Becoming a Minister

(In a nutshell)

       First, let me make a firm statement I believe: I say this because it is not everyone’s belief: only God can make a Minister a minister of the Gospel! I have studied this area, went to Graduate School for it, did evangelism work, was ordained a minister in good standing in 1993, but I am not a minister. I am a poet, and I know it. Why do I say this?  Simply: capacity, culture and application makes a good scholar, this I have. This also makes a good philosopher, this I have, and an orator, this I can do, but am not so good at.  All these last things I mention can make for a good poet, this I am.  But a true minister, he must have certain principles, motives, feelings, aims, this, —man cannot give to man: that is why the Lord asked me “What do you want to be?” And I answered, “Sir, a poet!”  Yes, in essence, it must be given from above.

       The Holy Scriptures is a second maxim, due a minister of the Gospel.

       He must fill himself up: head to toe, with this ingredient, this is his most important study: to know and to teach. Of course prayer is involved, but that is without saying, involved with all maxims in becoming a minister of the gospel; thus, everything else must be subservient to the studying of the word.

       Now I could stretch this out to be a full book and then some, but being a poet, I like to condense, so my 3^rd, point, or must is: he need not speak in a copied, or unreal self-applauding language of man’s insight, but simply with the authority: like the one who senses the ground he stands upon, and recognizes to whom he belongs and that ground belongs to, and whom he serves, and this of course is God, Jesus Christ personified.  In essence, he must be driven by Divine Providence, not human arrangements.

       If indeed he wants to win souls, he belongs to the College of Heaven, or Heavenly College, so one must, count the cost.

       Now this last point, the person seeking to be a minister of the gospel, in a manner of speaking, is self-evident, He: must have a plan. Now he has choices: with this he must select a) a tutor; b) the choice of pupil he wants to be; c) the course of education.  Select wisely all choices, perhaps be a critic to yourself, you may discover something’s are just feelings not ardent desires; thinking is better than acting on feelings.

Written:  7-27-2014

Article

       

A Silent Romance

A Silent Romance

  (A Youthful Romance, at Washington High School, 19 65, St. Paul, Minnesota)

Where in our High School was her equal?  Heaven had willed otherwise, there was none. Surely many saw her beauty, Gayle Johnson’s, but none did I see, that she allowed wooing her. And she, when she saw me, grand with eyes for none save her, she gazed as none of that High School had ever gazed. Those girls who walked with her, watched were hushed as though they had looked briefly into the Temple of Ramses. It was as if both he and she were promised, but unmatched. Nonetheless soon this silent romance would dissipate; now each must pick the yellow rose and throw the red back. It was not then, and now the yellow rose is old and black and twisted. But back then it was green, fresh and young, if not wild.

Yes, I came from what the police called Donkeyland, down on Jackson Street, in St. Paul, Minnesota, not so unlike those moviemaker’s backyard Bowery Boys, who were hooligans in the eastern part of New York City. Where the guys were bold and tough and wild. And over by Indians Hill, each weekend, we’d all get drunk. How long?  Ah, who knows? All weekend I suppose, I am very old now, it is hard to remember, I have forgotten much.

       I followed my flock that is the gang, the Cayuga Street gang, the guys and gals in the neighborhood. As if I was one of the goats, moseying about the vineyard, slopes, drinking up the sun, with alcohol in the summers, and in the winters,  finding some local, and turning on the radio to the Rock & Roll: the crucial music  of those golden days.

       But during my last year at Washington High School, 1965, when I saw Gayle walking down the hall, as I was the Hallway Monitor, near the cafeteria, her faint, but sweet smile was like the broken flight of a silver winged bird: I was liken to a lad who drowsed among the sun-swelled rocks of Mount Olympus awaiting her glance: the air and heat and silence, that filled her appearance, roused me to a spell; plus, neither can I forget how        my eyes did follow her.

       And she was young also, a year or so younger than I.  Almost daily we met, among the  so called bystanders and walkabouts going to and fro from the cafeteria, and the many goats of that high school, and for a moment it would seem that we both slipped away from the rest of the world, to idle in the sweet moment of one’s passing; that is, one passing one another. How like, a little  goat she was, big leaping eyes, and I paused, taking what pleasure I could in the offered moment, knowing there was no more to it than that, or was there?

