wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Pastoral poetry

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8353 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Pastoral poetry
GA04061
June 29, 2004

Pastoral poetry

Look for the reality beneath the reality, luncheon speaker advises

by Jerry Van Marter

RICHMOND, June 29 > Confronted with a bewildering array of demands from
parishioners, pastors are inclined to become what one wag has called "a
quivering mass of availability," the Rev. Craig Barnes said at an Assembly
luncheon Tuesday.

Barnes, a professor of pastoral theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
and pastor of Pittsburgh's Shadyside Presbyterian Church, was the featured
speaker at the event, which was sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s
Office of Theology and Worship.

He suggested that pastors think of themselves as poets.

"This is not the normative, or even preferred image," he said, "but what we
need is poetic prophetic vision, the ability to see the reality beneath the
reality."

Barnes said poets "know how to look beneath the surface to the real issues,"
a talent that often would serve pastors well.

"The attentive pastor is constantly spinning poetry," he said, "revealing the
sacred subtext to people's lives, to speak the words of redemption into the
souls of those who need them."

The pressures of contemporary life make this a difficult task, Barnes
conceded. Despair is prevalent these days, and people tend to prefer to
anesthetize themselves to their despair than to confront the real issues that
produce the despair, he said.

"The poet has to spot eternity breaking in, seeing the work of God among (the
people) and spinning their poetry so they can see it," he said.

Words are never cheap, he added. "They can be a saving grace, or they can
wreak uncounted havoc." The poet, using them with care, "matches the poetry
of the Bible with the hunger of the soul ... putting sacred words and normal
everyday words into conversation."

The luncheon was intended to promote the Company of Pastors and Order of
Elders programs, which try to create intentional communities of people
committed to spiritual discernment and discipline.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org