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Continue: Poems & Prayers of Hope
Continue . . .
As Christians, we continue through hardships, through difficulties, through points where it felt like there was no hope. And, we continue through the ordinary, too: through the morning routines, through the rush-hour traffic, through Sunday services, through late-night prayers.
This is poetry for the ordinary. For day-to-day faith.
In Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope, author Tanner Olson examines what it means to be ordinary in the faith. To take one step forward in simple ways: going to the grocery store, making dinner, watching TV.
Being Christian doesn't always mean giant leaps and brave adventures. Sometimes, it just means being an ordinary person, continuing in your ordinary day.
As Christians, we continue through hardships, through difficulties, through points where it felt like there was no hope. And, we continue through the ordinary, too: through the morning routines, through the rush-hour traffic, through Sunday services, through late-night prayers.
This is poetry for the ordinary. For day-to-day faith.
In Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope, author Tanner Olson examines what it means to be ordinary in the faith. To take one step forward in simple ways: going to the grocery store, making dinner, watching TV.
Being Christian doesn't always mean giant leaps and brave adventures. Sometimes, it just means being an ordinary person, continuing in your ordinary day.
112 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2022
6 people are currently reading
1181 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 8, 2023
I bought this book last year, and I've kept it by my chair in my bedroom, and have just leisurely read through the poems/prayers whenever I needed encouragement. While some poetry is a riddle or metaphor, to see something beyond what we'd normally consider, Tanner's poetry makes you feel seen, and more importantly, seen by God. In his poetry, we are the riddle. We are the confusing/bound up in our heads, overthinking conundrums, and he untwists the heart, and detangles the mind, and lays it all bare before God, so you feel exposed and understood.
His poems read like psalms, in that they are brutally honest. His words are not high and haughty but low and humble. Like the psalms, he says the quiet parts out loud, that they may be put to prayer.
Reading these poems feels like being encouraged by a friend. Some are as short as a text from a friend. The title "Continue" says it all. "Keep going, Christ has you" is the theme.
His poems read like psalms, in that they are brutally honest. His words are not high and haughty but low and humble. Like the psalms, he says the quiet parts out loud, that they may be put to prayer.
Reading these poems feels like being encouraged by a friend. Some are as short as a text from a friend. The title "Continue" says it all. "Keep going, Christ has you" is the theme.
December 22, 2024
This book reminds me of a small collection of Psalms. So many of these pieces feel as though they're based on my life, reminding me that my experiences aren't isolated, other people struggle with the same doubts and questions. A book I would absolutely recommend.
July 15, 2022
With creativity, art, and opportunities for personal reflection, this resource offers hope when we are feeling wrung out, burnt out, or at the end of our hope tank. In This Season, gently walks through the seasons of both Creation and the human experience, connecting us to rhythms that restore and refresh us and remind us we are not far from God and those who love us. This text is particularly useful for the transitions of life - ones that surprise us, and ones more expected - inviting us to take time for processing in the middle of change.
November 20, 2022
A dear friend gave me this collection of prayers and poems for my birthday and I finally got around to reading it. Tanner Olson is so honest and open in this collection; it’s incredibly refreshing! It feels oh so intimate to read the prayers of another, but what an honor it was to ponder these truths he is working through. This collection has given me some endurance to press on in this life thing and I’ll definitely be returning to it soon.
June 10, 2024
‘i’m all over the place’ remains my favorite but this book had so many good ones in it. many dog-eared pages and underlines and notes. it was really cool how the spirit worked through these poems and prayers to get to my heart. big fan of mister olson!
June 15, 2023
Refreshing. Comforting. Honest.
January 6, 2026
This is a great read. A lot to meditate about. Something I will have to read again and I definitely recommend.
December 16, 2024
When I was a little kid in church I used to enjoy the Gospel reading the most. This wasn't just because I had a 1 in 4 chance that they'd say my name proudly in front of the whole church. I knew that no matter which Gospel it came from, I would have concrete objects, images, and people I could imagine while I listened. Christ is remarkable for how visually he teaches, a method totally at odds with the gnostic/heretical interpretations of Christ. Christ said "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these," meaning children, and he meant it. He didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk.
The same couldn't be said for the Epistle readings, however, which often lost me. Paul's reliance on abstract terminology such as "grace" and "justification" left little Mark with nothing to picture, and without an oversimplified definition of all these terms I had no clue what what happening. The Old Testament readings tended to vacillate between the two extremes, sometimes being very abstracted (especially the laws and prophecies), or being very concrete (the history and poetry).
