 Andrey Mironov, CC BY-SA 4.0 'The Dawning' by George Herbert Awake sad heart, whom sorrow ever drowns; Take up thine eyes, which feed on earth; Unfold thy forehead gather’d into frowns: Thy Saviour comes, and with him mirth: Awake, awake; And with a thankfull heart his comforts take. But thou dost still lament, and pine, and crie; And feel his death, but not his victorie. Arise sad heart; if thou dost not withstand, Christs resurrection thine may be: Do not by hanging down break from the hand, Which as it riseth, raiseth thee: Arise, Arise; And with his buriall-linen drie thine eyes: Christ left his grave-clothes, that we might, when grief Draws tears, or bloud, not want an handkerchief. From the Paschal Homily of St John Chrysostom: Let none fear death; for death of the Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed death by undergoing death. He has despoiled hell by descending into hell. He vexed it even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he cried: Hell was filled with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below; filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing; filled with bitterness, for it was mocked; filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown; filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains. Hell received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and confronted heaven. O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen! And you, o death, are annihilated! Christ is risen! And the evil ones are cast down! Christ is risen! And the angels rejoice! Christ is risen! And life is liberated! Christ is risen! And the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be Glory and Power, now and forever, and from all ages to all ages. Amen! Andrey Mironov (b. 1975) is a Russian artist. Oil painting: The Resurrection of Lazarus (2011).
George Herbert (1593–1633) was a Welsh poet and an Anglican priest. St John Chrysostom (d. 407) was an early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. Other related work on Foreshadow: Dawn Will Prevail (Music, December 2020)
0 Comments
By Urzula Glienecke On a hill in the city of Edinburgh stands a beautiful, historic church: the Greyfriars Kirk. Just down the hill is its seemingly humbler sister: the Grassmarket Community Project. Humble it might be, but it holds a golden heart. A friend was recently complaining about his 'wayward' son. He said he wondered about taking him 'somewhere like the Grassmarket Project', to 'show him where things could end up'. That stopped me in my tracks. To see the Project as a deterrent example! In fact it is exactly the opposite: the people we do not expect to 'enter the kingdom of God' are those in whom God is present and acting – the very foretaste of the kingdom of God. Yes, many people who come to the Project have addiction issues. Some have had a brush with the law sometime in their lives. Others live with long-term illness or recover after a stroke. Many are foreigners in the country. Many struggle with mental health problems, many are poor and live on benefits. But it is one of the most wonderful places I have experienced. People care for and about each other and their environment. Nobody is judged for what they cannot do. Everybody is supported and welcome. People find belonging after long isolation. People learn new skills that they can use in work life or just do things for fun. People come together to eat, to celebrate and to become a community. Last year we prepared a play comprised of each person telling a story. One man had received a job interview at last, but unfortunately it was at the same time as his hostel's mandatory health check. Because he was not present during the health check, he lost the room and landed on the streets again – and that at Christmas time! But his story ended in kindness: he was welcomed into people's homes. This year we planted a fruit orchard in the Kirkyard, including the Peace Tree, planted with the Sikh community. Recently, a group of six from the Project went to Zambia to help to build a school for girls in a remote, rural area. They did sleep-outs and other fundraising and gathered the money for the trip themselves. Some had never been outside Scotland, some had never been outside Edinburgh. Some struggled with addictions, some with mental health issues. But they did it! And it changed their lives. They had thought they were poor and disadvantaged. Now they saw that having running water is a privilege, that they had so much – enough to live well. But best of all, they saw that they can do something and be cherished and welcomed by people, be wanted and be equal. Urzula Glienecke, PhD, is a Latvian theologian, artist and activist living in Scotland. Urzula is a Member of the Iona Community. She is passionate about social justice, the environment and empowering people at the grassroots level. For more info about the Grassmarket Community Project, visit their website here.
This piece was first published in The Adventure Is Beginning (Wild Goose Publishing) and has been republished here with the author's permission.  The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (1886–1896), James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 'The Invitation' by George Herbert Come ye hither all, whose taste Is your waste; Save your cost, and mend your fare. God is here prepared and dressed, And the feast, God, in whom all dainties are. Come ye hither all, whom wine Doth define, Naming you not to your good: Weep what ye have drunk amiss, And drink this, Which before ye drink is blood. Come ye hither all, whom pain Doth arraign, Bringing all your sins to sight: Taste and fear not: God is here In this cheer, And on sin doth cast the fright. Come ye hither all, whom joy Doth destroy, While ye graze without your bounds: Here is joy that drowneth quite Your delight, As a flood the lower grounds. Come ye hither all, whose love Is your dove, And exalts you to the sky: Here is love, which having breath Ev'n in death, After death can never die. Lord I have invited all, And I shall Still invite, still call to thee: For it seems but just and right In my sight, Where is all, there all should be. James Tissot (1836–1902) was a French artist.