       And ah, how she come into flower; how the eyes of young men did follow her, I took no labor in it,  only that this one moment in the day was all arranged for us, although I would gladly have done more had I felt worthy, or more enticed.

       To be more exact, I had never known even her name. Only once at a high school dance, did we dance—how I labored and saved that moment, wooed her that moment, can’t remember if she teased me or not. If she did it was fine, for where was her equal in that high school? There was none! And they who watched us dance were hushed. But I was told to leave, I had alcohol on my breath, so again I must say, I had now the yellow rose,  only to throw away again the red, back to where I found it.

       Looking back now: was there a promise? Was it all arranged?

       After I left High School to go on to my many adventures and wanderings in life:  the fiddles were silent and the sun had dropped over this dreaming purple romance, and I still did not know her name, even though I’d find out later on in life; find out that is, that she wrote in my yearbook “I love you!” and her name. Yes it was seen, but no one knew her, who knew me at the time she wrote it, and having missed that day in school, was not there to witness her signature, for I had asked, who Gayle Johnson was! And again I say: no one I knew, knew. Thus the saints had willed otherwise. Or was it a breeze of satire someone was playing on me, or real? For perhaps in those far-off days I was more flirtatious than I really thought I was, for I never thought I was, but some folks did think otherwise. Who’s to say?

       I am old now, I forget easily, ah, there was one other moment, 1994, and she called me at my work, a proud voice, like a thin sword, being taken out of a velvet sheath; I had been ill for a long while, but was recovered when she had made that call. She wanted to meet me, and she said “I’m Gayle Johnson” but who was Gayle Johnson? Again we didn’t meet. Had I seen her eyes for none save her, she and I would have danced again, hushed by surely those old High School rivals, had there been any? For she was music like a hundred guitars.

       That year, the year my mother passed away, 2003, amid the papers I had stored away in her apartment, were my yearbooks from Washington High School, I looked up the name Gayle Johnson, and her picture, loud as giant iron-silver plated bells, rang in my head, when I saw those Betty Davis eyes, but again the night had gone away, and the stars were gone, and youth had faded, and I had married a cute little Inca Princess. Yes, the saints are very good, but late if indeed we were to cause anymore hush!

       What? Was I sad?  I do not know. I have known joy and sorrow, but now I do not remember, I do know I was curious. And yes, I have kept that yellow rose, mentally anyhow, ever since that discover.

       Yes, I have kept it. And if we ever are to meet again, she will doubtless desire me to have kept it, those retentions, and recapitulations; had I not, or should I not, —she surely would be saddened.  And it has well repaid me, in that I have this little layer of romance for you to read, of those far-off days of Aquarius.

By Dennis L. Siluk, Dr. H.c. © July, 28^th, 2014  

Last Year of Innocence

Last Year of Innocence

((Blank Verse) (a Minnesota Poem))

I well remember that, that year was young—

A time of raking leaves and birds chippering;

       Beside the many lakes the fish were biting,

       And tall stocks of corn eager to unfold.

All through that year my shadow walks were bright,

As though a sun cloud waited over my head;

       And this would be my year of transition—

       That is never forgotten, and never replaced.

Long gone this year that held my first dreams:

It vanished like snow long given to the grass;

       But tho I know, no other year so innocent

       That brought forth that one youthful fist dream:

—part of the dream was called poesy for its depth,

And part called peace, for the year was tender,

       (for I was young, innocent and slender)

       And part called heart-ache, to be lost forever!

No: 4492 (7-27-2014)

Note: For the curious reader the last year of innocence for me was 1959, I was twelve years old, I wrote my first poem “Who”; the following year 1960, would be the year of chaos, transition, guilt, wild adventures.

The Coward (Part I of II)

The Coward

(Part I of II)

       “I only know we don’t live twice,” said the coward in Sidney, who ran away from war in Vietnam, back in ’71.

       “Shun death at any price,” was his earnest and foremost advice—

For me (while I was on R & R, in Sidney, from the war…)

And he stood firm in my direction.

