About Stonework

Stonework is published by Houghton College, a Christian liberal arts college located in New York’s rural Genesee Valley. Stonework seeks a diverse mix of mature and emerging voices in fellowship with the evangelical tradition. Published twice a year, the journal reflects the arts community at Houghton College where excellence in music, writing, and the visual arts has long been a distinctive.

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E-mail Stonework: StoneworkJournal@gmail.com

Read Stonework

  • Issue 6
    Poetry by Paul Willis and Thom Satterlee. Fiction and interview with Lori Huth. Essay by James Wardwell, and student poets from Christian campuses.
  • Issue 5
    Poetry by Susanna Childress and Debra Rienstra. Fiction excerpt by Emilie Griffin. Art from Houghton's 2007 presidential inauguration and a forum on women writing.
  • Issue 4
    Matthew Roth--new poems. Diane Glancy--from One of Us and an interview. John Tatter-on gardens and poetry. The Landscapes of John Rhett. Stephen Woolsey--on the poetry of Jack Clemo. James Wardwell--on Herrick.
  • Issue 3
    Poetry by Julia Kasdorf, Robert Siegel and Sandra Duguid. Fiction by Tom Noyes. The portraits of Alieen Ortlip Shea. An anthology of Australian Poets
  • Issue 2
    Thom Satterlee - Poems from Burning Wycliff with an appreciation by David Perkins. Alison Gresik - new fiction and an interview. James Zoller - Poems from Living on the Floodplain.
  • Issue 1
    Luci Shaw — new poems with an appreciation by Eugene H. Peterson & Hugh Cook — new fiction and an interview

Friday, May 05, 2006

Wyclif Becomes an Instrument of the Spirit

Thom Satterlee

The humble and obedient man becomes…an instrument of the Spirit.
SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS, from the Preface to The Frost of Knowledge


He often prayed for help with what he wrote.
Once, eyes closed,
he held the pen against the page
and waited for the Spirit’s voice
to tell him what to say. Minutes passed.
He heard nothing. When he opened his eyes
ink pooled under his empty pen.
What could Wyclif do but wait
until , humble and obedient, broken
from writing words he hated to see,
he set down his instrument
in order to become one. Then the Spirit
took him up, as if he were a reed-pen,
functional and willing to be used.

~~~~~

From Burning Wycliff, copyright 2006 Thom Satterlee: reprinted with permission from Texas Tech University Press.

~~~~~

Next: Last Rites