Image by Daniel Sunkari, via Midjourney
a leading prayer
Jesu, this little work,
as askew, may it
always lean
to You.
- Bree Devones Hsieh
This poem begins a collection of poems exploring art and creative work in the world in Poems at Half Past Three, available for pre-order now and releasing Dec 1st at breedevoneshsieh.com.
some reflections about leadership via "a leading prayer" poem
a leading prayer, rather than a leader's prayer—the work more important than any position or title; sometimes the best leading happens informally, unseen, and (gratefully, for our character) unacknowledged
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Jesu—there are many names of Jesus (even artistic ones!), he knows them all, answers to them all, always
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this little work—every work we give ourselves to is little. But it does something, and God can work through it. Just as a little poem, not much, not much at all, but even so, even one line can form thoughts, feelings, images, even sounds and vibrations in the world through its existence, through its being there, through its speaking, even through, as a prayer, its connection to one to another to God
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as askew—aligns with another, greater prayer, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner"
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may it—the heart of the prayer, giving the work to God, for His greater purpose, whatever that is and however He would accomplish it
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always—as much as love after the character of Jesus is in any work, that love's existence will endure
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lean—what more can we do some days than lean into Jesus, and trust him to hold us, and any of our small works, gently caring for and with us
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to You—Lord, to You, God, to You, Jesus, to You, Spirit, to You. though conventions of language and culture, capitalizations and their meanings and such might come and go, You who have loved us so greatly, your love, your character, your word never changes. So we give all our work to you
Bree Hsieh is an artist and poet in Pomona, California. This poem begins a collection of poems exploring art and creative work in the world in Poems at Half Past Three, releasing Dec 1st at breedevoneshsieh.com.