Perhaps I was overbold:

I, who would have no end of war, — until victory: thought him an obstinate coward—

I, who would rather die a brute of war, than a coward in some dime and nickel store, in Sidney!

Potency of War

(Part II of II)

Now, old with hollow cheeks, too weak a body, yet strong the soul:

I have never had the darkest doubt of my role in war, —nor,

To any high degree, took into consideration my country being right or wrong—

All here, what wonders are in war?

Faint and far, —a fugitive from God perhaps!

War can be an absolute bliss! — In that you leave earth behind!

No want, whatever will be, is now:

Nothing begins, or ends!...

No hope, no fear—; beams of courage blast out of you!

Above and below and around.

No: 4493 (7-27-2014)

Islam’s Death Sentence for Christ!

Islam’s Death Sentence for Christ!

Think it not so unusual:

The Koran spells it out quite clear:

A death sentence for Christians!

Although now it appears out in the open!

Islamic law is now pressed:

Die a Christion in prison

With Islamic apostasy,

Or live as a Muslim—

In tyranny!

This dilemma was put on head of:

Mariam Ibrahim,

Of Sudan.

It would for me be, quite hard to love such a

Religion, that is so easy to condemn?

No: 4491 (7-26-2014)

The Plunge of Pompey

The Plunge of Pompey

(In Poetic Prose)

At the near approach of Pompey—it is hard to grasp how huge his reputation, his fame: he was called Pompey the Great!

Perhaps the most famous man in the World, in 50 B.C., not so unlike, Alexander the Great”

He changed the history of the Roman World, and that of Spain— and far beyond the boards of Italy, Egypt, Syria, to mention but a few!

And the tides of time grew higher for him, as the years passed, to old age—

He would be stabbed in the back on a skiff, at the age of 58-years old, in the waters of the Nile; but for now, life was at its height!

His arms tore from the earth the top of one great wave:

It was as if Julius Cesar was the moon under that wave, and he tore Cesar out of the Mediterranean Basin, out above some great wave, as if he was a cold white stone—

Cesar who made his name in Gaul:

Who thought himself higher than Pompey, and was determined to make Pompey pay one way or another, if indeed he could make him clean out his stall, he would…

But Cesar was not Rome, not yet, Cesar was only Cesar in those early days—Pompey was Rome!

And Cesar would have to watch Pompey’s triumph, but he also would watch him plunge!

Thus, what made Pompey famous, would make Cesar Great!

And both would leave a great wound in the world, and Rome!

Both, dragging Rome alongside them, haggard with loneliness.

The Romans had their mythology, they had their gods and heroes, and they worked alongside of their truth…

Perhaps never touching it, the equations always a little lopsided, —

And when need be, the Senate invented new ones

Cesar now back from Gaul, with a 40,000-man Army threatened to invade Rome!

Pompey, feeling it was unlikely he could, countered his attack, his threats on land and sea, with over 60,000-men of war;

Feeling Cesar had huge pits of darkness and grandeur, and no high peaks of light, foresight, or military insight—

Only that he was flashy yet unstable, thence like a slow dribble, made life unbearable for Cesar—

Starving Cesar slowly and his men, to the point they ate dirt!

Hence, like a flashing rock in darkness, he subdued Cesar into submission; As a result, had he destroyed Cesar, which was the breath of Cesar’s passion for Rome and the world:

Cesar’s virus would not have touched Rome, nor his successors!  

Perhaps would have remained a Republic!

And so what was originally the Will of Rome, in due time, became the Will of Cesar—

Cesar wanted Rome in a panic, and as the old saying goes, “Don’t trust ghosts!”

And so by allowing Cesar to return to Rome and the Senate, Pompey gave Rome, a court, a Senate, with calm gods, and no warring eagles, and made all the young soldiers like old soldiers:  soldiers of obedience.

But Rome wanted change at any cost.

This was the difference between Cesar and Pompey;

And so Rome chose the devil!

Is it not true: one day a man is praised as a king, the next by the worms?

There was those days, when Pompey fought the Great King Mithridates, back in 71 B.C., but time passes—

Cesar made Pompey the enemy!

