A Poetry of the Soul

In this captivatingcollection of poems from pastor Ken Gibble, readers will encounter the worries, hopes, sorrows, and joys that pour forth from the mouths and heartsof those around us. A Poetry of the Soul serves as a holy exchange, rising from the tension between heartache and happiness, doubt and faith, lamentand praise. Let these poetic expressions bringa clearer understanding of what it means to be human and allow them to powerfully transformyour life.

"Ken Gibble writes out of an artful understanding of God andhumanity in this soulful collection of story-shaped poems. With the heart of apastor and the pen of a poet, Gibble offers literate slices of life that willbe both familiar and unfamiliar to the reader. This is truly the mark of thesuccessful poet: to make the world both familiar and strange and thus invitedeeper reflection, contemplation, and meditation.

Gibble’s writing embodies a beautiful poetics of presence.This pastor knows how to lean in and listen to life. His poems, like all goodwriting, show rather than tell. Since we are indeed God’s poetry, the inspiredpastor as creative writer, in touch with the extraordinary power of ordinaryexperience, invites us to read lived lives as wisdom literature. Most strikingis the poet-pastor’s conclusions about what we will remember and what otherswill remember about us when our lives finally reach the epilogue."

--Scott Holland, Professor of Theology and Culture, BethanyTheological Seminary

Ken Gibble has pastored Church of theBrethren congregations in Virginia and Pennsylvania. He is an essayist and poetwhose writings have appeared in numerous periodicals and several books.