Digital trees aligned in artificial glen.

No wind here stirs, nor root is grown,

Each plant and seed is machine sown.

A world of buzzing mirrored glass,

With artificial fruit and grass.

There lustful cherries tempt the eye,

And apples gleam with envy’s lie.

Mangos of greed, so round, so bright,

Yet empty hearts consume their blight.

Pears of pride rise in rows,

Their hollow sweetness we all know.

Plums of wrath flare red and sharp,

And grapes of sloth hang still, and dark.

Figs of gluttony plump and vain,

Feed neither flesh nor soul’s domain.

No seed shall sprout, no sap shall flow,

No blessing comes from man-made grove.

Each fruit a lie, each tree a snare,

Designed to trap you unaware.

The orchard hums with wires and code,

A paradise of machine node.

Man lingers here, drawn by desire,

Finding nothing, and after fire.

But once there was a garden true,

Where rivers ran and light shone through.

By Word twas made and Spirit hovered,

Adam to tame and Eve to mother.

But now the hands of man do make

A hollow Eden, made of bait.

So turn away from false delight,

From crystal fruit and endless night.

The living Tree alone sustains,

The risen King enthroned now reigns.

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A bit of me, a bit of you

What is this vile thing you ask

The Machine we built for every task

It makes us things and stuff we want

It plows the fields and leaves them gaunt

It plots the roads and builds us towers

Devours forests to send us power

For all our toys and trinkets too

But back to me and back to you

We built it and we made it thus

Ain’t no God, but in Machine we trust

So walk on by as it eats your neighbor

Another lost for cheaper labor

We turn the knobs and oil the gears

It grinds us down year after year

Some I hear are still free

They live in woods or by the seas

I also know it won’t be long

Till they get caught up with the throng

That places hope in man’s progress

A little slumber, a little rest

The Machine will expand a little more

Till it sits outside their door

Then they will see they’ve been missin

A robot girl designed for kissin

Or something else to keep them numb

A tap a swipe just use your thumb

The whole world can be brought to you

Just buy it now for a buck or two

So do not worry about the fields

The genetic crops have better yields

Just sit back while it eats

It only needs a little meat

Atop the mountain peak sublime,

A throne aglow in emerald green

In jasper and carnelian sheen.

The light streams down the paths of gold

To gates upheld by pearly globes.

From its base one looks and spies

Sapphire, Amethyst, Chrysolite—

Sardonyx, Topaz, Chrysoprase,

A gathering all cleansed by grace.

The crystal mountain with its throne

Waits for those whom Christ has known.

They travel here from every land

To see the nail-pierced feet and hands,

And kneel before the Son and King,

Then join the song the angels sing:

Holy, Holy, Holy! Worthy is the Lamb!

Lord of lords, God of gods, who is the great I AM.

Will you come to this holy place?

To see and know Him face to face?

The Way is there for each of us

To walk with pilgrims’ faithful trust.

At last we’ll cross the crystal sea

To dwell with Him eternally.

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I see them marching in my dreams

Their banners black and red

They came from far beyond the hills

And then my father’s dead

My brothers too, despite their courage,

Found dirt their final home

I wonder if He heard their cries

The King on far off throne

My sisters rode to Sotë

To flee the crueler fate

Mother and I were taken thence

Thrown in the iron crate

Carried forth to Müland

To fetch a purse of gold

So long as we survived

The desert and the cold

Across the Vren of Möth

The carriages rolled on

My mouth felt swollen shut

The moisture drained and gone

Wind wielded blades of sand

By darkness and by day

Mother sang and held my hand

Until she went away

Two Canat or perhaps three

Is what I was sold for

A merchant smith from mountain deeps

Needed someone to scrub the floor

This I did at night

As the embers glowed and burned

The morning meal was given,

Only if it had been earned

He would call me Sūri

Though this isn’t my true name

The others he had bought

Were Yon, Admel and Fane

We swore to one another

To watch our whip worn backs

And share as each had need

Or where ever there was lack

Admel and Fane worked in the shop

And Yon the furnace tended

Our Master Findë, shaped the steel

On which the wars depended

We armed the men who sold us

Do we share their guilt?

Are we now a part of the beast

The tyrant’s hands have built?

The orders they have doubled

As summer winds arrive

Admel overheard a whisper

A foreign King now rides

If the banners seen are true

And rumors of losses too!

Do we risk the joy of hope?

That things could be made new?

Oh Mother, I hear the soldiers

Fighting on the walls

They say the Golden banners

have come for those who called

The cry of those in bondage

He hears no matter where

And will always come to set them free

From darkness and despair

Amid the joyful shouting

We stood along the way

The triumphant King rode by

Our true names we then could say

Findë knelt and begged for mercy

While other merchants fled

The King granted him pardon,

And offered cup and bread.

