What I learned on the church steps last Sunday.

As she shook my hand after worship on Sunday, KB said, "This stepping stone series reminds me of a poem:

To each is given a bag of tools,

a shapeless mass, a book of rules.

To fashion then, 'ere life is flown

A building block or stepping stone."


I love it when people quote poetry! Isn't that wonderful? I was so taken by the verse that I looked up the poem, which is by R.L. Sharpe. Here's what I found:

Isn't it strange how princes and kings,

and clowns that caper in sawdust rings,

and common people, like you and me,

are builders for eternity?

Each is given a list of rules;

a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.

And each must fashion, ere life is flown,

A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.

Masperpieces of Religion Verse, edited by James Dalton Morrison (Harper, 1948).

AND, there's also a ??Grateful Dead?? song called "Book of Rules" that's based on the poem. Here's a cover of it by a group called Inner Circle posted on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVe-vaaV5xk



It has kind of a reggae beat. Very uplifing. Enjoy.