“Children are to be seen and not heard” was what I heard, and learned… But you, God, have created me to be an extrovert a shepherd a preacher to lead and feed your people.
“God helps those who help themselves” was what I heard, and learned… But you, God, have called me to walk alongside the broken and be broken and feel others’ pain.
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” was what I heard, and learned… so I avoided conflict and tension. But you, God, are calling me to be bold and honest and tell the truth.
As I make friends with the little girl who was afraid to be heard afraid to be too big afraid of the broken and being broken afraid to tell the truth,
I see you, Jesus, beside me behind me pushing me forward letting me go coming with me
Jane Spriggs is pastor of Monticello Covenant Church in Monticello, Minnesota, where she has been serving since 2011. She was ordained to Word and Sacrament in 2014. The poem was written while she was studying for her Master of Divinity degree at Bethel Seminary-St. Paul. She lives with her husband and two sons and is finding is finding beauty in brokenness and truth-telling—both hers and others.
Three generations of Covenant women — Florence Towne, Carolyn Cedarleaf, and Jeannine Cedarleaf Nordlund — reveal how solidarity with neighbors facing injustice is caught, not taught.
With no children and no volunteers left after the pandemic, a North Minneapolis church restarted Vacation Bible School anyway, praying for twenty kids to show up.
Commentary, News
Wholeness
By Jane Spriggs
“Children are to be seen and not heard”
was what I heard, and learned…
But you, God, have created me to be
an extrovert
a shepherd
a preacher
to lead and feed your people.
“God helps those who help themselves”
was what I heard, and learned…
But you, God, have called me to walk alongside
the broken
and be broken
and feel others’ pain.
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”
was what I heard, and learned…
so I avoided conflict and tension.
But you, God, are calling me to be bold
and honest
and tell the truth.
As I make friends with the little girl who was
afraid to be heard
afraid to be too big
afraid of the broken and being broken
afraid to tell the truth,
I see you, Jesus,
beside me
behind me
pushing me forward
letting me go
coming with me
Into wholeness.
Jane Spriggs
CONTINUE READING
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