POETRY BLOG 19
“Four poems for Trinity” 

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday and I have selected four pieces of poetry to try and reflect it.

Trinity, in Christian doctrine, means the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead, and is central to a Christian understanding God.

Although the Bible doesn’t use the term Trinity, there are several references alluding to this threefold nature of God.  For example, in Matthew 16.19; “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

But it was Tertullian, a Latin theologian writing in the early third century, who was the first to use the name "Trinity" to explain that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are "one in essence – not one in Person”.

So, Trinity means three, but why have I selected four poems? Well, looking at the imagery used for the Trinity there are four aspects intertwined, with the Godhead right at the heart.

I have chosen a poem by George Herbert, a few verses from John Keble, a modern poem by a young Church of England minister Gary Scrivener, writing in the 21^st century, and one of my own efforts.  Hopefully you may find these helpful on this most important day in the Church Calendar.

George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was a Welsh-born poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. All his poems were published after his death in 1633. Herbert had asked the Scholar, Nicholas Ferrar to ensure the publication of his manuscript with the hope that, "he shall find in it a picture of the many spiritual conflicts that have passed between God and my soul, before I could subject mine to the will of Jesus, my Master".

His poem is simply called “Trinity Sunday” ¹

Lord, who hast form’d me out of mud,
And hast redeem’d me through thy blood,
And sanctifi’d me to do good;
Purge all my sins done heretofore:
For I confess my heavy score,
And I will strive to sin no more.
Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charity;
That I may run, rise, rest with thee.

John Keble (1792-1866) was an Anglican Priest, scholar, thinker and Poetry Professor at Oxford.  His poem for Trinity was published in 1827 in his famous book, “The Christian Year”.  I have selected four verses from his 21-verse poem, entitled “Trinity Sunday”.²

Three solemn parts together twine
In harmony’s mysterious line;
Three solemn aisles approach the shrine

Yet all are One – together all,
In thoughts that awe but not appal,
Teach the adoring heart to fall

 Eternal One, Almighty Trine!
(Since Thou art ours, and we are Thine,)
By all Thy love did once resign,

By all the grace Thy heavens still hide,
We pray Thee, keep us at Thy side,
Creator, Saviour, strengthening guide!

I started writing my poem in 1986, during my Lay Ministry Course. The module I was working at the time was Christina Doctrine and, although I had not really written any poetry, I found that turning to this form was helpful to me. The words of Psalm 25, verses 4-5, also provided some inspiration:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation,
for you I wait all day long.

There is also some influence from Paul’s letter to the 1 Corinthians 13. 1-13, that great passage on faith, hope and love.
I wrote it with four verses to reflect the three persons and the Godhead.

On Showing the Truth – Towards a Triune God

O Father, show me all that’s true,
Remove the darkened glass,
Bring all so clearly into view,
Let nothing by me pass.

Lead me to Jesus Christ the Lord,
Put nothing in my way,
Show me, the essence of your word,
On this and every day.

Show me the spirit of the age,
Let me your work pursue,
Before me open every page,
Outpouring as you do.

Take me towards the Trinity,
The path before me clear,
Show me faith, hope and charity,
And all, that I hold dear.

R P Verrall June 1987

And finally, the poem from Gary Scrivener, a minister in the Church of England who works as an evangelist. (Further examples of his work, ethos and ministry can be found on the reference given at the end. 

Gary wrote his poem, “A Poem for Trinity Sunday”, in 2015 and prefaced it by quoting a favourite passage of scripture, as his inspiration.

“The Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to Streams of Living Water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17) ³

For our anxious little realm,
for the fears that overwhelm…
There is a throne.
For mistakes we can’t forget
and the sins that still beset…
We have a Lamb.
For our lost and lonely hearts,
for our gnarled and tangled paths…
We have a Shepherd.
For our dry and listless souls
and our thirst for being whole…
We have a Stream.
For regret and ravaged years,
for all sweet and bitter tears...
We have a Father.
For treks through burning sands,
To our home in promised lands,
This hope till all is done:
Our God the three-in-one.

SOURCES

1.  George Herbert, “Trinity Sunday,” in George Herbert: The Complete English Works, ed. Ann Pasternak Slater, Everyman’s Library (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995), 65.
from The Temple (1633), by George Herbert:

2. The Christian Year, John Keble, George Newnes Ltd., London, 1897

3. Gary Scrivener on https://christthetruth.net

Submitted by Roger Verrall, May 24^th 2021