Despite Olson's admirable efforts at non-pretension, I couldn't help but get lost in the litanies of abstractions that make up most of the book. There's nothing wrong with his theology, but there's a lot wrong with his presentation. Given some patience, I could get over the Insta-poetry tone of voice, but I was frustrated by the attempts at formal newness which came across as mere window dressing. In a frantic effort to wring formal originality out of his medium, Olson often sacrificed content. Anaphora is used so consistently throughout the book, as are certain clumps of words ("wonder," "wander," and "waiting" were the most common), that I imagine the average person would get tired if they read more than one a day.
Of course, the obvious response to this is "but the Psalms are really repetitious too!" and yes, that's totally valid. However, the Psalms contain some really memorable, and sometimes even shocking or violent images. Olson sometimes attempts the same, but too often it ends up in the territory of cliche like "sunrise" and "sunset." In the Psalms we have broken teeth and smashed infants and traps and nets. We also have quiet waters, joy, and praise. I love the Psalms because they give us permission to explore that darker side along with the lighter side, both the violent feelings of injustice and the overflowing feelings of praise.
With the brevity of these poem/prayers, neither extreme can ever be explored. Sure, troubles and afflictions are mentioned, but only in passing and in the abstract. What makes the Psalms strong is that they have concrete images we can latch onto, even if we can't explicitly relate to them. This book's lack of concretization almost necessitates an over-reliance on formal experimentation, which, if you've studied poetry, is mostly linked to the individualism and experimentation of the modern art movement. I'm not going to say that this experimentation is antithetical to good theology or to prayer or "Christian poetry," but it does grate in that its origin is in drawing attention to the author. These proems (prayer-poems) can't decide which they want to be, and as a result they end up with largely the same tone of voice but only slightly-varying content.
Some examples, to concretize my complaints:
Through The
Through the questions,
hope remains.
Through the pain,
joy remains.
Through the uncertainty,
mercy remains.
Through the fear,
faith remains.
&
This Isn't the End
In the silence
I will wait with faith
knowing this isn't
the end.
In the dark
I will wait with hope
knowing this isn't
the end.
In the uncertainty
I will wait with love
knowing this isn't
the end.
For where I am,
You are too.
The last two lines of this second poem were a common refrain throughout the collection, one which nearly got annoying. In writing out both of these for this review, I used copy and paste quite extensively. Not all of the poems in the collection have such obvious repetition/anaphora, but many of them do, and that combined with abstraction starts to feel lazy. I'm well aware that these complaints come off as rather critical and negative, and I'm not in any way insinuating I could do a better job. But with counter-examples such as Thomas Merton's masterful Dialogues with Silence in mind, it's hard to rate this more highly. Merton's book benefits from more concrete writing (not just of imagery, but of examples, experiences, and dilemmas). Merton also sprinkled simple line drawings throughout, some of which are just as arresting as the prayers. The prayers are regularly poetic in tenor without ever losing sight of their goal as prayers, that is as "dialogue." They contain no formal experimentation as they're all written as prose.
I'm not really sure what the right approach is for so-called "Christian Poetry;" I'm tempted to say that all poetry written by a Christian is Christian Poetry, and that being too self-conscious about the whole endeavor deadens it. Poetry to me is a very messy thing, a confusing, beautiful exploration of what you even think or feel. At least in my experience, you don't know ahead of time where the best poems will go: they surprise even you, the writer. I do know that it's not some neat and tidy litany of abstract words; instead, it's sometimes straight-up complaints about how bad your day was or how much you hate your ex. To me, that's what prayers are: they're rough and raw conversations with God, ones informed and matured by your confession of faith. The Psalms mercifully have released us from the expectation of cutesy, workshopped Insta poetry and allow for real emotion, real violence, real doubt. Olson tells us he has doubts, but we never really get to see them. Maybe that's the best summary of my critique: too much telling, not enough showing. Tell us a story! Don't just say that something vague happened. Take a cue from what Jesus did all the time in the Gospels, and tell a parable. Who knew we could learn so much about poetry from Jesus?
The same couldn't be said for the Epistle readings, however, which often lost me. Paul's reliance on abstract terminology such as "grace" and "justification" left little Mark with nothing to picture, and without an oversimplified definition of all these terms I had no clue what what happening. The Old Testament readings tended to vacillate between the two extremes, sometimes being very abstracted (especially the laws and prophecies), or being very concrete (the history and poetry).
Despite Olson's admirable efforts at non-pretension, I couldn't help but get lost in the litanies of abstractions that make up most of the book. There's nothing wrong with his theology, but there's a lot wrong with his presentation. Given some patience, I could get over the Insta-poetry tone of voice, but I was frustrated by the attempts at formal newness which came across as mere window dressing. In a frantic effort to wring formal originality out of his medium, Olson often sacrificed content. Anaphora is used so consistently throughout the book, as are certain clumps of words ("wonder," "wander," and "waiting" were the most common), that I imagine the average person would get tired if they read more than one a day.
