Cries of Earth and Altar

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The poems of Cries of Earth and Altar speak of human laughter, mystery, work, play, sorrow--and even rage--as an oblation set upon heaven's high altar, which, as Calvin noted, is Christ himself. Upon that altar, the cries of earth are made a cry of glory, "Abba, Father" (Mark 14:36, Rom 8:15)! With the exception of those poems labeled "out of season, " each poetic text is given a place in the Christian liturgical calendar: Advent-Epiphany, Transfiguration Sunday, Lent-Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. In the concluding essay, poetry and preaching are spoken of as fragile indicatives that implicitly call into question all claims of inviolability and permanence for humanly wrought systems of thought, common life, and governance. They survive as verbal, vocal, and physical gesture, as ink turned into blood. "These poems reveal the deep yearning that lies beneath the veneer. They could have been written only by a pastor like Charles Bartow who spent his life searching for the holy in the lives of those around him." --M. Craig Barnes, President, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ "The power of poetry lies in its ability to give voice to the mystical, magical, everlasting world beyond our knowing, and in these pages, Charles Bartow does just that for the reader, crafting a liturgical calendar of faith that speaks to the heart of humankind. Filled with questioning, wondering, remembering, and imagining, these prayerful poems speak to the enormity of our faith and the intensity of our lives." --Kathleen Moore, Poet Laureate, San Ramon, CA "Scholar, teacher, poet-preacher Charles L. Bartow offers the refreshing gift of a liturgical poesis that weds poetry and preaching to doxology, showing us once again that he is more than a poet or preacher, he is a doxologian, a contemporary psalmist attune to the cries of praise and lament rising from the earth to God's cruciform altar. This theo-poetic offering will strangely warm every reader's heart during every season of life. Enter this poetic liturgy at your own risk because these words will usher you to the throne of God." --Luke A. Powery, Associate Professor of the Practice of Homiletics, Duke University, Durham, NC "Charles Bartow is a broad-shouldered poet whose words not only fly up but sink down in. He is concerned with the stuff and range of real life. Snaking rhythms move the manly words and lacy images. Air-filled but not airy, polished but not varnished, this is poetry you can take to the pulpit or the hospital as easily as the park bench. Whether it is grief or hunger that drives you to the poetry shelf, you will find an answering voice here." --Jana Childers, Dean of the Seminary, San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, CA Charles L. Bartow is Egner Professor of Speech Communication Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also Pastor Emeritus of The Presbyterian Church of Deep Run, Bucks County, PA. He is the author of Dust and Prayers: Poems (2009).