Müland lay abandoned

But to home we did not go

We joined the great King’s journey

Under the golden banners glow

For Findë we still worked

In the forge and furnace hot

But made we now, for the King,

Golden crowns for those He sought

From the seas of Rhûn to the Forodchel

We’ve welcomed all who see

That life under the banners glow

Is where one at last is free

No longer bound by chains of iron

Which man forever make

We serve the ever glowing one

That heals our every ache

My dreams are now full

Of song and dancing friends

I see my family there sometimes

Before my waking ends

Great joy is found in life

For those who serve the King

And even more they say

When after death we sing

EDIT: I have updated this poem to include original artwork sketched by .

On Jan 1 I began Genesis, I read/listened to every moment I had available and had finished the book by Jan 5. This poem is the result of my reflection on the story told at the beginning.

The Wind above the Water soared

On that ancient starless morn

The Word came next and brought the light

To separate the day and night

To the waters He turned his gaze

To part the sky and ocean wave

Next a place on which to stand

Drawn from the depths came barren land

Then flowers, herbs and green things grew

To bring forth fruit and plants to chew

The stars burst forth into the night

To govern seasons and give light

Two were made and placed close by

To rule the night and daytime sky

He spoke again into the sea

And life burst forth, swimming free

The earth was next to bring the beast

Upon the grass to live and feast

Then man was made in likeness found

Upon our heads he place a crown

Though we’re formed from naught but dust

He made a garden just for us

The Word looked up from where He stood

With Wind and Father said very good

In rest the labor was complete

A holy time of stillness sweet

Into this world where life was new

God made man and woman too

Formed from dust and breathed to life

Born from his rib to be his wife

No clothes were needed on that day

For shame had yet to have its say

In the garden they next were found

To tend and keep this sacred ground

Hemmed in by rivers which always flowed

The Pishon winds amidst Havilah’s gold

Gihon ran through the land of Cush

Bringing water to tree and bush

Tigris flows from eastern strand

And Euphrates sealed that hallowed land

Every seed and fruit was given

All but one, which was forbidden

Then the serpent came about

To see if he could plant some doubt

Into the minds of man and wife

In hopes to send them from the life

And light in whom their form was made

Into a dark forsaken grave

She took and bit the morsel grand

Then placed it in her husbands hand

He took and to his lips did bring

The forbidden fruit, the serpents sting

It was then they for the first time saw

That leaves could never hide the flaws

Though they tried to hide from Him

He knew and saw them from within

The man he squirmed and shifted blame

His wife she saw and did the same

To the serpent it next was said

His heel will crush your little head

Now crawl and leave this holy place

Dust will ever fill your mouth and face

To woman he gave this word

Pain will come with every birth

And for your man you will desire

But he will always rank the higher

And you oh man your turn is here

The ground you’ll work all through the year

By sweat and toil your food will grow

Till back to the dust your bones will go

Then leaves were traded for new skins

Another to die for mankind’s sin

Escorted out from the sacred space

Swords of fire to guard the place

So man could not eternally dwell

Apart from Him, for that is hell.

In love they brought forth a new son

Who tended flocks under the sun

Another came from womb to life

He tended field and fruit so ripe

Both brought to Him their chosen gift

A firstborn life and grain to lift

Up to the Maker in thanks and praise

One was blessed, the other raged

He ask why do you look like this

Do what is right and you won’t miss

But sin was there, right at the door

And also in man’s broken core

To his brother he said, “let’s walk,

Out to the fields and have a talk”

The brother fell upon his kin

He struck him down, then struck again

From his head the blood dripped down

It cried up from the bitter ground

“Where is your brother? Do you know?”

“Am I to track his to and fro?”

“I hear his blood that you have spilled

Cursed are you.” “No I’ll be killed!”

You must wander from this place

A mark He put upon his face

So none would kill him all his life

He found a home and knew his wife

A city he name after his son

Till descendants came to shape iron

Then to the first, another was born

In those days people called upon the Lord

I turned off my phone on Wednesday, Nov 26th and left it off and in the drawer of my bedside table until Monday, Dec 1st. This was a deliberate and sadly difficult choice to make. Difficult, because like many, I often consider my phone as a detachable appendage. A part of my body, at least that is what my brain chemistry and habits would tell you. This is something I actively try to resist and break down as often as I can.

I sent out messages to family and friends wishing them happy and safe travels for the holiday and that I would be phone-less till December. Over all it was a wonderful five day detox.

When I turned my phone back on and checked the emails, I saw that a horde of barbarians in the form of ads and deals had invaded an otherwise peaceful area of the digital realm. I took to the battlefield, axe in hand and laid waste to the enemy. I then sat by a crackling fireplace and wrote this reflection.