Of course, the obvious response to this is "but the Psalms are really repetitious too!" and yes, that's totally valid. However, the Psalms contain some really memorable, and sometimes even shocking or violent images. Olson sometimes attempts the same, but too often it ends up in the territory of cliche like "sunrise" and "sunset." In the Psalms we have broken teeth and smashed infants and traps and nets. We also have quiet waters, joy, and praise. I love the Psalms because they give us permission to explore that darker side along with the lighter side, both the violent feelings of injustice and the overflowing feelings of praise.
With the brevity of these poem/prayers, neither extreme can ever be explored. Sure, troubles and afflictions are mentioned, but only in passing and in the abstract. What makes the Psalms strong is that they have concrete images we can latch onto, even if we can't explicitly relate to them. This book's lack of concretization almost necessitates an over-reliance on formal experimentation, which, if you've studied poetry, is mostly linked to the individualism and experimentation of the modern art movement. I'm not going to say that this experimentation is antithetical to good theology or to prayer or "Christian poetry," but it does grate in that its origin is in drawing attention to the author. These proems (prayer-poems) can't decide which they want to be, and as a result they end up with largely the same tone of voice but only slightly-varying content.
Some examples, to concretize my complaints:
Through The
Through the questions,
hope remains.
Through the pain,
joy remains.
Through the uncertainty,
mercy remains.
Through the fear,
faith remains.
&
This Isn't the End
In the silence
I will wait with faith
knowing this isn't
the end.
In the dark
I will wait with hope
knowing this isn't
the end.
In the uncertainty
I will wait with love
knowing this isn't
the end.
For where I am,
You are too.
The last two lines of this second poem were a common refrain throughout the collection, one which nearly got annoying. In writing out both of these for this review, I used copy and paste quite extensively. Not all of the poems in the collection have such obvious repetition/anaphora, but many of them do, and that combined with abstraction starts to feel lazy. I'm well aware that these complaints come off as rather critical and negative, and I'm not in any way insinuating I could do a better job. But with counter-examples such as Thomas Merton's masterful Dialogues with Silence in mind, it's hard to rate this more highly. Merton's book benefits from more concrete writing (not just of imagery, but of examples, experiences, and dilemmas). Merton also sprinkled simple line drawings throughout, some of which are just as arresting as the prayers. The prayers are regularly poetic in tenor without ever losing sight of their goal as prayers, that is as "dialogue." They contain no formal experimentation as they're all written as prose.
I'm not really sure what the right approach is for so-called "Christian Poetry;" I'm tempted to say that all poetry written by a Christian is Christian Poetry, and that being too self-conscious about the whole endeavor deadens it. Poetry to me is a very messy thing, a confusing, beautiful exploration of what you even think or feel. At least in my experience, you don't know ahead of time where the best poems will go: they surprise even you, the writer. I do know that it's not some neat and tidy litany of abstract words; instead, it's sometimes straight-up complaints about how bad your day was or how much you hate your ex. To me, that's what prayers are: they're rough and raw conversations with God, ones informed and matured by your confession of faith. The Psalms mercifully have released us from the expectation of cutesy, workshopped Insta poetry and allow for real emotion, real violence, real doubt. Olson tells us he has doubts, but we never really get to see them. Maybe that's the best summary of my critique: too much telling, not enough showing. Tell us a story! Don't just say that something vague happened. Take a cue from what Jesus did all the time in the Gospels, and tell a parable. Who knew we could learn so much about poetry from Jesus?
November 7, 2024
Tanner Olson’s poems in Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope are eclectic, rich, real, and dare I say it . . . wild.
Here’s a few titles that will show you what I mean.
- “How Long, O Lord?”
- “And This Is Not Easy”
- “When There Are No Words”
- “I Believe He Hears What I Don’t Say Aloud”
These are free verse poems, no regular rhyme or meter, free form structure that flow beautifully from one struggle to one truth – we are redeemed and loved by God. Many of the poems and prayers refer specifically to Bible passages. He includes specific passages at the end of some poems. Other times, I just hear familiar verses through his words.
What I appreciate about Olson’s poems and prayers is their honesty, vulnerability, real-ness. He doesn’t offer completely sweet “all will be well” words. Like the psalmists, he grapples with the real pain of this life. The hurt, the longing, the pride, the selfishness that is in all of us. They are wild but not without a direction or purpose. They are wild in that they express the mess that is real life.
I’m leaving this book on my nightstand and picking it up to read a poem here and there, a prayer sometimes. Some are short, only 5 lines long. Others are a couple of pages. The poems are accessible and lovely because they remind me that even in the wildness of this life – when we don’t have the answers or the happily-ever-afters, when we don’t know why our loved one died young or if our deepest longing will be met — we always have Jesus. In Him, order is restored.
Here’s a few titles that will show you what I mean.
- “How Long, O Lord?”
