Alive, Awake, Alert
Poetic Meditations in the Company of Father, Son, and Spirit
by
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Still Writing
You stooped, and did Your fingernails get brown
when You bent low and squatted near the ground?
With fingers You scraped dirt, Your knees bowed down
in dust, adult’rous woman blamed and found
in act of sin, yet at Your side. And where
was guilty man? Accusers poised to test
You with a question ‘bout the Law, a snare
they set, except You challenged them: “The best
man here, who’s without sin, can throw first stone.”
Then one by one they walked, from old to young,
right after You bent low and wrote alone. -
My heart’s another earth that needs Your tongue
and hand. Come, crack my crust and carve my clay.
Engrave deep lines of love; Your words will stay.
And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him.
But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground. John 8:6 NASB
Resolved
Resolved. No budging from the firm belief
that You are good. Redeemed. You’ve bought me back
from Satan’s trap. Restored. With real relief
true freedom now in Abba’s house, no lack
of love or food. Resourced. Your death and life
provide the all of godliness. Remind.
yes, through Your written Word alive like knife
of blade, two-edged sword through soul and mind.
Repent. I turn to burn the love You gave.
Retell. The story real with great appeal,
I’ll speak and scribe. Receive. Your death so brave,
You conquered grave; You save. What gift! Reveal.
Enlighten me to hold this hope as sight.
Rehearse: “You reign as Head in matchless might!”
And He put all things in subjection under His feet,
and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 1:22 NASB
Cat’s Concordance
The cat climbs on concordance exhaustive;
she lounges on layers of language
so ancient.
On top of words so weighty,
she stretches and rests
above the testaments
of Truth.
She finds her place
in lists of grace.
On sheets of verbs and nouns
in tongue she can’t pronounce,
she paws.
I pause there too.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6 NASB
Worship in the Wild
We wait in the wild of this world.
We dance in the dust of this dearth.
We trounce on the trials and the temps.
We sing o’er the snakes and the scorps
in Jesus’ name and for His fame.
We pray in the pow’r of the Prince.
We laugh in the love of our life.
We watch in the wake of the Way.
We thank in the thought of our thrill
for Jesus’ fame and for His name.
We find in the Fount of the First.
We look in the Light of the Last.
We grow in the grace of the Gift.
We see in the sight of the Son
Who bore our blame; we bear His name.
We rest in the realm of His rule.
We bask in the beam of the Beau.
We move in the might of the Man.
We trust in the troth of the Truth.
Since He came, Love’s been our aim.
... that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them,
and I in them.
John 17:26b NASB
Rahab’s Rope
For weeks we’d heard of Yahweh’s tribe. The fame
of power greater than our gods had grown.
I longed to learn to understand this name
that released plagues, divided seas. Unknown
to me, You purposed great salvation. When
the spies requested shelter in my home,
I took a risk and hid the two. And then
the seven days of shouts released shalom.
They rescued me from city after days
of praise around the walls. - So was my rope
a picture of the crimson cord that stays
extended, hanging down to all who’ll hope
in promised Christ by faith? - You planned my womb
to bring the One Who triumphed at the Tomb!
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
...and to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab ...
Matthew 1:1, 5 NASB
Rahab, the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared;
And she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers
whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua 6:25 NASB
Fire Man: As Love, He Burns Unquenchable
You set us as a seal upon Your arm,
upon Your heart. With love stronger than steel,
determined, bearing mark of bride. No harm
could ravish Your beloved! Nuptial seal
was sign on jealous Beau, so vehement
to guard intended partner. Virile strength
unyielding, flashed with passion, sentiment
so steady, unremitting, He ran length
of all eternity to win His wife.
Relentless in His fury, crushing each
and ev’ry obstacle, He slashed through strife.
Unquenchable, as strong as death, vast reach
to which He volunteered, despising all
the shame: the pain, the ridicule, and brief
dark break in fellowship with Father; Pall
provided greatest bridal payment. Chief
became the curse as substitution. He
extended and expended fully. - Fire
declared: “Now, you are mine!” This Bridegroom’s glee
awakened Bride: “Christ, I’m Your magnifier!”
Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.
Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 NASB
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About the Book
Dead or alive? Drowsy or awake? Distracted or alert? How do we respond to the Apostle Paul’s charge to be alive together with Christ, awake even at night, and alert in unceasing prayer?
Layered with scriptural allusions, Cynthia Griffin’s Alive, Awake, Alert, a collection of 101 poems, sounds a call to live fully in Christ, to wake from apathy, and to watch with alertness to the Holy Spirit. With an energetic and concise style, she offers readers a combination of soberness and delight. Packed with doctrine, wit, and imagery, her poetry provides readers with a meaty meal. No cotton candy Christianity here!
Like a digger of ancient wells, she unearths rhyme, rhythm, and structure reminiscent of Donne, Herbert, and Hopkins to craft over fifty sonnets bursting with joyous faith, vulnerable reality, and thought-provoking metaphors.
The Introduction invites readers to come to the Lord’s table for constant nourishment on God’s Word in unceasing meditation. In Part One: Responses in Communion with the Host, the poems are prayer reflections addressed to God Himself, Father, Son, and Spirit. In Part Two: Conversations in the Cloud of Witnesses, perspectives from both Old Testament saints and New Testament disciples combine with the poet’s voice in an enriching dialogue of faith. After most poems, biblical references follow providing interpretative context. For readers who enjoy deeper analysis, the Addendum: Author’s Annotations gives background and additional references for the meditations.
About the Author
Cynthia Griffin, worshiper, wife, mother, teacher, quilter, poet, holds bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology from Indiana University and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Miami University. Active in youth, women, and prayer ministries, Cynthia encourages her readers to live at Christ’s table, full of His Word and His Spirit.