A prayer for the preacher when words fail

January 9, 2021

Beyond Jordan, the baptizer cried repentance,

preaching to snakes, devouring locusts,

razing the wilderness with his words,

confronting kings and drowning sins.

At his neck, the knowledge of his own humility,

the prickling of glory about to fall.

At his hands, the Word of God was buried

beneath the stream that flowed toward the Dead Sea.

Above its gurgle, John heard truth descending.

The man before him breathless still,

stunned into speech it was his cousin who spake,

Amen.

About Rosalind C Hughes

Rosalind C Hughes is a priest and author living near the shores of Lake Erie. After growing up in England and Wales, and living briefly in Singapore, she is now settled in Ohio. She serves an Episcopal church just outside Cleveland. Rosalind is the author of A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing , and Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence, both from Upper Room Books. She loves the lake, misses the ocean, and is finally coming to terms with snow.
This entry was posted in current events, poetry, prayer, sermon preparation and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to A prayer for the preacher when words fail

  1. Wow! Next to my prayer of Thanksgiving that I don’t have to preach this Sunday, this is the best prayer I could imagine today. I will pray it for you and all preachers today.

Leave a comment