The Rhyme of the Gospels
A Poetic Gospel Journey
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
HOLY- HOLY- HOLY
St. John’s Gospel in Rhyme, chapter I
I n the beginning
existed the Word;
The Word was with God,-the Word was the Lord.
He WAS the beginning, and ALL things He made,
Without Him - all nothingness - nothing displayed;
For in Him was life, the light of all men;
This light shines in darkness, not
overcome then.
There was a man whom God had sent,
Whose name was John, mankind’s lament;
He came to witness, testify, that all men might believe no lie.
Though not the light himself, he came
To bear as witness, not for fame.
The Light that’s true enlightens all,
Was coming soon for man’s recall.
Though in the world, it knew Him not-
Though made THROUGH Him, the world forgot.
He came to His home,
He wasn’t received,
Those not of His own, who received Him, believed.
To all who received and believed in His Name,
He gave to them power: God’s children, proclaim
Those born not of blood nor the will of the flesh,
Nor will of mankind, but God’s lovingness.
The Word became flesh and dwelt with us,
So full of truth and grace;
We have beheld Him glorious,
The Son of God - His Face.
As John bore witness
to this Man,
And cried to all, “Be blamed!
Before me ranks, yet after comes,”
That this was He, he claimed.
And from His fullness, all received
His grace upon His race.
Through Moses was the law of God,-
...CHRIST JESUS,- Truth and Grace.
No one has ever seen our God, except
His only Son.
In Father’s bosom does He live,-
Makes known to us He’s one.
And these the words John testified,
When Jews sent priests,- Levites:
“Who ARE you?” - - He confessed, - denied,
Said, "I am not the Christ.”
St. Matthew’s
Gospel in Rhyme, chapter V
(Christ’s Sermon on the Mount)
A nd seeing these multitudes gathering great, He
climbed up a mountain to preach;
And when He sat down, His disciples came up, And learned as He started to
teach:
“Bless-ed are they who are spiritually poor; The kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Bless-ed are they who are grieving and mourn, For comfort they’ll have in their
cares.”
“Bless-ed are they who are lowly and meek,
For they shall inherit the earth;
Bless-ed are they who do hunger and thirst For righteousness, they’ll have
re-birth.
Bless-ed are they who show mercy to all, For they’ll obtain mercy BY God.
Bless-ed are they who are pure in their hearts, For innocence, they shall SEE
God.
Bless-ed are they who make peace in the world, For they shall be known as God’s
sons;
Bless-ed are those who for righteousness sake, Are persecuted, God’s Heaven’s
won.
Bless-ed are you when men persecute you, Revile you, and tempt you in speech,
Uttering all kinds of evil against you
And falsely, on My account, teach.
Great your reward that awaits you in
Heav’n; Rejoice and be glad in your pause;
Prophets before you were tyrannized too, By men who did not know THEIR cause.
You are the zeal and the salt of the earth, But IF the salt loses its taste,
How can its taste be restored to its worth? It’s NO longer good, only waste!
“You are the light of
the world that we know; A city on high can’t be hid.
Men don’t light lamps and then hide them away, But show their light gladly
amid.
Let your light shine before all in this way, Your works to be seen by all men.
Seeing your works will give glory to God, Your Father in Heaven, amen.”
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This volume was started in October, 1965, after much prayer and meditation. The idea was then conceived and started with the words, “In the beginning...” At first, this was thought to be the first three words of Genesis, Old Covenant. After further contemplation, I realized it meant the beginning of the New Covenant in Christ - the Gospel of John, followed by the three synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This truly made much sense, and the words started to flow after reading each verse, praying, meditating and setting it to rhyme.
Being moved by the Holy Spirit of my baptism, I set my course to give love and comfort to people living in doubt, infirm, shut-ins, and the blind. This was done by narrating the entire work onto seven, ninety minute cassette tapes, and playing them to these people. Finally after thirty-five years of intermittent writing “The Rhyme of the Gospels” was completed to the degree presented herein.
About the Author
“My Short Span’ ©
Some six and seventy years ago,
The Spirit came upon my soul and water on my head:
And now anew I yearn for You,
My Savior, sought in finding few to worship him instead.
For I was blind, a bungling brat,
To think my thoughts would “wax me fat” in Heaven and on earth. To know His
knowledge, Wisdom’s Ways,
My heart was hurt to humble haze from folly’s foggy worth.
My prayers are prayed to testify:
My soul sings simply: live no lie - my serving seeks His Grace.
To give in Godly Grace through Him,
Receive, believe, repenting sin in secret and in truth. The will of our Father,
I now will to do,
No strength until now to follow through the Spirit’s Way to Love. He gave to me
Light in a darkness each day;
This Light saved my soul from the instant I prayed for Holiness in Love. Now
reborn anew on each day with His Ray,
My soul cries for God in repentance pays the price for Jesus’ Love.
I now cry for joy and give thanks to Him,
For freedom I have in my soul to win Salvation from Above. What I do in future
will only be cast,
When it comes to the present, then lies in the past.
Yes, “A man in not known by the works that he does,
But the fruit - the result is he known as he was.”
I asked not to exist, to be born in the flesh,
But thankful that I was.
I asked not for parents, who kept life afresh,
But thanks to God FOR what He does.
He gave me a brother - a hero in war,
A man to look up to in life.
Unworthy am I to but thank God he’s here;
His wounds show his giving in strife.
I’m blest having uncles and aunts who do care, Who
pray for my family in Christ.
I’m blest with their seed - my cousins creed Is
unending, befriending sufficed.
A wonderful wife I am blest with,
My love now for o’er fifty years.
Nine children she bore and taught more of life’s core Than
any I know of her peers.
No medals I’ve won for achievements done, No action to
fight for my life,
Though services three in two wars were not free, The time of my youth wasted
rife.
To those who have cared and whose love has been shared
By my family all through the years,
This legacy gladly I leave to be aired:
My poems inspired through my tears.
I’ve no claim to fame, save the Lord’s will acclaim;
He chose me His Word to adorn,
Enhancing His Gospels to proclaim His Name, “The Rhyme of the Gospels” was born.
To sum it all up, I have learned of truth
That’s profound and is bound in my soul:
I’d MUCH rather be but a child of our God Than a man of the world and ITS
goals.
My warmest respect for you all in all ways, always in
Christ,
Warren Sherwood Bennett
Rhythm ‘n’ Rhyme