- “And This Is Not Easy”
- “When There Are No Words”
- “I Believe He Hears What I Don’t Say Aloud”
These are free verse poems, no regular rhyme or meter, free form structure that flow beautifully from one struggle to one truth – we are redeemed and loved by God. Many of the poems and prayers refer specifically to Bible passages. He includes specific passages at the end of some poems. Other times, I just hear familiar verses through his words.
What I appreciate about Olson’s poems and prayers is their honesty, vulnerability, real-ness. He doesn’t offer completely sweet “all will be well” words. Like the psalmists, he grapples with the real pain of this life. The hurt, the longing, the pride, the selfishness that is in all of us. They are wild but not without a direction or purpose. They are wild in that they express the mess that is real life.
I’m leaving this book on my nightstand and picking it up to read a poem here and there, a prayer sometimes. Some are short, only 5 lines long. Others are a couple of pages. The poems are accessible and lovely because they remind me that even in the wildness of this life – when we don’t have the answers or the happily-ever-afters, when we don’t know why our loved one died young or if our deepest longing will be met — we always have Jesus. In Him, order is restored.
September 8, 2022
If I could choose a title for this review, it would be "Contemplations", because that's what these feel like. It reminds me of the Our Daily Bread devotionals my grandmother used to read (though stylistically shorter). I would suggest it as a nice "beginners" option for a pre-teen or teen whom is looking for help with getting into a daily devotional habit. Since they're short, a single one could be read in the morning and considered throughout the day.
If you're looking for something complex or something particularly rhyming you won't find it here. What you will find read as thoughts about the way things are going in every day life and asking for peace. If I had one criticism, it's that a table of contents for easier reference. Some of these read as very topical and being able to quickly locate "A Prayer for Wisdom" when it's relevant rather than flipping through would be a nice addition.
(I received this book from a GoodReads Giveaway)
If you're looking for something complex or something particularly rhyming you won't find it here. What you will find read as thoughts about the way things are going in every day life and asking for peace. If I had one criticism, it's that a table of contents for easier reference. Some of these read as very topical and being able to quickly locate "A Prayer for Wisdom" when it's relevant rather than flipping through would be a nice addition.
(I received this book from a GoodReads Giveaway)
July 10, 2022
I’ve been reading Tanner Olson for a long time. I’ve read all his poetry. And you can’t really be friends with someone you don’t know, but after reading this book it felt like we had just sat down for coffee. It felt like we talked about hoping anyway. Loving anyway. Continuing anyway. This particular collection of poems are really prayers - honest prayers that maybe you’ve thought and not had the courage to say out loud. I’d recommend this book and that you’d recommend it to someone else too.
.
I’m thankful for his words.
.
I’m thankful for his words.
October 8, 2023
Tanner Olson's poems and prayers opened my heart to God in a new way, encouraging me to slow down and settle in God's presence. He helps the reader be OK with living in the in-between when we poured out all our prayers and still haven't heard any answers. I'm sure this will be a book I will continue to grab when I struggle to find words for my own prayers.
September 5, 2022
Beautiful encouraging words that remind us what humble faith looks like and that God’s mystery is beautiful. Thank you Tanner for once again putting language to express the feelings we share in prayer.
March 5, 2025
I discovered Tanner Olson on Substack and really loved his writing. I wanted to get his book to have a paper copy within reach. This book does not disappoint. It's full of absolutely lovely encouraging poetry and prayers.
January 4, 2024
I feel like I have struggled with prayer for awhile, and this book really helps for if you don’t know what or how to pray and it led me closer to God.
January 6, 2024
shoutout spencer 4 the loan ☻ everyone should read this book!!!!!
April 9, 2024
I loved this book. The poems were so encouraging, peaceful, hopeful—like a blanket I could wrap up in and carry with me through the day.
October 10, 2025
Very short, very powerful!
September 17, 2022
Continue is a beautiful little book that is at once both grounding and freeing, filled with biblically-rooted truths that lighten the reader's spirit. The poems and prayers offer empathy and courage for weary hearts. Continue is a quick read, but the reader will feel compelled to go back time and again to slowly soak in the hope of each poem.
December 14, 2022
A beautiful collection of thoughtful poems, musings, and prayers. I feel inspired when I pick this up and love how compact it is that I can keep it at my desk for intermittent motivation while I'm writing. Thank you for sharing this with us, Tanner!
June 20, 2024
Morning devotions
As a new day begins, these poems and thoughts guide me in a hopeful, encouraged direction. Sometimes the subject matter exactly matches a thorny problem that day. I love Tanner's writing.
As a new day begins, these poems and thoughts guide me in a hopeful, encouraged direction. Sometimes the subject matter exactly matches a thorny problem that day. I love Tanner's writing.
December 12, 2023
Yes. Tanner collects poetry and prayer and musings about life and binds them together in a way that makes me feel seen.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews