This winter, I took a literary trip back to the wild, windy moors of Yorkshire, not with the stoically independent Jane Eyre and her steadfast author Charlotte, nor with the strangely mesmerizing drama of Cathy and Heathcliffe and their more romantic author Emily, but with the quiet unassuming yet inspiring Helen Huntington and her forgottenContinue reading “Letters, Diaries, and Paintings: The Hidden Life of Wildfell Hall”
Author Archives: sarpar22
Dust Creating
A poem for Ash Wednesday The story began with breath,into earth,formed by the potter’s hand. And despite any self proclaimed worth,Always ends disintegratinginto no man’s land. The margins of our lives arePerpetually haunted by fate,The inescapable spectre that lies in wait. Yet somehow I am convinced bymy vanity of vanitiesthat I can hold ontomy kingdomContinue reading “Dust Creating”
Why we need good children’s stories
“a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.” (‘Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s To Be Said) I strongly agree with Lewis on this account, as I love to read and soak in good children’s books, and I agree with him that the medium of children and fairyContinue reading “Why we need good children’s stories”
Fear Not
I love reading and writing Advent poetry because Advent is itself poetry. It’s both looking back and looking forward, celebrating and mourning, waiting even as we know the wait is over. The King has come but we long for the King to come. Creation groans in eager expectation. The sacred divine dwells in ordinary humanContinue reading “Fear Not”
Reflections on Klara and the Sun
I’ve just finished Kazuo Ishiguro’s most recent book, Klara and the Sun. This was my first Ishiguro book, and I can’t wait to read more. There is so much I could say about this book because it asks so many questions. I’m not sure I understood all of it, so I’ll avoid the more confusingContinue reading “Reflections on Klara and the Sun”
Evening Sky
I spent a LOT of time in art museums last week, and it made me want to dwell on and understand the role of color and light in art, memory, and emotions. I learned that the impressionists approached the practice of color differently. Some like Gauguin, wanted to paint from memory, even at the costContinue reading “Evening Sky”
Refracted Visions of the Beautiful Life
A short(ish) summary of my labour of love I remember wondering what on earth I would do with myself once I submitted my dissertation, because it took up so much creative energy and time. I had visions of reading piles of books and writing little articles in between shifts at the coffee shop, but inContinue reading “Refracted Visions of the Beautiful Life”
Look East
Having finished my favorite book of Dante’s Comedy as part of the 100 Days of Dante project, I’m sharing this poem that I wrote as I was reading it. It reflects my current fixation with light imagery and my lifelong love of mountains. I’d like to say that I put much creative effort into craftingContinue reading “Look East”
Relational Liturgy
The Liturgy and Worship of Youth Ministry This essay was written for the Liturgy and Worship unit of the MTh program, and my question was: What is the ‘liturgy’ of American evangelical youth ministry in the western United States, and how could it be better shaped for discipling young people into worship? It explores many questionsContinue reading “Relational Liturgy”
Learning to Rest
This essay was written for the Spirituality unit of the MTh, and my question was: How might the sovereignty of God frame the spiritual discipline of rest, and how could that be applied to those in church ministry? This basically means I’m asking why and how pastors should rest. As with my other submitted workContinue reading “Learning to Rest”
Hopeful Wanderer 