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Hymn to Evolving Faith

after C.S. Lewis

Lead us, Liberalism, lead us
Past hidebound inerrancy;
Prick us with your needle, bleed us
Of our elders’ certainty
(Mired in knowing they keep sowing
Biblical idolatry).

Culture always is evolving;
Paul is often obsolete.
Who would look to him for solving
Tiffs about how saints should tweet?
Ever changing, rearranging
Values, we’ll keep culture’s beat.

Give us Christ of the red letters;
He’s decidedly left wing,
Tearing down his so-called betters,
Raising up the stones to sing.
Stress his teaching, not his preaching
On Gehenna’s suffering.

Reconstruct us to your vision
Of a faith embracing all:
From this moment let our mission
Be to preach our faith’s not small.
Ever gracious, efficacious,
Help our children heed our call.

See the object of our sharing
Faith’s evolving day by day:
That tomorrow no soul’s blaring
Pluralism must hold sway.
Why restate it to debate it?
None now thinks another way.

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David Culwell holds a bachelor of journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in fiction from Bowling Green State University. His fiction and poetry have appeared in, among other journals, Wisconsin Review, The MacGuffin, Think, The Merton Seasonal, Anglican Theological Review, The Road Not Taken, The Carolina Quarterly, and Blue Unicorn. He lives in College Station, Texas, where he works as a senior technical editor.

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5 Responses

  1. Allegra Silberstein

    Thank you for this luminous poem. I especially loved “Reconstruct us to a vision of a faith embracing all”. Long ago black slaves were introduced to the bible thinking it might make them more obedient. Christ’s words gave them hope and perhaps a dream of freedom. As a nation we are slowly on the way to embracing all.

    Reply
  2. Cynthia Erlandson

    This is fun, while sadly true. C.S. Lewis, though he’s known better for his other writings, is a really good poet. I first read his great satiric poem “Evolutionary Hymn” many years ago (the hymn tune “Dulce Carmen” immediately accompanied the poem in my mind.) Your imitation is perfect, down to the internal rhyme in the fifth line of each verse. Very enjoyable! And I’m glad you reminded me to look at Lewis’ poetry again.

    Reply
  3. Deborah

    Oh my goodness! Wow. Embrace, embrace, embrace this poem forever on the SCP site. My person, you are breaking the parchment ceiling. Whoop whoop! If Evan continues on this vein, uh oh, more participants and visitors to this site. Hmmm. With actual Christ-like love in their hearts. Lets go!

    Reply
  4. Roy Eugene Peterson

    This is a great poem with bitter and appropriate satire while the sheep are overtaken by the wolves!

    Reply
  5. Alan Orsborn

    I liked it all, particularly the internal rhyme in the fifth line of each stanza. It’s very catchy.

    If those doomed to sing this are looking for an 8.7.8.7.8.7. tune, WESTMINSTER ABBEY (Christ is Made the Sure Foundation) and LAUDA ANIMA (Praise My Soul the King of Heaven) are nice, but my personal opinion is that HELMSLY (Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending) by its very grandiosity more appropriately accentuates and extends your satirical points.

    Reply

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