Showing results by author "Peter Menkin" in All Categories

In another of the ongoing series with Anglican and Christian poets this religion writer chose to interview Jewish poet and translator Peter Cole. One of his agents suggested a Jewish poet, though Ofer Ziv of Blue Flower Arts knew the series was made up of Christians and Anglicans. The mystic, poet, and secular Jewish married man of letters who is a scholar is reticent to use the word God in an interview, and even reticent to admit to a belief in the Almighty. Yet this religious and spiritual scholar and poet has a recent book of translations of works from the Kabbalah in the book titled The Poetry of Kabbalah: Mystical Verse from the Jewish Tradition.

Seasons of Faith: Religious and Spiritual Poetry captures listeners' senses and give them a reflective experience - allowing them to boost their spirit and inspire them to live a meaningful life. Spiritually inspiring, filled with insights, and life altering, Seasons of Faith: Religious and Spiritual Poetry is engaging poetry that everyone will surely enjoy.

Another in the series of ongoing interviews with American poets. This interview with University of Delaware Professor Jeanne Walker is part of the special subset in this series called American Anglican poets. This writer talked by phone in June, 2011 with Jeanne from his home office north of San Francisco to Jeanne, who was in that morning time at her home in the Philadelphia, PA area. We spoke for an hour, and the poet was forthcoming about her work as a poet, and as a University Professor of English .

Pamela Cranston is an engaging and interesting woman, who as a poet has grown so much in these past years - that one well-known Western United States poet told me. Her sense of the Almighty, tastes in Biblical writing as literature and her thoughts on religious ideal, and some of her views of the 21st Century Church are touched on in this interview given by her over the phone June, 2011 from San Francisco's East Bay to the writer's home north of San Francisco.

I want to encourage the nation as a whole decide through a political process that one man and one woman is best for society. To see the political process working in society and not see the judicial side by fiat put such marriage on us. The standard of the bible specifies marriage between one man and one woman. In this unique hour and a half interview with The Reverend Doctor Wayne Grudem by telephone from the writer's home north of San Francisco with the Reverand at his Phoenix area home.

They dance. They sing. They speak in tongues and shout - so the Reverend Bobby Perkins elicits. Dauntless, a stand-up Christian, Reverend Bobby Perkins preaches in the subways of Washington, D.C. where he has a heart for the drug addicts. His church members preach on the streets and speak to the lowly; real conversation goes on in this documentary. These are real people, and you may not have met them before.

During a photo show, held in the Gallery 1055 in San Francisco, and a Gallery created by The Rt. Reverend Marc Andrus for display of religious and spiritual work relevant to the Diocese and its ministry, the author spoke with The Night Minister himself. Later this writer interviewed The Reverend Lyle Beckman in November, 2010 by phone in the evening on two separate evenings. This intriguing interview that tells so much of his work, and the work of others in Night Ministry.

Pieter Bruegel’s epic masterpiece The Way To Calvary depicts the story of Christ’s Passion set in Flanders under brutal Spanish occupation in the year 1564, the very year Bruegel created his painting. From among the more than five hundred figures that fill Bruegel’s remarkable canvas, The Mill & The Cross focuses on a dozen characters whose life stories unfold and intertwine in a panoramic landscape populated by villagers and red-caped horsemen.

This interview with Marie Howe, American poet and teacher, is the first of a series of three different interviews with American poets. Note some poems by Marie from her new book The Kingdom of Ordinary Time, are included in the Addendum to the interview - by permission of the poet, and of W.W. Norton publisher. Marie writes poetry of religious and spiritual kind, and other works most lovely and engaged in what one critic called the metaphysical.

Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent of Los Altos, California Foothill Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, spoke with this writer by phone and webcam via Skype in February, 2010 about same sex marriage and same sex blessings. This is the first of a series of interviews with different clergy denomination members on the subject. Two other upcoming interviews are with The Rt. Reverend Marc Andrus of The Episcopal Church, USA (San Francisco Bay Area known as Diocese of California), and Rabbi Stephen Pearce of Reform Temple El Emanuel, San Francisco.

Poet Susan Wheeler's interview is another in an ongoing series with Anglican and Christian poets. Professor Wheeler is director of Princeton University's creative writing department (Lewis Center for the Arts) in New Jersey. The students in the class immediately spoke of her personal relationship with Jesus. She was found out. She had a personal relationship with Jesus, and [it was] sort of thrilling. After that she became overt in her references. Ledger and Other Works is a combination of selected works. Ledger is about faith and stewardship.

In a City named Oakland, situated on San Francisco Bay, is the recognition that the construction of a modern Roman Catholic Cathedral captures the visual and religious sensibilities of the diverse worshipers of what these residents, mere humans with a lifetime so short, have built to their God with skill and style and up-to-date techniques for its 600 thousand or more Diocesan members use.

In this article-interview that covers the property dispute between the Episcopal Church and Christ Church, Savannah regarding the breakaway Christ Church leaving that Communion and joining the Anglican Church in North America. This writer had the privilege of talking with a number of key people. Included in this group of people with whom the writer spoke was The Reverend Jim Elliott, an attorney who is Chancellor of the Diocese of Georgia (Episcopal Church).

An interview with filmmaker Melissa Howden about her grandfather, US Army Chaplain "Ted" Howden. Chaplain Howden is considered a holy man by many. He was an Episcopal Priest who died in WW II in a POW camp.

For my way of thinking, the work of a poet is the result of a gift. This is especially true of a poet who writes poetry of faith. Robert H. Siegel of Maine, USA, is a man with a gift. He is also a man who writes poetry that reflects his faith while writing about God's creatures, animals and such, in a lovely way that a naturalist can love. So I believe.

That's what the cats that lived in the house said about her. They also said that she was one of the homeliest creatures they'd ever set sights on and in their conversations about. Tilde, whom they liked to talk about since she was new. They never once questioned where she came from or where she might be going.

From one of the poems appearing in the interview-article with Scott Cairns, Missouri USA Poet: Advent Scott Cairns. We talked by phone between my home in Mill Valley, California and his home in Missouri; the interview follows. Though Scott Cairns wrote his answers after a background conversation, there was one follow-up to his answers to the questions. That was asked in writing by email and answered in writing by email.

It is almost trite to say Christians enjoy a good sermon. But those who go to worship at Duke University Chapel have the pleasure and good fortune of having strong preachers with a Christian message. The new Dean of the Chapel is in this line of quality preachers, and his administrative skills are not only sound, but up to the task as the months that have passed from his entry in 2012 to this 2013 demonstrate. This Religion Writer has heard of no complaint.

An historic, original copy of The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre, also known as The Bay Psalm Book, first published in 1640, is for sale, with an asking price $31 million dollars. The sale will fund the future ministry and life of the Old South Boston Church. The book is described as "the first fruit of the American press". The first book printed in British North America, it was also the first book entirely written in the Colonies. Of the first printing of 1,700 copies only eleven copies are known to have survived.

An old Ford with simple carburetor called a farm vehicle from 1965, the all steel monster filling the end of the driveway against the sidewalk and white picket fence is adorned with gods, figures, wicked and mean creatures of plaster and perhaps sculpted elves. Mixed among the flowers by the walk, and towards the west where the mountains stand before the ocean begins is a line-up of gods like headstones for memory of previous tenants in this rooming house among the redwood trees.