Reading devotional poetry with Kim Johnson
Ministry is one of the only professions besides writing where a person has daily need for poetry. Poetry refreshes and renews language and adds insight to stories we’ve heard many times. It can be woven meaningfully into sermons, and it bolsters the human spirit.
But pastors often turn to the same poets over and over again, and time to explore new territory is limited. This is why I recently interviewed poet Kimberly Johnson, one of the editors of an extensive compilation of devotional poetry from the ancients to the contemporary.
After our interview, I asked Johnson to highlight some of the lesser-known Christian poets to whom pastors might turn for fresh lyrical material. Here are some of her suggestions and comments:
