At the Intersection of Contemplative Practice, Poetic Imagination, and Congregational Ministry
Minaret The sound of the bells stayed close that morning because of the fog and clouds that pressed down and gently held the memory to give it time to soak in. The kindness of his eyes and the love in the squeeze of his hand had seeped in my skin and filled the place where... Continue Reading →
Yes, a waiting There is a certain stillness in all things like a stone that lies waiting for the rivulet to touch it and wash away what needs to be let go of so that what is left-- Oh, what is left! A stone worn smooth by the flow of life to leave the... Continue Reading →
Magic Magic is very real. It is just not what they taught us it was-- like love. Love is very real but looks nothing like it did when I was a child-- feels nothing like it did either. Only when I saw our daughter being born of water and blood did I even begin... Continue Reading →
Out of place The bud was out of place tucked 'neath a shriveled branch a few more months of cold till Spring around us launch. Surrounded by the brown and brittle bit of stem, the small green bud stood out for what it was: a gem. SH 12/27/2019
Until I am given the words I cannot write until I am given the words. I cannot be given the words until I can see. I cannot see until I learn to pause, to stop. And to stop in this way takes trust that the Spirit is always waiting and inviting me to... Continue Reading →
Stories of Life Sometimes you meet a person and the story of their life manages to wiggle its way deep in your own--or come at you head on and demand to be given room. True stories are like that: they should be given a garden to dance around in with their arms ... Continue Reading →
Shimmer Often it is only a shimmer the dance of light through the trees that makes your heart sing. 12/24/2019 (while taking a walk on Christmas Eve morning, I went to the waterfall in our neighborhood)
For an instant I saw you today. I was going in. You were coming out. For an instant our eyes locked. I lowered mine. You turned yours. I kept going. You did too. SH 12/12/2019 (Going to my last Standing Committee meeting, when I saw a colleague who had just been deposed of... Continue Reading →
When the wind is just right Some days when the wind is just right and I dig my hands in the soil and bring them to my face and breathe in deeply, I can smell myself in a hundred years. SH 12/8/2019
The Crow has Flown Today, while eating lunch, a crow lighted in a maple outside my window. Just one-- better to capture my attention that way. I went to fetch my journal-- this one here. When I sat back down to record this gracious image, the crow had flown away. ... Continue Reading →
Thoughts on a Contemplative Reformation 