Now Pompey was on a ship in the harbor of Pelusium, Egypt, down the Nile…

He had brought the Yong King Ptolemy into power (now but 13-years old)

“Ship ahoy!” called a voice from the dock.

“Yes,” said the Captain of Pompey’s ship.

In the background one could see Mount Cassius.

Pompey now remembering an old saying from a sibyl: ‘The sand is falling—

Beware of old enemies!”

Says Pompey: “The upright soul is safe!”

The Captain and the sailors aboard, were concerned about the warships in the harbor, being manned.

And the king, as he sailed by on his grand ship, only smiled at Pompey, could he not see the treachery in this?

Could he not see that Cesar ruled the dust and dirt of Egypt, as he did all of Italy and Rome and all Rome’s seized provinces?

Could he not see when he got into the ransacked vessel that came to deliver him to the king an insult?

Could he not see the daggers in the hands of the sailors?

Could he not feel their blazing breath?

He was a man who could feel good and evil, pain and pleasure, but what he could not feel or taste or fathom, was the nauseous drought, in a man’s heart he loved, in this case, a boy-king.

No: 4490/7-25-2014

King Xerxes & the Sibyl

King Xerxes & the Sibyl 

(430 B.C.)

The King is kneeling, the sibyl is prophesying

prior to the Battle of Thermopylae

“You are the Great King, that king whom is king over kings and kingdoms—

Your domains stretch around the while Mediterranean,

The Caspian to the Red Sea.

To all peoples and languages.

From Egypt, to Ethiopia, to Babylon, and Palestine, and soon to be Greece!

But that will be short lived. (The King looked scornful at her last words but remained kneeling and silent and looking towards the sun...)

With your Immortals, and two million man army, you will find a way through the Hot Gates; a betrayer will show you for a handsome reward!

Soon the battle will be combined:

Victory at Thermopylae will be daunting to your soldiers;

You will need lashes to make them fight!

Thus, beseech the sun, if you will and death to the Greeks for their idol-worship as you wish, and to their gods, you so despise, your victory will be harsh. (From the corner of his eye, again he resented her prophesying but remained silent, looking towards the sun…)

I see they guard the Hot Gates, their leader is Leonidas: and as they do so your spies will soon tell you, they comb their hair, dance and eat.

Fear not, this is custom, it will pass. (And the king thought: ‘How dare her say fear not, as if I have something to fear…! But said naught.)

The blood of Hercules, runs through them.

There is seven hundred Thespians and four hundred Thebans, and only three hundred Spartans, but they will kill 20,000-of your men!...

(The King did not blink an eye…)

Your heat will say: ‘Why do they not flee?’

The Thespians and Thebans hearts will be weak, but not the Spartans.

The Thebans will beg for Mercy, but the Spartans will give no quarter.

The mountains will cover them well.

And your generals will fight over the body Leonidas;

He will make your name remembered for three thousand years!”

The King stopped her, by gesture of a movement of his hand:

he was resentful, hitherto, he had been kneeling, not in a defensive or offensive posture, but now as to inspire those around him for many dreaded the Grecian name of Leonidas, and so he spoke:

“Wretched Seer,” he cried, and his cry being more like yelp of a hound, could be heard throughout his immense campsite:

“It is I who will make him unforgotten, for a dozen millenniums to come!”

And she trembled, for at great length his words echoed in her cerebellum: but she could not withdraw them, it is what she saw.

And nay, he would not believe.

“You lie!” said the Great King, “untrustworthy oracle.”

Then word was brought to King Xerxes, his two brothers were killed, as was Leonidas.

Then the Great king asked for the exiled Spartan Prince, Demaratus, whom was to his side, called the betrayer:

“How many such Spartans like Leonidas are there in Greece?”

And Demaratus told him there was a total of eight thousand.

And then the King stood up from his latter position, looked at the seer, and she knew (and she could hear the crackling of the chestnut leaves under the feet of  the Persian general Hydarnes, and his army infiltrated the passage, through the thick forest that covered the hillside.):

And with the wave of his finger had the Seer decapitated.

No: 4486 (7-24-2014)