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The onslaught began at 4 AM,

subject lines screaming salvation

it said redemption if ordered real soon

would be delivered Prime-shipped, on your porch by noon.

There’s a liturgy to it, you know—

the dopamine trigger of LAST CHANCE and BOGO,

the countdowns, the clock,

the altar call of LIMITED STOCK.

We wake before dawn for doorbuster deals,

Forgetting the King, exchanging our zeal

For a coupon, a voucher, a place in the line

Stampeding our neighbors to scream that is mine

The temple of Target had opened it doors

The cathedral of Amazon from which our blessings pour.

I confess: I have worshiped here too.

I have stood in the line and the digital queue.

Refreshing, refreshing, a prayer of acquisition

a mantra of maybe this will be sufficient.

The cart icon glows like the saints hallowed faces

my algorithm brought me to these dark places.

Where ad copy, reels and influencers smile

Leads the dark liturgy right down the aisle.

To the altar on which our soul is consumed

The King won’t come in if I’ve left him no room.

But I got all my wants right here at the door

I ordered them quickly and still I want more

The things, oh the things so lovely and new

Am I more than an ape in this consumerist zoo?

We ought not to think this deal is so grand

When we are separated from others, ourselves and the land

In this dystopian world full of things I must own

It is best not to forget who sits on the Throne.

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The brown and red hang on

The blanket of grey now covers the sky

This year’s slumber is gathered nigh

Upon the hills and down the vales

Crunching leaves now cover the trails

Let’s grab our coats from by our doors

And gather round the fire for smores

Still moments sit with quiet grace

Let’s all slow down, no need to race

Put down the phone, shut off the screens

And disconnect the man-made machines

See the trees, the birds, the song

In the neighbor’s face amidst the throng

Of passers by, both near and far

Let this kinship be our North star

The soil resists, as soils will do,
But still I press the plow straight through.
Each furrow dug, each stone unearthed,
Becomes a line of latent worth.

I water doubt with discipline,
And wait for whispers deep within.
I guard the sprouts from winds of scorn,
And rise again with every morn.

The sun may burn, the rain may stall,
But still I tend, despite it all.
For every task, both bold and small,
Becomes a prayer: a beckoned call.

And when the fruit begins to show—
A word, a glance, a yes, a no—
I harvest truth from what has grown,
Even in fields I thought unsown.

The praise? A petal soft and brief.
The critique? A thorn that speaks belief.
Each is proof the work was real—
A touch upon the turning wheel.

I do not fear the empty hand,
The barren plot, the fallow land.
For seasons teach and cycles turn,
And in each failure, I still learn.

So bring the feedback, sweet or stern,
The gardener’s task is not to earn,
But grow. And growing makes him wise—
Not in the fruit, But in the rise.

For You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

This thought rises against the knowledge of God—
I name it, I lay it bare, I expose it in Your light.
Its fruit is emptiness, its voice is deception.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Holy Spirit, reorient my heart toward what is eternal,
My eyes toward Your beauty,
My mind toward Your Word,
My soul toward Your peace.

For our light and momentary troubles
Are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory.

Spirit, set my focus on God my Father,
On Christ my Redeemer,
On the Beauty that reveals His hand,
And on the eternity that holds all things secure.

Amen.

It knows my name, my every fear,
It drowns my will, year after year.
I ask myself with aching dread:
Why do I do what leaves me bled?

Why do I feed the fire that burns?
Why do I trade gold for what returns
Of empty habits, bitter ends,
And push away my truest friends?

Why do I flinch from hopeful light
And wear self-loathing wrapped so tight?
Why does my mind, so sharp, so sly,
Choose every day to nullify?

This voice is old, but it’s not me—
It grew in wounds I couldn’t see.
It learned my face and stole my tone
And made my head its haunted throne.

But still, somewhere beneath the pain,
There’s a breath, a flame, a drop of rain.
A distant song the silence hides—
In that love I will abide.

I ask not just to end the night,
But grope in blindness toward the light.
These questions hurt, but are they keys—
Each one unlocks a chance to be.

You are not your darkest thought,
Not every war your mind has fought.
You’re more than scars and failed defense—
You’re still becoming. Through Grace immense.

What I behold, I become.
Keep me from beholding what cannot speak, see, or save.
Guard me from worshipping shadows, screens, and silver idols.

Anchor my gaze in God—the Living Source.
Align my gaze with Christ—the Logos made flesh.
Purify my gaze by Beauty—that which reveals Your glory.
Stretch my gaze toward Eternity—the truth of which outlasts all idols.

Attention is worship.
Worship is formation.
Formation is destiny.
So fix my eyes on You, O Lord,
the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

Amen.

For those unfamiliar with the “Jesus Prayer” it is a uniting of several verses from the Bible into a short repeatable prayer that has been common practice for Christians since the 5th century or earlier.

