Author - Clay Corvin

Archie has a great mind
His devotional explored time
And the way God sifts men’s designs

We walked into time
Reached out to see
What the Romans did
And it affected me

Along the way we talked
Many thoughts
Our steps tracked through tears
Of slaves and burdened years

How do I fit?
In God’s kingdom work
What can I change?
That will glorify God’s name

Sad that Nero
Is remembered so long
I still felt the evil
That impacted the catacombs

We don’t have the names
Christians glorified Christ
God’s book has those names
And they won’t be forgot

When we get to heaven
There will be no Nero’s there
If our name is in His book
Christ will remember us

Each thing that we’ve done
Nothing hidden from the Son
The reward will be great
Time will be undone

Christ will take you on a stroll
And your feet won’t hurt
We will see His forum
Where we’ve been written up

I won’t forget this Sunday
It is etched in my mind
And Christ won’t forget me
Beyond the end of time

Clay Corvin    3/21/04

Sunday is a grand day
Of celebrations and joy
We walked thru history
In a Roman convoy

What a panorama
The Forum of Rome
Anchored by the Colosseum
Held together by many thrones

The Palatine is now swept clean
Overlooking all of Rome
Where the emperors sat
Feeling strong and tall

What have all the years done?
To a society that ruled the world
Reducing it to rubble
And now it’s gone

It was a violent society
Self-centered on its need
Greedy causes flourished
Led by men with evil needs

Celebrations are deceiving
Many sedate the soul
Rome ignored Jesus
And now it is gone

Clay Corvin     03/21/04

We covered history
As we crisscrossed Rome
From early to the middle Ages
Looking at their homes

We listened to the eras
Across two thousand years
Presenting themselves
In bricks and stones

Nero still remembered
Evil was his throne
Always hurting people
His hurt still is known

Everywhere we traveled
Death reared its head
All those people
Struggled until they were dead

Now the façade is religion
Churches everywhere
All those hurting people
And the world doesn’t care

Rome is not unusual
Man is very mean
The strong live for ego
And people get no esteem

Clay Corvin      03/21/04

It’s all about me it seems
Everything I do
Positions me
To be in front of you

I this
And I that
I am important
You see

And yet the heart
Of the Gospel I believe
Speaks of your importance
And my responsibility

I must obey
I must choose
I must change
And be willing to be used

Used of God to encourage you
To help you grow
To encourage and sow
And bend the knee to God’s goals

I must know Christ
He is my life
Surrender self
Take His advice

And help you
As one who cares
My ego out
My heart devout

When self is gone
And Christ is King
My life will glow
And it will show

Clay Corvin     3/20/04

A better day is coming
One day we’ll see the Lord
If it was today
I would have a sweet reward

In the middle of the founders
That died for our faith
It’s not their fault
That the world has held the church

Religion is often vicious
It discounts people’s lives
Jesus wept for us and died
That I might be justified

Before a Holy God
King of all Kings
He looks at religion
And only sees its schemes

Christ is the person
That we imitate and serve
Listening to Jesus
We realize people need to be heard

Today the world despises
All that Jesus did
It disregards our Savior
As if He never lived

The world thinks it’s judging
Persecuting souls
It’s only building prisons
Jesus is in control

Clay Corvin      3/20/04

A very good day
Walking in Rome
Seeing where Christianity
Flourished and made its home

Looking at the ancients
Hearing their views
What happened?
Why did we change our views?

The world is in a hurry
We slowed it down
Underscored the value
Of God’s people here in Rome

Bill Warren was our rudder
As our scholars shared
Giving us enough
To understand those now dead

Sharing all their why’s and how’s
It magnified our view
Carla kept us together
We saw God’s world anew

Our students have discovered
Physical remains
It’s easy to criticize the unknown
Now we know much more of Rome

I want to thank our travelers
What a job they’ve done
Everyone working together
Exemplifying God’s son

Jimmy Dukes expounding
Paul’s words from Rome
Encouraging each one of us
To think and grow

Friends and family
Blessing each and all
Don’t forget the food
And our casual talks

I want to do better
I want to be used
Thank you for traveling with us
Our Rome adventure is better because of you

Clay Corvin     3/20/04

Churches all day
Ornate and plain
Built on the foundation
Of martyrs’ in Jesus name

People count with God
Religion counts itself
Property and gold
Replace a Holy God

All groups are guilty
It’s easy to stray
Counterfeit Christianity
Rules our day

Tired feet again
Cobblestones and steps
We rode to the catacombs
To reconnect our thoughts

Today martyrs still die
More than ever before
I want to live
To serve Jesus Christ

Service is uncomfortable
It costs me time and faith
To believe in Jesus
And tell about His fame

Clay Corvin      3/20/04

Beauty comes in many cloaks
Fashioned from the mind
Energy expressed in time

Seldom do we realize
Beauty is dictated
By societies eyes

It is important to understand
That beauty is within
Valuing everyone

Dealing with our wisdom
To know that people count
Expressed by our actions of service

Beauty is an action
It takes pain to care
And will to share

Everyday is a challenge
To turn inward and ignore
He will help me care

When I’m faced with choices
Jesus looses me to face the day
And live life with beauty, God’s way

Clay Corvin     3/20/04

Dead Sea travel
Northern bound
A lot of noxious sulfur
Earthly found

Thought about the Romans
Many thousand strong
Hard nosed and charging
More their constant song

All around is desert
Deaths rules this land
People at the Dead Sea
Live with lots of brown

How can I change something?
It all starts with me
Commit to help another
Consistently bend my knee

Giving is the beginning
To change a brown, dead life
Listening helps forgiving
To free oneself from strife

History teaches what happens
When cruelty is in control
But God loves people
He can change the way I go

Hands and feet of Jesus
Becomes a changers goal
Acting like Christ to others
Reinforces heaven’s hold

Just a few thoughts at the Dead Sea
As we traveled north today

Clay Corvin   12/29/06

Praise God for hearing me
I cried out in a plea
He changed me
And met my need

Praise God for using me
I wanted worth
He assigned me work
And I learned I was important

Praise God for loving me
Gave me the gift of relationship
Jesus died for me
And I received salvation

Praise God for forgiving me
I’m so forgetful and foolish
Every thought God has for me is good
And I was encouraged

Praise God with what I say
He is hearing me
As I work from my heart
Christ will see me home

Clay Corvin   3/19/04