Poiema

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works," Paul wrote to the Ephesians. 'Workmanship' conveys rather clumsily the meaning of the Greek word poiema, origin of the English word 'poem'. We are God's work of art, Paul is saying. Of all people, Paul with his history of beatings, prison, shipwreck and riots, knew the travail involved in the fashioing of that art- and the role that prayer played. Prayer offers an opportunity for God to remodel us, to chisel marble like a sculptor, touch up colours like an artist, edit words like a writer. The work continues until death, never perfected in this life." - Philip Yancey