Creed and Confession

from Walled Gardens


I have been bound to imagery and form,
without regard to their source and eternity;

I have taken scripture at its word,
and found God’s essence in chapter and verse; and yet

I have bowed down to devils wearing the rings of kings.
“He sat upon the throne” was all I needed.

I have praised the images in my church,
never thinking of God as the artist;

I have followed the form of the worship service
never considering the contingencies.

I have come to believe that God will send
the devils on their way, but

I have never dared to move beyond
“He sat” to “He has no place.”


I have been bound to the image of a throne
and the form of one who wears a fitting crown;

I have let the scriptures tell me what is true,
as even “he that sat upon the throne revealed...”

I have proudly worn my Christianity
and celebrated God’s descendancy;

I have put this at the center of my creed,
believing that my God will come again, even as

I have known my God’s been with me all along,
every time, forever everywhere, even as

I have looked and still I look for a direction
to bow down to, traditions to cling to, even as

I have needed, always needed, something new,
something certain, something true.