Luke 18:13 — The tax collector prays: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Luke 18:38–39 — The blind man cries, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Romans 10:9–13 — “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The theological essence of this prayer can be viewed in several ways, the key elements that have been important for me are that it is Christological — centered on Jesus as Lord and Son of God. Soteriological — seeks mercy, forgiveness, and healing. Mystical — aims for unceasing inner union with God. Transformational — the name of Jesus purifies, illumines, and divinizes the heart.

As I began to write out these other variations I wanted to keep these theological elements and also ensure that the variants stayed as Biblically concrete as possible. I also took up this task as my daughter and I were reading through both the Chronicles of Narnia and the Little Pilgrim’s Progress, that informed my process as I wanted prayer to be a progression into the Christian life, from the city of destruction to the celestial city so to speak. This lead to the following sequence.

1. Repentance

2. Healing

3. Deliverance

4. Transformation

5. Union

6. Mission

7. Glory

Here are the prayers, their points of focus and some of the verses I used to shape them.

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1. Repentance

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Focus: Confession, humility, and turning toward God.
Verses:

• Luke 18:13 — “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

• Psalm 51:1–2 — “Have mercy on me, O God… blot out my transgressions.”

• 1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive.”

2. Healing

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, heal me, for I am wounded.

Focus: Restoring what sin has broken — body, mind, and soul.
Verses:

• Psalm 147:3 — “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

• Mark 2:17 — “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

• Jeremiah 30:17 — “I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal.”

3. Deliverance

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, deliver me, for I am bound.

Focus: Freedom from spiritual bondage, fear, and the power of sin.
Verses:

• Colossians 1:13 — “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness.”

• Psalm 34:4 — “I sought the Lord, and he delivered me from all my fears.”

• Romans 8:2 — “The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus.”

4. Transformation

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, renew me, through you I am made new.

Focus: Ongoing sanctification and inner renewal by the Spirit.
Verses:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

• Ephesians 4:23 — “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”

• Romans 12:2 — “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

5. Union

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, dwell in me, for I am Yours.

Focus: Indwelling presence of the Spirit and mutual abiding — Christ within.
Verses:

• John 15:4–5 — “Abide in me, and I in you.”

• Galatians 2:20 — “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

• John 14:23 — “We will come to him and make our home with him.”

6. Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, work through me, for I am Your servant.

Focus: Being a vessel of Christ’s will and love in the world.
Verses:

• John 20:21 — “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

• 2 Corinthians 5:20 — “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”

• Ephesians 2:10 — “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

7. Glory

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, shine through me, for I am Your saint.

Focus: Manifesting divine light and love — the radiant consummation of sanctification or theosis.
Verses:

• Matthew 5:14–16 — “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others.”

• Philippians 2:15-16— “.that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.”

• Romans 8:30 — “Those he justified he also glorified.”

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I hope and pray that if you integrate these into your prayer and faith practice that you find them bringing you closer to God, deeper into your identity in Christ and further filling you with the Holy Spirit until your cup runs over and the grace of God impacts the world around you.

As always,

I love you, God loves you. Keep Moving UpWord.

Phillip Mainprize

P.S. I designed some prayer cards with each of these on it. You can download them for free (or pay what you want) here - 7 Jesus Prayer Card PDF

God
Eternal Father, Source of all being,
reveal the false gods we cling to.
Be our center, our beginning and our end.

Christ
Jesus, Word made flesh,
unmask the lies we believe about ourselves.
Let every thought be taken captive in You.

Beauty
Expose the counterfeit splendors that dazzle and deform.
Tune our sight to behold Your glory in what is truly beautiful.

Eternity
Alpha and Omega,
strip away our obsession with the fleeting.
Fix our hope in the eternal weight of glory.

God, Christ, Beauty, Eternity—
these are our anchors.
Spirit, expose all that would sever us from them,
and bind us fast to Your truth, Your love, Your light, forever.

Amen.

Pillar I - Incarnational Attention
Christ who took on flesh,
teach us to notice You in our bodies, our breath, our neighbors,
in the ground beneath our feet.
Let every sense be consecrated to Your presence.

Pillar II - Spirit-Guided Perception
Spirit that hovers,
search the thoughts that rise in us.
Expose what is false, magnify what is pure.
Open the eyes of our hearts to see as God sees.

Pillar III - Sacramental Awareness
Father above,
train us to receive creation as gift,
to find You in the ordinary,
to see every moment as a window into eternity.

Pillar IV - Participatory Meaning
Living Word,
call us into Your labor.
Expose our passivity, awaken our courage.
Make our choices bear the weight of Your kingdom.

O God—Three in One—
we place our attention, our perception, our vision, and our action before You.
Expose what is shadow, confirm what is light,
and root our lives in You, the true Vine, forever.

Amen.