by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Malcolm Guite is a poet and priest, and Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. His books include Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury 2012) and Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Hodder 2017) In 2023 he was awarded the Archbishop Lanfranc Medal by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He has a YouTube series called ‘A Spell in the Library’. 

Malcolm’s most recent book, “Galahad and the Grail” is available from Rabbit Room. 

The Dream of God

by Matthew Clark

Go gently now as the River goes 

Whisper soft where the primrose grows 

For the years have passed like the morning mist 

Every winter waste by the spring sun kissed 

Every veil has been removed 

And the face of God revealed 

When you see him seeing you 

You’ll be the dream of God made true 

Remember how we were older then 

Now the Lord has made us young again 

If we weep at all its of a different kind 

When the beauty wells up in the eyes and shines 

Every veil has been removed 

And the face of God revealed 

When you see him seeing you 

You’ll be the dream of God made true 

This is a call for the holy saints, Keep watch through the night, bravely bearing the pain 

While the dragon grins all fire-fanged, The breath of God shall extinguish him 

So hold on to the hope that took hold of you, Though you sleep for a time you will wake in truth  

Thought these nightmare hooves beat though this midnight dream, 

They will break when the dawn rends this world at its seams 

And the Rider arrives on the white war horse, To reclaim everything that was lost in the war 

You will hear his name like a trumpet blast, Every lover will sing, “He has come at last!”

And the dream of God will be all that remains, While the Bride looks with love on the Lamb who was slain

Every veil has been removed 

And the face of God revealed 

When you see him seeing you 

You’ll be the dream of God made true 

The post S6:E35 – Where the River Goes: Malcolm Guite, “Full-eyed Love” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Ned and Leslie Bustard were married for over three decades, raised three daughters in the West End of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and helped found three organizations: Square Halo Books, Wheatland Presbyterian Church, and The Row House. They have written essays for The Cultivating Project, Veritas Press, and Rabbit Room Press, as well as have appeared on a number of podcasts. Some of Ned’s books include Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver and Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups and some of Leslie’s books include Wild Things and Castles in the Sky and Tiny Thoughts That I’ve Been Thinking. Learn more about Ned’s work at WorldsEndImages.com and find more of Leslie’s musings at PoeticUnderpinnings.com.

Find more books and conferences at: squarehalobooks.com

Rise

by Matthew Clark

Oh remember and keep watch 

You will see the heavens part 

And the glory of the Lord arrive 

And the Son of Man like fire 

He will burn away the lies 

Till only what is true remains 

CHORUS 

And you, you will look upon the Lamb of God they pierced 

And you, you will rise up from your graves and wave goodbye to tears 

Every thirst we ever knew 

And every sorrow we endured 

Every tear we planted in the ground 

See how Jesus makes it right 

How the Spirit breathes new life 

And the Father waits to welcome you 

CHORUS 

And you, you will look upon the face of your Redeemer

And you, you see in him the joy that drives out all your fears 

BRIDGE

Dance all you peoples of earth

Clap your hands for the joy of the Lord 

Has come it shall never depart 

Oh Rise baptized from the River of God 

Like a Radiant Bride 

See the devil and his works 

Crumble at a single word 

See the family tree of evil die 

While the holy branches wave 

Mighty babylon is dead 

Behold the King of Beauty Reigns

CHORUS

And you, you will see the earth put on the new creation 

And you, you will see Lord enthroned among the nations

The post S6:E34 – Where the River Goes: Ned and Leslie Bustard, “Toward a Harvest of Beauty” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Douglas Kaine McKelvey grew up in East Texas and moved to Nashville in 1991 to participate in the early work of Charlie Peacock’s Art House Foundation, an organization dedicated to a shared exploration of faith and the arts. In the decades since, Douglas has worked as an author, song lyricist, scriptwriter, and speaker. His books include three volumes of the bestselling series Every Moment Holy: New Liturgies for Daily Life, and a critically-acclaimed middle-grade chapter book titled The Angel Knew Papa and the Dog. He has also served as a scriptwriter and story editor for the first three seasons of the animated series The Wingfeather Saga, and has penned more than 350 lyrics recorded by a variety of artists. Douglas and his wife Lise live near Nashville, Tennessee. 

