Benediction: The Face of God

The Drama of Scripture cover from Amazon.com

An epic poem based on The Drama of Scripture: 
Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story

By Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen

Prologue: The Bible as Grand Story

Act 1: God Establishes His Kingdom:Creation

Act 2: Rebellion in the Kingdom:Fall

Act 3: The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated

Interlude: A Kingdom Story Waiting for an Ending: 

The Intertestamental Period 

Act 4: The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished

Act 5: Spreading the News of the King:

The Mission of the Church

Act 6: The Return of the King: Redemption Completed
Conclusion and Benediction: The Face of God

Conclusion and Benediction

As the wise men concluded their stories at evening’s end

Prayers and blessings would rise up like campfire smoke

The story echoing and stillness in the hope—transcend

And the minstrels would play their final chords

And the hymn singers their final choruses to the Lord

Prayers were offered up and chants—incantations  

The crowd would fade into the night back to their own places

The circle shrinking as less light reflected off fewer faces

The poets would add midnight oil to their lamps

Light their pipes and ladle out more brew

The morning was a long way off for them to be through

The images and prose floated like music—the lyrics presupposed

They knew they would not sleep until it was written in verse

So without plan, reservation, or thought—
they would not rehearse

Quill and ink scratched paper frantically in final prose

The poets proclaimed, “This is how the story goes . . .”

The Face of God

Once we walked in the loving gaze

Of the face of God

In Eden’s beauty paradise

On heavenly earth; on heavenly sod

Our transgressions made us outcasts

And dark winds blew us,

To the East, it threw us

The wind withered the land

The fallen outnumbered the sand

None could rest, not kings in their riches

Nor the poor with outstretched hand . . .

And the prophets cried out

The priests offered sacrifice and praise with shout,

And the kings waged war and decreed

Until it was clear, all people bleed

And silence deafened the people in need

Then the starry night came. . .

Wise men were called from the East

Back to their Prince of Peace

His star led them there

With gifts of worship so fine and fair

The Light had entered darkness

After four hundred years of silence

Broken in a babies cry

For all to live, who once had died

The Shepherds came with staff and rod,

And these wise men, to see the face of God

In former days, and in many ways

God spoke and now by His Son,

In these latter days

He walks again with His people

In Eden made anew

His face and their face; seen through and through

To once again walk in that loving gaze

In the Glory of the face of God

In Eden’s paradise

On heavenly sod

To be right again with our God

Heaven came down and intimacy restored

Both rich and poor have seen their Lord

© December 2011, Robbie Pruitt

Hebrews 1:1-4

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”