George Herbert (1593–1633) was a Welsh poet and an Anglican priest. By Susan Yanos If I could stand with this yoke and still claim to be free in love and choosing love, free, it is likely I would ignite a flame. Raging at injustice burns just the same, yet rage and love fuse my prophetic plea if I could but take this yoke and still claim I heard right: Will you? Yes. And yes again all these years late. To honor seems my lot and is likely how I’ll ignite this flame. I am tired. Let young men with angels strain. I lock the door, hide, wait for Pentecost, pray till then I can bear this yoke and claim tongues other than my own. But a fool’s shame is to forget she is a fool, a bag of fat and bones which could be set aflame by want. So take me, my bridegroom, my name. Make of me a living lamp in your heart. See: the yoke of restless desire I claim, stretch fingers, toes, heavenward, become all flame. -- Anawim. From the Hebrew root anah, which means “answer,” especially in a demanding or submissive situation. Traditionally, anawim refers to the powerless. Susan Yanos is the author of The Tongue Has No Bone, a book of poems, and Woman, You Are Free: A Spirituality for Women in Luke; and is co-editor and co-author of Emerging from the Vineyard: Essays by Lay Ecclesial Ministers. Her poems, essays and articles have appeared in several journals. A former professor of writing, literature and ministry of writing, she now serves as a spiritual director, retreat leader and freelance editor. She lives with her husband on their farm in east-central Indiana (US), where she creates art quilts and tends to her hens, fruit trees and gardens.
Susan's poem 'God Who Sent the Dove Sends the Hawk' was published on Foreshadow in January 2021.  After clicking 'Play', please wait a few moments for the podcast to load. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple, Google, Podomatic, Player FM and Deezer. Composer Scott Stevens describes his practice of listening inwardly while composing music -- listening to his own hunches, to the wisdom of other people and for the still, small voice of God. He explains how this practice shaped the music he recently composed for the film Sometimes I Shake, about the life and death of jazz musician and teacher Dan Nelson. The conversation includes some of Scott's music. For more info about the film, visit thedanfilm.com. You can also watch short videos Scott has made describing his process the film score here. Scott Stevens is a composer whose versatility stems from eclectic influences. His music is featured in multiple independent film scores as well as ads for Toyota, Saatchi & Saatchi and Red Bull, among others. Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Master’s degree in Global Music Composition from San Diego State University.
Scott's other work on Foreshadow: Dawn Will Prevail (Music, December 2020) Perspective (Music, January 2021) Josh Seligman is the founding editor of Foreshadow.  Selwyn Image, Wise Virgins, Stained glass (1888) 'A Hymn to God the Father' by John Donne Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun, Which was my sin, though it were done before? Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run still, though still I do deplore? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more. Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won Others to sin, and made my sin their door? Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more. I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun My last thread, I shall perish on the shore; But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore; And, having done that, thou hast done; I fear no more. Selwyn Image (1849–1930) was a British artist. Wise Virgins is located at St Michael and All Angels, Waterford, Hertfordshire.
John Donne (1572–1631) was an English poet and an Anglican priest. By Bruised Reeds (Evan Amo)  After clicking 'Play', please wait a few moments for the music to load. 'World Reborn' In a world reborn, weakness is strength In a distant land, power's held by the slave The truth is that the rich will one day be poor When a world draws near upon salvation's shore Our wildest dreams are far too sterile We can't conceive what could become Imagination should unsettle As we reach for a world reborn Bracing for control is the course of the lost Those who seek greatness will surely fall from the top The strong who hold the line are really left in the dark For love shines down on the meek, contrite heart What if we dreamt for real? How would our priorities change? One day the dawn will heal But can the light break forth today? Our wildest dreams are far too sterile We can't conceive what could become Imagination should unsettle As we reach for a world reborn Yeah, we'll reach for a world reborn 'World Reborn' is a song about conflict of imagination. In scripture, we are given an image about the nature of our existence: we are created by God for the purpose of love and righteousness, crystallized in the self-giving love of Jesus for the life of the world, and it is in this purpose that the world will be reborn as God makes all things new. This purpose of shalom is realized in relationships and structures or equity, justice, and compassion, including the elevation of the marginalized and vulnerable. This holy imagination often contradicts dominant imaginations that lionize greed, selfishness, and domination, and ostracize poor and marginalized people. The imagination of God’s Kingdom inspires us to pursue another way for our world, towards a righteousness that unsettles. - EA Bruised Reeds is the songwriting project of Evan Amo, a Presbyterian minister based in Denver, Colorado. Bruised Reeds' debut EP is 'Imaginations' (2021).
 Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom (about 1833), oil on canvas 'Simple Gifts' by Joseph Brackett Jr ‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free ’tis the gift to come down where you ought to be And when we find ourselves in the place just right ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed To turn, turn will be our delight ‘Till by turning, turning we come round right. Edward Hicks (1780–1849) was a Quaker preacher and an American painter. The Peaceable Kingdom depicts a vision of paradise from the book of Isaiah, chapter 11.
Joseph Brackett Jr (1797–1882) was a Shaker elder and an American songwriter.  After clicking 'Play', please wait a few moments for the podcast to load. You can also listen on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. September Penn describes the founding of the Power of Song Inc., an organisation that educates young people about civil rights and justice through song, theatre and art. She also explains how music can be an instrument for healing and how she has encountered the peace and presence of God among communities despite the challenges of the pandemic. The conversation includes a clip of some of her music. To learn more about the Power of Song's work, watch their recently-published Virtual Presentation of Sounds of the Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Song. September Penn is the CEO/Artistic Director of The Power of Song, Inc. She holds an M.Div with a focus on Worship, Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary, California, and is currently a worship leader in Los Angeles, California.
Will Shine is a co-host of Forecast.  Photo: Carina Postolache 'Now the Green Blade Riseth' by John Macleod Campbell Crum Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain, Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain; Love lives again, that with the dead has been: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. In the grave they laid Him, Love who had been slain, Thinking that He never would awake again, Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain, Jesus who for three days in the grave had lain; Quick from the dead the risen One is seen: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain, Jesus' touch can call us back to life again, Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. John Macleod Campbell Crum (1872–1958) was an Anglican priest and poet.
|
Categories
All
ForecastSupport Us
Archives
June 2025
|
RSS Feed