Find Doug’s work online: everymomentholy.com

Almost Time

by Matthew Clark

The cold is ending where the ground gives up its ghosts 

The bones are mending I can see it happening 

A thief came in the night tore through these bars of steel 

War has sown the seed, but mercy owns the fields 

Where the wick is smoldering, we tucked away the words 

Paint the caves with martyr’s blood, whisper promises 

I can see the dancers dance, they swing and pound and shout 

The sword is double-edged, but mercy moves the mouth 

I can feel them tumbling, such strong empires 

Every cornerstone they laid was trap door 

CHORUS 

The Lamb who was slain is worthy of all praise  

Now the winds are howling out, they’re twisting ancient oaks  

Beauty whispers tenderly but the words are choked 

The gates seem near to splintering, the rhymes they all unwind 

The holy seed has split the husk, it is almost time

I can feel my heartbeat now where the stone sunk down

Barely breathed my dying breath when the Word called out 

BRIDGE

The Lamb who was slain is worthy of all praise 

CHORUS 

ENDING

I can feel my heartbeat now where the stone sunk down

Barely breathed my dying breath when the Word called out 

The post S6:E33 – Where the River Goes: Douglas Kaine McKelvey, “What is Not Costly is Not Hope” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Nicole Marie Howe is a writer, speaker, wife, and mother to three teenage mavericks, a ten-year old bohemian, and a rescue pup named Samwise Gamgee. Nicole is Director of Formational Community for The Cultivating Project and a columnist for Cultivating Magazine. She is also founder and co-director of OneStory, a creative collaborative that provides Bible learning resources for kids and families. She serves locally as lay teaching pastor for The Practice Church. Nicole holds a master’s degree in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University, where she discovered the power of the imagination to restore awe and wonder to her floundering faith. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Spiritual Formation and Relational Neuroscience from Western Theological Seminary.

Find Nicole on Instagram: instagram.com/nicolemariehowe

Strong Man

by Matthew Clark

I saw a great wave, it seemed to swallow up the sky 

I felt the ground cave, I heard a burning angel cry: 

Let the dragon spit out fire, let the strongest arms take aim 

But there is no strong man stronger than the Lamb 

I saw a great war, being waged while the people slept 

I heard the sweet tongues, selling power from their poisoned lips

But the humble broke the spell, and the holy all proclaimed 

There is no strong man stronger than the Lamb 

I saw the blood boil, I saw the wicked dominate 

I saw their grins fade, when the Author stepped on the stage 

  And the strutting began to fret, their destruction was near at hand

Cause there is no strong man stronger than the Lamb 

BRIDGE

See the whole world in confusion, the diagnosis worse than you can imagine 

There’s nobody left with eyes clear enough, we’re looking at the rubble but the blueprints are lost 

Every well in the world is mixed with pollution, is there anyone left to untangle the ruins 

I wept until I saw the clean light of dawn come, And Jesus the only holy unconfused one  

Interlude

I saw the Judge stand, I heard Creation shout for joy 

And every red hand, that touched the River turned white as snow 

But the wicked I saw no more, and the dragon he met his end

Cause there is no strong man stronger than the Lamb

The post S6:E32 – Where the River Goes: Nicole Howe, “Prayers in Neon Chalk” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson publishes and lectures internationally on George MacDonald, Victorian Britain, the Inklings, Faith & Arts, and Ecology & Community. She writes academically (such as chapters in The Inklings & Culture, Unsaying the Commonplace, and An Introduction to Child Theology), introduces MacDonald texts (such as Lilith, Hope of the Gospel, and the full-text graphic novel of The Golden Key), and crafts pieces for organizations such as The Rabbit Room, Radix, and ArtWay. She is on various boards related to academic work on the Inklings and George MacDonald, and is chair of the George MacDonald Society. Some of her lectures, teaching, and podcast interviews can also be found online. Kirstin directs Windstone Farm Linlathen, a non-profit that seeks to facilitate and encourage community through ‘Theology, Ecology, & the Arts’ in the Ottawa Valley, Canada.

Follow Kirstin’s work on her website: www.kirstinjeffreyjohnson.com

Sing like You Did

by Matthew Clark

The waiting is the hardest part 

To hope for what you do not have 

But faith is the evidence of things unseen 

We have heard the prophets speaking 

Say sin and death are only passing things 

CHORUS

sing, sing like you did when the stars awoke 

sing like you did when the tombstone broke 

when every word you spoke came true 

Sing, sing like you did on that silent night 

Sing like you did when our hope took flight 

When every word you spoke came true  

So come and wake the sleeping hearts 

Come and turn this stone to flesh 

I believe the promises will all come true 

But there are times I get so weary

Lord, is the night of waiting nearly through?  

