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The sonnet “O Church of Acts, Arise Anew” is a Shakespearean poem (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme, iambic pentameter) that expresses a triumphant longing for the revival of churches mirroring the vibrant, unified communities of the Book of Acts, particularly Acts 2:42-47. The first quatrain evokes a Spirit-filled past where believers united in prayer and shared all things with joy. The second quatrain portrays a community alive with truth, communal meals, and awe-inspiring signs, bound by a singular faith. The third quatrain voices a yearning for this model to spread globally, breaking down greed and illuminating the world with hope. The final couplet envisions a victorious resurgence, calling for unity and glory to mark the church’s rise. Written without first-person references, it celebrates the Acts ideal as a timeless aspiration for renewal and strength.

The Spirit wakes, a fire from ancient days,
Where souls entwine in love and ceaseless prayer,
A band unites, their hearts in bold displays,
To hold all goods as one, with joy to share.
The truth rings out through voices raised in praise,
The table spreads, with grace for all to claim,
Signs gleam afresh, igniting awestruck gaze,
One faith binds all beneath a common flame.
The world awaits this vision to restore,
Where walls of greed dissolve in boundless care,
A fellowship to bloom from shore to shore,
A light to pierce the dark with hope so rare.
Let echoes swell, let unity take flight,
The church shall rise in glory and in might!