Good morning, Christian. Today, you and I and all who are united with Christ rise from sleep to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, son of Mary and son of God. As we rise from sleep, we are reminded of two other risings — one past, and one future. We rise this morning and gather with … More O Church, Arise
Father of all light, Son of all wisdom, Spirit of all power, Humbly we come before you, our Creator, and humbly we confess our double blindness: sin and ignorance. You are wisdom, but we are folly. You are truth, but we are error. You are light, but we are darkness. Send us rays of your … More A Trinitarian Prayer for Learning
WEDDING INVITATION POEM Gunner & Cindi Gundersen Fall 2001 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ … More A Wedding Poem
The classic Christmas hymn “O Holy Night” is a translation and paraphrase of the original French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”) by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877). Below is the literal English translation of Cappeau’s original work. “Minuit chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”) Midnight, Christians, it is the solemn hour, When God-man descended to us To erase the stain … More Before “O Holy Night”: “Minuet chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”)
It was a great full moon That hung low in the west, But the dear little birds sang everywhere, And the unborn dayspring blest. Not one singing bird could be seen, But every bush and brier Was astir with the sound of the music they made, That sweet invisible choir. The hills in the wonderful … More “Greater Joy” by Amy Carmichael
From beneath a stunning Christmas Eve blanket of snow in Tulsa, Oklahoma, here are two spectacular versions of my favorite Christmas hymn to stir your heart and heat your worship. Although lesser known by far, I like the second more than the first, because Celine Dion is a performer, while David Phelps is a worshiper. … More A Thrill of Hope
Make no mistake: if he rose at all It was as His body; If the cell’s dissolution did not reverse, the molecule reknit, The amino acids rekindle, The Church will fall. It was not as the flowers, Each soft spring recurrent; It was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled eyes of the … More Seven Stanzas at Easter by John Updike
Tonight I read the second chapter of John Piper’s The Hidden Smile of God entitled “Insanity and Spiritual Songs in the Life of William Cowper.” There are some precious quotes from the chapter, some on poetry because Cowper and Piper are poets, some on despair because Cowper’s was chronic, and some on John Newton because he was … More Precious Lessons from John Piper, William Cowper, and John Newton
Here’s the email update that Cindi sent out today regarding our adoption and the other families’ court cases that were scheduled for this past Friday, September 15: Thank you so much to all of you who prayed for the court cases on the 15th. Several people told me that they were praying all day and we … More Adoption Update: Guided Where I Go
Yesterday was Father's Day. Tomorrow is Judah's six-month birthday. So today has a lot of meaning for me. This new poem called "See" is what I've been thinking lately, as best as I can express it and as best as I can make the 11×17" double-column print version look on a blog. This is also my new … More “See”
Cindi and I didn’t send out a Christmas letter this year. We enjoy the ones we get from others, but so many people send them that we usually don’t feel like adding to the mix. Two years ago, though, we took the opportunity to both write a Christmas letter as well as send out a … More “Messiah”: A Christmas Poem
Tomorrow I will have been married to Cindi for three years. To quantify the blessings of her companionship would be an exercise in futility. To qualify the gift that she is to me would be similarly vain. The worth of an excellent wife is only comprehensible to the men who have one, and even then … More Three-Year Anniversary
Weak and wounded sinner Lost and left to die O, raise your head, for love is passing by Come to Jesus Come to Jesus Come to Jesus and live! Now your burden’s lifted And carried far away And precious blood has washed away the stain, so Sing to Jesus Sing to Jesus Sing to Jesus … More Fly to Jesus
A lot of people died this summer. A lot of people die every summer, but what I mean is that a lot of people that I knew died in the past few months – more than during any other period of my life that I can remember. Stephanie Wood/Perfect and family. John Bower. Lynda Varner. Bethany Rehrer and … More “House of Mourning”: A Meditation and a Poem
A few weeks ago I was asked to write a poem for a Valentine’s Day Banquet / Missions Fundraiser at my home church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The theme was supposed to be the love of God in relationship to missions. A dear friend of mine (a gracious, dignified, loving, bold 62-year-old man) is going to … More New Poem: “Ripple”