CHORUS

BRIDGE-verse

Make of us a willing womb 

Brave enough to welcome you 

Kindle in each winter heart a new-born flame 

The post S6:E31 – Where the River Goes: Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, “Also” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Esther Moon lives in Irving, Texas where she enjoys life with her church community, practices holistic healthcare, writes interactive literature guidebooks, and avoids mosquitoes at almost any cost. Some of her favorite past adventures include exploring ancient Egyptian tombs and chaperoning high school students in Italy (while teaching them some Shakespeare). She earned a PhD in Literature from the University of Dallas in 2022; her dissertation explored Chaucer’s thoughts on poverty and wealth (including the spiritual and literary kinds) in the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is still her favorite. She also loves to read George Herbert, Shakespeare, and Richard Wilbur; however, it must be admitted that her sci-fi and mystery bookshelves are the fullest.

Where the River Goes

by Matthew Clark

At the threshold of the temple 

There a Gate stands like a man 

And the music of his voice falls 

like a river on dry land 

On those steps that lead to heaven 

There’s a long robe flowing down

And the hem is at your feet saying come 

CHORUS

There’s mouth opened wide in impossible song 

And the river flowing out it is clear and it is strong 

Singing: Everything will live where the River goes 

In this wasteland where the withered

Wait thirsty for a word 

There’s good reason to be angry 

where goodness seems absurd 

But in a vision I went wading 

In a stream that gathered speed 

Till it brought to barren forests 

Gentle fruit and tender leaves 

CHORUS 

I’ve seen you by the well dear 

You are brazened by the noon 

Every love you’ve put your hand to 

Leaves you calloused and confused

But deep down there lives a question 

It’s a thirst I recognize 

Lover look upon my face 

And rinse all that worry from your eyes

CHORUS 

Do you fear the raging current? 

Does it threaten like your tears 

Swollen with the rapid rush 

Of all your wasted years? 

Now, it’s true this River takes you 

It will drown you in its wake 

And it takes a little courage dear

when dying’s what it takes 

The post S6:E30 – Where the River Goes: Esther Moon, “Sea-Changed” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Micah Hawkinson lives with his wife and four children in Topeka, exactly one mile south of the Kansas River. He makes stories, pharmacy software, and a mean quesadilla. He’s currently working on a novel set in the world of Beowulf and St. Brendan the Navigator. He enjoys reading, singing, teaching, playing games, and filling his shelves with more books than he is statistically likely to finish in his lifetime.

Even At the Grave

by Matthew Clark

I won’t tell you not to weep, 

Yes, weep, like a mother in childbirth

For every mother weeps 

and her labor, like a prayer in the chaos 

It will all give way to wonder, once the newborn has appeared

And so we grieve the world we lost 

Yes, grieve, like the Lord did for Lazarus 

Who felt the sting of death, 

And he was laid down in a tomb in the darkness 

Then he heard the master’s voice, change a grave into a womb

CHORUS 

Oh and every one of us, We all go down to the dust

Oh but even at the grave, we make our song

Though God will wipe away our tears  

Still weep, like a soldier on lookout 

When he sees the evil tide 

Still he fights, and he will not retreat yet 

Though he knows he cannot win, he will keep the long defeat 

CHORUS 

Oh and every one of us, We go down to the dust

Oh but even at the grave, we make our song

BRIDGE 

When we are held we can hold on 

And if we are held, we can let go

The post S6:E29 – Where the River Goes: Micah Hawkinson, “One Short Sleep” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Elisabeth Adams has lived in five states, one Canadian province, and the captivating city of Jerusalem, where she studied Hebrew at Ulpan MILAH, historical geography at the University of the Holy Land, and taught English as a foreign language to university students, young professionals, and children. As a freelance editor and writer for the last dozen-plus years, she loves hearing and telling new tales of God’s faithfulness. Currently based in New England where she’s a cook and mentor for young adults, she’s also the smitten aunt of six, and instigator of tea parties for young and old. 

