A vineyard

After Isaiah 5:1-7

Walking the vineyard at night

one can almost smell the grapes ripening

in vain, only the smells of the night

prevail, the smell

of darkness, the smell of dew,

the smell of moonlight touching the vines,

highlighting the tangles of branches

and stems. Only in daylight can one see

the ripening. Only in daylight

can one know which grape to test,

to taste, to feel the explosion of flavor.

The vineyard that was planted

is the vineyard turned bad.

the fruit is bad, unusable even

for poor, cheap wine. The ground is

cursed, producing only briers

and thorns. The vineyard

that was planted is the vineyard

unharvested, abandoned.

Photograph by Paul Brennan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

Saturday Good Reads

I love old books. I have a couple of bookshelves in our basement full of them, and quite a few in the two rooms upstairs where most of the books reside. Michael Hyatt suggests that reading old books can actually give us a new perspective (as in, we’re not as smart as we think we are).

Writing isn’t just about writing – quite a few non-writing tasks accompany every writing project and career. Charity Craig as two posts on the subject. And Shannon Watkins is discovering a new trend in academic English departments – graphic novels (and that’s a problem). Tom McAllister wonders if the traditional literary journal may be ripe for something new.

Good poetry this week, and photography, too. And an article on how the Jewish song “Have Nagila” became as well-known as it is.

Ever wonder what the British did with the collection at London’s National Gallery during World war II? Or if it’s possible to love your ideological enemy (Karen Swallow Prior says yes).

And a hymn written for the Reformation’s anniversary this year.

Writing

A Space Ripe for Experimentation: The Future of Print Literary Journals – Tom McAllister at The Millions.

5 Strategies for Writers to Manage Non-Writing Tasks and 5 Non-Writing Tasks Writers Need to Master – Charity Singleton Craig.

Graphic Novels Are Trending in English Departments, and That’s a Problem – Shannon Watkins at the James Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

A Plea to Christian Publishers on Behalf of Their Authors – Tim Challies.

Art and Photography

Spring Wildflowers of Raccoon Cove – Tim Good at Photography by Tiwago.

Towards Immateriality: The Photographs of Davis Conison – Abstract Mag TV (Hat Tip: J.L. Jacobs).

Forget-Me-Not – Susan Etole.

Poetry

May 18, 1980 – Daniel Baker at Altarwork.

The Spirit of Promise – Daniel Donaghy at Image Journal.

Shelf Protection – Jerry Barrett at Gerald the Writer.

Dresses – Barbara MacKenzie at Signed…BKM.

Historical Consciousness & ‘The Roman Road’ by Thomas Hardy – Christopher Morrissey at The Imaginative Conservative.

Monday Muse: Poet Melissa Green – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

Life and Culture

Public Discourse in the Age of Social Media – Chris Martin at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Cognoscenti & the Apologetics of Curiosity – Kate Thomsen Gremillion at Literary Life.

Have Nagila’s Long, Strange Trip – Dr. James Loeffler at My Jewish Learning.

Friendly: My Life and Remaining Questions – Loren Paulsson at World Narratives.

How Reading Old Books Gives Us New Perspective – Michael Hyatt.

Faith

Not Swayed – Jeff Selph at Selph Promotion.

How to Love Your Ideological Enemy – Karen Swallow Prior at Literary Life.

How the Protestant Reformation Renewed Our Church, Our Work, and Society – Hugh Whelchel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

Bright Possibilities – Jody Lee Collins at Altarwork.

British Stuff

Where did the National Gallery hide its works during World War II? – London Review of Books (video).

The Frome Hoard and Its Impact – Same Morehead at The British Museum.

Reformation Hymn – Text by Chris Anderson, Tune by Bob Kauflin

(Lyrics can be found here.)

Painting: Woman reading, oil on canvas by Francesca Serra Castellet.

Not given to visions

After Isaiah 2:1-5, 4:2

I’m not one given to visions,

comets, falling stars, earthquakes,

or nirvana, but I did see

a mountain, once, a mountain

rising among its fellows, thrusting

its way upward and elbowing others

aside until it was the tallest,

the biggest, the most expansive. Sitting

atop was a temple, with rivers

of people streaming into it. That

was the sum total of my vision,

nothing else until I joined

one of the streams and sang with them:

Empty our hands

fill our hearts

touch our souls

shape our minds

fill our hands with work

Photograph by Kevin Phillips via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.