Oh, once stood assembly, humble hearts, unsoiled voices Clear gospel flowed unpurchased. Free from barter void of fear. No demand for favor. No transaction cloaked as prayer. Truth like living water moved through uncorrupted air. Leaders walked in meekness seeking neither throne nor flame. Service marked their pathway. Not ambition draped in claim. Sacred words unaltered, echoing through so sincere light without distortion drawing broken spirits near. Yeah. Yeah. Within that silence heard a hunger cloaked to zeal. Aspiration twisted what devotion once made real. Voices rose desire and height. Some mortal breath should claim. Zion crowned. Imagine echoing our fallen name. Rank above all others. Glory seized by restless will. Lucid pride awakening bending purpose to fulfill. Doctrine turned to latter. Holiness are crafted guys. Manmade codes replacing truth beneath distorted skies. Garments bleached to signal purity through outward show. Even rooted forest painted pale to match their glow. Celibacy worship union branded less of faith. MEASURE WORDS BY ABSENCE healing many hearts instead. Healing once proclaimed became denial cloaked in trust. Medicine rejected bodies fading into dust. Suffering rebranded. Virtue ending breath of sacred prize. Life dismissed as burden. Death exalted toward the skies. Stoy restrained by rented causes strangled natural grace. Love confined by systems none could question or replace. Mary souls diminish strength beneath the set the clone. Heaven split by doctrine never by the truth alone. Faith produced destruction. Spirit silence chain confined. Echoes of corruption shaping thought within the mind. Still a whisper lingers past the noise of rigid rain. Calling hearts to freedom. Far from ritual and chain. Not through painted symbols. Not through garments coldly white, but through living mercy burning inward, full of light. Creation never evil. Earth reflects a crafted hand. Grace not earned by suffering nor by laws none understand. Love beyond condition, not a wage for deeds displayed. Truth survives distortion though a thousand forms in vain. Turn from hollow altars built on pride disguised as flames. Seek the living presence not a TIT OR RANK OR NAME. HALLELUJAH. >> HALLELUJAH. >> Do not chase the heavens like a treasure to be won. Do not serve the holy, seeking payment when work's done. Faith is not a contract, not a bargain struck for gain. Love the divine purely, not for shelter from the pain. Leave behind ambition. Dress a sacrifice or gold. Walk with God in fullness. No demand, no price, no hold. Dream notion, dream not Jerusalem. Dream but God most high.
Guilded Altar : A Poetic Reflection on the Architecture of Faith and the Purity of Devotion. In this evocative original composition, Jeffrey Kevin explores the delicate boundary between sincere devotion and the encroaching shadows of institutional pride. The verses trace the journey of a spiritual community from its humble, "unpurchased" beginnings to a state where doctrine becomes a ladder for ambition and holiness a crafted guise. Through vivid imagery—of forests painted pale and garments bleached for show—the poem critiques the transformation of faith into a contract and the elevation of suffering over the celebration of life. It serves as a poignant reminder that the Divine is not a treasure to be bartered for or a destination built by human hands, but a "living presence" to be walked with in fullness and freedom. "Dream not Zion / Dream not Jerusalem / Dream but God Most High." Words of the Song: Stanza 1: Once stood assembly humble, hearts unsoiled, voices clear, Gospel flowed unpurchased, free from barter, void of fear, No demand for favor, no transaction cloaked as prayer, Truth like living water moved through uncorrupted air, Leaders walked in meekness, seeking neither throne nor flame, Service marked their pathway, not ambition draped in claim, Sacred words unaltered, echoing through souls sincere, Light without distortion, drawing broken spirits near, Yet within that silence stirred a hunger cloaked as zeal, Aspiration twisted what devotion once made real. Voices rose desiring heights no mortal breath should claim, Zion crowned imagined, echoing a fallen name, Rank above all others, glory seized by restless will, Lucid pride awakening, bending purpose to fulfill, Doctrine turned to ladder, holiness a crafted guise, Man-made codes replacing truth beneath distorted skies, Garments bleached to signal purity through outward show, Even rooted forests painted pale to mask their glow, Celibacy worshipped, union branded lesser fate, Measured worth by absence, sealing many hearts in state. Stanza 2: Healing once proclaimed became denial cloaked in trust, Medicine rejected, bodies fading into dust, Suffering rebranded virtue, ending breath a sacred prize, Life dismissed as burden, death exalted toward the skies, Joy restrained by rigid laws that strangled natural grace, Love confined by systems none could question or replace, Married souls diminished, ranked beneath ascetic throne, Heaven split by doctrine never by the truth alone, Faith reduced to structure, spirit silenced, chained, confined, Echoes of corruption shaping thought within the mind. Stanza 3: Still a whisper lingers past the noise of rigid reign, Calling hearts to freedom far from ritual and chain, Not through painted symbols, not through garments coldly white, But through living mercy burning inward, full of light, Creation never evil, earth reflects a crafted hand, Grace not earned by suffering nor by laws none understand, Love beyond condition, not a wage for deeds displayed, Truth survives distortion though a thousand forms invade, Bridge: Turn from hollow altars built on pride disguised as flame, Seek the living presence, not a title, rank, or name. Alleluia (7) Postlude: Do not chase the heavens like a treasure to be won, Do not serve the Holy seeking payment when work’s done, Faith is not a contract, not a bargain struck for gain, Love the Divine purely, not for shelter from the pain, Leave behind ambition dressed as sacrifice or gold, Walk with God in fullness—no demand, no price, no hold. Dream not Zion, Dream not Jerusalem, Dream but God Most High. --- Key Themes: The Corruption of Zeal: How aspiration can twist quiet devotion into a pursuit of rank and glory. The Rejection of Legalism: A critique of man-made codes and rigid systems that strangle natural grace. Living Mercy: Finding truth not in "painted symbols," but in the inward light of unconditional love. Sacrifice vs. Transaction: The call to serve the Holy without seeking payment, shelter, or status. Tags: #Poetry #SpiritualAwakening #JeffreyKevin #FaithAndReflection #Theology #DivineLove #Grace #Spirituality #PoeticJustice #PhilosophyOfFaith #Zion #Jerusalem #ModernPsalms