Find out more at Elisabeth’s website: Elisabethadams.com

The Last Enemy 

by Matthew Clark

I can see the places where the photos used to hang 

The spaces on the wall made empty from the pain 

Where the voice of those goodbyes still rings out in the night 

Like a shotgun blast 

I used to see into your eyes when your face was framed with light 

But now I’m losing sight of the good things for the lies 

And I wonder will I live to see this burden rolled away 

And so I pray again 

CHORUS

Lord, crush the stinging serpent who poisons all our joys

Pour into this shattered cup some quiet in the noise 

We are weeping at the graveside wondering how the poor are blessed 

But the last enemy you will defeat is death 

I can see the faces shining like a field of countless stars 

Scattered ‘cross the heavens each one a tingling heart 

And you will gather them like sheep and fold them in your arms 

Lord, I believe it 

And the mending where the malice of the enemy took root 

Will overtake the thorns that tore and mocked the tender shoot 

The holy tree will give to tend the bruised its healing fruit 

So we pray again 

CHORUS 

BRIDGE 

And knowing it don’t make it right 

Death is an intruder 

And the sorrow will not sleep at night 

I know you know, how could you not know

The post S6:E28 – Where the River Goes: Elisabeth Adams, “There in a Minute” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

A vocalist and composer, Ruth Naomi Floyd has created a discography dedicated to a sacred jazz expression. She has been at the forefront of creating vocal jazz settings that express theology and justice for over 25 years. Blessed with a soaring mezzo-soprano voice, she leads her own multi-faceted ensemble. Her recordings consist primarily of original compositions, and critics praise Ruth’s music for its distinctive sound of progressive ensemble jazz that is seamlessly blended with messages of hope, faith, redemption, and love. Ruth has recorded and performed with such notable instrumentalists as James Newton, James Weidman, Gary Thomas, and many more. Rooted and grounded in a faith ethos, Ruth has been a presence and worker in areas of the arts and justice throughout her career. Ruth has lectured on the intersection of beauty, theology, justice, culture, and the arts at numerous performance centers, academic settings, and conferences around the world.

Find Ruth’s work: https://frederickdouglassjazzworks.com/

Where the Morning Dawns 

by Matthew Clark 

I had laid me down beneath, the waves of my own sin

I’d drowned my very last hopeful breath

When the sword of God’s own Word tore the darkness of those depths

His mercy passed through death to breath my name, oh breath my name  

CHORUS

Where the morning dawns, Where the evening fades

You call forth songs of joy

Through the baptism of death, sings your animating breath

You call forth songs of joy

Every glowing coal grew chilled, only ash was left of love

And the burning bush lay frigid and consumed

When a mighty rushing flame from the very hearth of God 

Bodied forth a burning better word, a better word

CHORUS

BRIDGE 

Where the morning dawns, Where the evening fades 

Mercy returns as praise

The post S6:E27 – Where the River Goes: Ruth Naomi Floyd, “From Darkness to Dawn” appeared first on Matthew Clark.

by Matthew Clark | One Thousand Words

Rachel Mosley is an illustrator, preschool teacher, half of a musical folk-duo, and a sometimes-writer. Rachel has parented five kids with mostly-excellent results, survived one rare and bizarre heart attack, performed at Chastain Amphitheatre as the opening act for the 80’s band Air Supply, and lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, where she drinks several cups of (decaf) coffee daily. When not writing or drawing, Rachel can be found reading (poetry, lately), swimming in the Gulf, or, most likely, driving carpool. You can find Rachel’s art on Instagram (rachelmosleydraws) and her music on Spotify (The Mosleys). 

Find Rachel’s artwork: www.rachelmosley.com

Today

by Matthew Clark

Oh God, who can survive in your presence? 

I saw the smoke fill the temple 

Angels of flame crying Holy, holy holy

Mercy! How can my sins be forgiven? 

You and I both know I’m ruined  

I heard a voice from the cloud say Listen, listen

CHORUS

This is my Son and the joy of my heart 

He gives his life for the world 

All who will call on his name shall be saved 

Their every sin washed away

Jesus, bright comes the Word like an arrow 

Aimed at the heart of this dark world 

Long turned to stone but now beating softly beating 

Look now! Here is the Lamb for the slaughter 

Bearing away at the altar 

All of our punishment, emptied out for sinners

BRIDGE 

The ocean of sin like a flood across time

Passed over his lips till the sea-floor was dry 

When Jesus became like a cup that was filled 

And drained to the dregs so this sorrowing world could be healed 

So today, if you hear him, today can you hear him? 

The post S6:E26 – Where the River Goes: Rachel Mosley, “The Father’s Joy” appeared first on Matthew Clark.