On a late winter’s evening in March, church members and guests gathered at St. Andrew’s, Ottawa, to hear familiar messages shared by unfamiliar preachers: youth and young adults of varying ethnicities, colours and styles, with piercings and tattoos, hijabs and dreadlocks, conservative and bohemian all in the mix. We heard words of justice, kindness and humble walking. We heard poetry of encouragement and love; words that moved us and challenged us.
This was the second Slam Poetry evening at St Andrew’s. Slam Poetry is a spoken – word performance poetry competition that is judged for its poetic impact on an audience, within a three – minute time restriction.
There is power in words. We, as a church, relate to this. Storytelling, history – sharing, parable and allegory as well as the preaching and the hearing of the word, lead us to both ponder and wonder. So too, in well – crafted poetry.
The connection with the Slam Poetry community in Ottawa began in 2012. Following, in part, inspiration from Philippians 4:8, the St. Andrew’s Growth Committee sought new ideas to build bridges between our church community and communities in our city that were doing admirable and praiseworthy things.
A few ideas were contemplated and one, Slam Poetry, with a focus on youth, took root, and has now come to a fruitful start.
Poets’ hopes, dreams, history, reflections, aspirations for social justice and peace are communicated in artistic language that (when mastered) is succinct, clever, winsome, humorous and inspired. When enhanced by body and voice gestures in staged performance, the overall effect is a unique connectedness with the audience that wows!
Ottawa is blessed with a number of gifted spoken word artists, many of whom are national and international award – winners. We bravely approached one slam community at a local club, in tentative outreach, and through them, were made aware of Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam, another grassroots organization that focuses on mentoring young, upcoming slam artists by nurturing self–expression and encouraging them to speak the power of their own words.
The coming together of the first Slam event at St. Andrew’s was met, like all unknowns, with some trepidation on both sides. The church was curious: What would they say? Would it be consistent with our Christian worldviews and/or shake us up? Would it challenge our beliefs? Would the artists be fully appreciated and welcomed?
The poets also had questions: Hmmm, a church … Would we, the poets, be free to say the things we want to say? Can we broach all issues? Was there some unforeseen agenda? Will they appreciate us?
Soon the stage was set, the event advertised and St. Andrew’s opened its doors to its first slam poetry event in February 2013. We called it, The POWer of Words.
On the night of the event the young poets arrived to share their passion and creativity. In the audience, a brave, rather traditional congregation in style, but a congregation willing to listen to and, perchance, embrace new poetic testaments. A congregation that looks to the ways God moves and challenges us in the world, and remains open to the possibility that the Spirit might move us to wonder, even within a poetry slam. At the end of the wonderful evening, a freewill offering was donated to the Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam.
In March 2014, the artists returned, as did the audience—this time in greater numbers. A bridge has been built between one community and another.
We heard poetry of encouragement and bravery, of love in simplicity, of humorous imaginings and allegory, poems that spoke to creative genius, messages of acceptance and inclusivity, and poetry of earth conservation.
They were evenings of stories; human stories told in poetic verse that connected all of us at a very innate level and, in that connection, created a unified space where we all felt, for a span in time, like extended family.
The power of words.
“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
