.
For You are forever
while I am like a single day that passes.
You are the heart of the Cedars of Lebanon
and the fir called Douglas,
the bristle cone, and the willow.⁹

Oliver's poetry works in a variety of spaces and is a natural fit in any service with a focus on the beauty and wonder of creation.

A special reading using poetry close to the reading of scripture and the sermon can open scripture and biblical narratives, expanding insight and emotional response. A poet's reflection on the scripture of the day (or the topic of the scripture) offers a parallel voice, drawing ancient words into contemporary life. Consider poetry written by Karen Georgia Thompson (our current UCC General Minister and President) that fits alongside Ezekiel 37. The piece, blooming bones, is a meditation on the valley of dry bones and includes references to whose bones might be in the valley, musing, "is this pile of whiteness/African Ancestors long passed?/our black and brown children/prematurely taken/mistaken as threat?" After wending a way through the valley, the poem ends with the strong visual of the title,

these bones live
from them emerge petals 
blooming bones 
in the valley 
a new generation 
watching hope emerge 
standing in the valley 
staring at these bones 
prophesying truth.¹⁰

In a similar vein, Scott Cairns is a contemporary poet whose work offers an edgy slant to biblical themes. In response to Jesus' command to "love your enemies" in Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV), his poem "Possible Answers to Prayer" challenges,

… Your angers, your zeal, your lipsmackingly
righteous indignation toward the many
whose habits and sympathies offend you –
These must burn away before you'll apprehend
How near I am, with what fervor I adore
precisely these, the several who rouse your passion.¹¹

Poetry, whether new or old, benign or challenging, helps create a unique experience of worship. Coming to know poetry and connecting it to worship is a skill learned over time, like music. Church musicians carry within them a library of anthems, hymns, composers, and melodies. Poetry works in much the same way. Including poetry in worship requires practice and understanding of the tone and flow of the liturgy. The key is to find those within your community who love poetry. Ask two or three if they might consider working with the worship team or planner to select poems to introduce to the congregation. Some poetry lovers may already have a few they would be happy to share. If not, there are published anthologies available of religious poetry and excellent websites, including a library of religious/spiritual poetry and poetry posted on the Salt Project blog.

The world of poetry is rich and deep. Sharing it with intention will open imaginations, encourage introspection, and add color to the tapestry of worship.

Rev. Carrie Call, Ph.D. is the Conference Minister of the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ. She has been reading and writing poetry since she was 12 years old and now facilitates two Poetry as Prayer clergy groups, one of which has met monthly since 2020. Alongside Conference work, poetry remains a consistent passion. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Cornell University, as well as an M.Div. from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. She lives in Lancaster, PA, with her husband, Randall.