March 15, 2012
After God’s Own Heart Publishing presents…
Vol. 15 Issue 1
It’s All About…The Lamb
MAUDE CAROLAN PYCH/QUARTERLY POETRY LETTER
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” Rev 5:12 NASB
IT’S ALL ABOUT…THE LAMB is a quarterly publication for lovers of the Holy Lamb of God, who also enjoy poetry. The purpose is to magnify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover of our souls…
SUMMER IN WINTER…Ahhhhh!
I cannot complain about this winter. Not too cold; not much snow; the mildest February on record. Still, I often found it necessary to dress in layers and bundle up with coat, gloves, scarf, warm socks and boots. So, it was delightful to escape to a tropical paradise for eleven summery days with my husband, Bob. We basked in the sunshine on a sparsely populated sandy beach in beautiful Aruba. I often stared dreamily at the clear aqua ocean, the extraordinary sunsets, the swaying palms, the cactus and so many varieties of interesting lizards, newts and iguanas skittering into the bushes, mindful of the awesome majesty of God’s creation.
His majesty caused me to ponder 1 Corinthians 2:9: “…but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’” Since my eyes have beheld mind-blowing beauty that causes me to gasp breathlessly in the here and now, what oh what lies ahead for all eternity? Awesome will not be a sufficient word to express it. I imagine no words will describe seeing what has not entered the heart of man other than possibly that little three-letter word followed by an exclamation point: “Wow!”
During our vacation I spent time reading Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon in Through the Bible With J. Vernon McGee. I scribbled rough drafts of the final poems for a chapbook I’ve been working on about pilgrimage and also had fun exploring the island and photographing lizards and iguanas for my grandchildren.
ST. CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA PATRON OF THE ARTS ASSOCIATION’S 13TH ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY, ART & POETRY EXHIBITION & SALE—
Friday, Saturday & Sunday March 16, 17 & 18, 2012, 112 Erskine Road, Ringwood, NJ
If you live in New Jersey, I encourage you to do your best to attend this amazing exhibition. It’s one of my favorite events every year. Art, photography, music, poetry, refreshments and the admission is free (although donations are graciously accepted). I will be reading poetry, as will other poets, including some who have been featured in this publication. The poetry reading is scheduled for 7:30 Saturday evening, March 17th, in the upstairs room of the Parish Center. There will certainly be some Irish heritage poems and earlier on Saturday a performance by Irish step dancers will be featured. Stop by and say hello.
LESSONS I LEARNED FROM THE LORD by Evelyn Lang is now available as an E-book.
Yes, my friend Evelyn Lang was excited to tell me that her book is now also available as an e-book, which means it can now be enjoyed on a Kindle or Nook.
Congratulations, Evelyn!
“Lessons I Learned from the Lord,” she says, “is a book about relationships, not religion. It’s a story of a walk with the Lord, but it’s everyone’s story. It is about God’s love for people and His wisdom in helping us handle what every Christian deals with in their daily lives. It has many nuggets of wisdom and analogies that make it easy to understand.” To learn more or place an order click on one of the following links: www.evelynlangbooks.com, www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com.
THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn has been on the NY Times Best Seller List
This is a must read! The author is my pastor, Jonathan Cahn of Beth Israel/The Jerusalem Center, Wayne, NJ. “Is it possible…That there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America’s future? That this mystery is behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy? That God is now sending a prophetic message on which America’s future hangs?” Read it and find out. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book is available in paperback, as an e-book, an audio-book and in Spanish. Go to: www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com to order.
ABOUT THE FEATURED POEMS…
I’m pleased to present two poems in this issue that were written several years ago. The first, Frankie’s Dance is about Frankie Schiavo, a severely disabled man from my congregation who has since gone home to be with the Lord. His body and hands were twisted with cerebral palsy, it was difficult for him to communicate and he required a wheelchair, nevertheless Frankie loved the Lord and spent hours each day in intercessory prayer. People would give him prayer requests on scraps of paper and know that Frankie would pray. This poem was published in Sensations Magazine. Frankie was very excited about that. I gave him a copy of the magazine and also gave him a framed copy of the poem which was hung above his bed until he passed away.
What Was God Doing? is one of my earliest poems, written as I tried to imagine what God the Father was doing up in Heaven while His Only Begotten Son was suffering and our redemption was being paid for down here on earth. I’ve included this as a Lenten meditation. I hope it’s a blessing. And now…
+ + + THE POEMS + + +
FRANKIE’S DANCE
In memory of Frank Schiavo, Jr.
In a circle
in the corner
of the sanctuary
the dancers
lifted arms and faces,
bowed reverently, rose,
offering gifts of praise to God.
Tintinnabulating timbrels
and tambourines,
their satin ribbons streaming,
swirled with shirts and skirts,
a kaleidoscopic rainbow.
Ineffable ecstasy
shone in countenances,
sparkled in dark, dancing eyes.
Parked at a row end
in the congregation,
Frankie sat
strapped securely
in his wheelchair,
worshipping,
his spirit whirling
in the dance.
Joy softened his face
into enthralled expressions
as praise
flowed fluently
from upturned lips.
Suddenly,
perceiving the desire
written in his radiance,
a young man whisked
his wheelchair
into the dance.
Circling, circling,
spinning, spinning,
wheeling worshipfully,
spiritually spiraling
upward, Heavenward,
an Elijah in a chariot
driven by horses,
their manes ablaze,
Frankie danced
his holy dance
before the Ever-Living God.
Maude Carolan
WHAT WAS GOD DOING?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when the Great Climax was unfolding
and His only begotten Son was sweating hemorrhages of blood
in fervent prayer before Him, that night in the garden?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when His Son was pleading
for the removal of that great Grail of suffering,
yet in submission acquiesced to His Father’s higher will?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
during the sentencing and scourging, spitting and mocking,
as His Pascal Lamb carried the crude crossbeam to Calvary,
falling and falling and falling again?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when they stripped His Beloved,
held His hand to the beam and lifted the hammer
and pounded the spike through sinless flesh?
Did He hold His ears? Did He turn away?
Did His tears pour down as the blood ran down?
Did He pound His fist? Scream?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when His Son cried, “Why...hast Thou...forsaken Me?”
Victory was so close. Did He almost change His mind?
What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when it finally was finished?
as He darkened the sky and quaked the dry earth,
opened old graves and breathed life into dead?
Was it with grief or great jubilation
that He tore asunder the curtain to the Holy of Holies?
What oh what was God thinking
at that Climax of climaxes
with Satan and sin squashed under His heel,
and after the Ascension,
at Their glorious reunion,
did Father and Son
dance the Hora in Highest Heaven?
Maude Carolan
Dear Subscriber,
As we approach Resurrection Day, may the price Jesus paid at Calvary for your sins and mine cause us to humble ourselves before Him and give Him thanks. Worthy is The Lamb!
Shalom,
Maude
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Check this blog, June 15, 2012, for the next edition of:
It’s all about…The Lamb
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© Maude Carolan Pych 2012
After God’s Own Heart Publishing
P.O. Box 2211, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
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