Category: Spirituality
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Ancestors
All around me are my ancestors.All around me,Wherever I go,Wherever I live.How can that be? How do they travel?How do they know? Evelyn is here,Barefoot, Embodying good words as she moves upon the church floor boardsAnd out onto the street to follow me, even here. Charles is here,With his bookish grumble,His camera-like gaze.Capturing moments and…
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The Sound
Somewhere an otter ceases her frolicking.She sniffs at a sound coming from high above her.Her pups pay no heed,So enthralled are they with their watery playgroundAnd the crunch of crayfish.She moves her head from side to side, now up and down,Rearranging the whiskers on her glistening face.Somewhere, something is calling to her.She can’t locate the…
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Overwhelmed with Bliss
On the homestretch of my 3-month sabbatical, I am in New Mexico. Right now, April 24, a Sunday, I am sitting in the Historic Plaza of Santa Fe and I am overwhelmed with bliss. Here’s what led up to it: A little while ago I had huevos rancheros at The Burrito Spot. They were, in…
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You Need to Know This
That you are infinitely held.That with all the voices jockeying for postion to talk you out of who you are,This one matters most,The voice underneath, beyond, and inclusive of the rest, saying,“You are loved as you are, exactly as you are.” There is nothing to prove.There is no deed to perform.There is no one to…
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Not Exploited, But Emptied
Today I woke up thinking, “Who really knows how to do Palm Sunday?” After my mind ran through various possibilities, I ended up worshiping with the Episcopalians. When I arrived, an usher standing at the door of the sanctuary handed me a thick pile of paper and directed me to the courtyard. People smiled politely…
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The Day I Die
Someday I will die. I will die on the beach with its salt scent in my nose. The flies that were swirling orgiasitically upon some rotting kelp will catch a whiff of me and will shift over to attend to my passing. I will die with wet feet covered in sand and with seagulls squawking…
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The “You” Turn
Recently I realized that I spend a lot of time thinking about God and calling it prayer. My preferred mode of prayer is to walk and talk to myself. It’s been that way ever since I was senior in high school. That year, I had Leadership at 7:00 a.m. and then a free first period.…
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I Am a Gnat
In the fall of 2004, I took my first 3-month sabbatical. Brooke and I were not yet parents. We were living in Colorado Springs and I was serving as the Associate Minister for Children, Youth, and Families. The focus of that sabbatical was to visit other worshiping communities near and far. The primary adventure was…
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