POETRY from https://liturgies4life.substack.com

May spring return to you 
little by little each lightening day, 
in small, forgiving signs:
a green shoot springing up from earth, 
a morning warm enough for bare arms, 
a bird preening on a distant branch, 
a feather turning slowly through the air.

May you remember 
that the world is not made safe 
by your fear of it.

May your heart race 
and still carry you forward. 
May your hands tremble 
and still find the handlebars. 
May you pause when you need to, 
listen to the warning in your body, 
and continue only when you are ready.

Bless the paths that open 
around the tall gums. 
Bless the companions who call, 
“INCOMING!” 
and stay close until the danger passes.
Bless the creatures who defend 
what they love, 
even when their love arrives 
with sharp beaks and beating wings.

And when something soft 
falls unexpectedly into your keeping, 
may you receive it as a sacred gift
that holds a lesson especially for you
in this particular season. 

May you enter this spring 
with courage tucked into your pocket— 
small, imperfect and weightless,
and may you discover 
that you can be afraid 
and go back (or forward)
anyway.

Reflecting

  • A Stable Advent: Mary & Joseph

    An Advent series based on the notions of simplicity, stability (a Benedictine vow), and sanctuary Each week, congregants are offered a liturgy booklet that follows the same format and rituals, with elements like the poem/prayer, Bible reading, and wondering questions changing. The sermons are inspired by the “living stories” method and involve an unfolding visual…

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  • Prayer: a space between

    Prayer: a space between

    A “sermon” on The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:1-13 If only it was that easy: people giving good gifts to neighbours in need and to their children according to their requests –  “For everyone who asks receives; ​the one who seeks finds;and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” But much of…

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  • Prayers for praying

    Prayers for praying

    This is the opening for my service on the Lord’s Prayer last week which created space for a variety of prayer forms for people to experience. #breathprayer #imaginativeprayer #confession #visiodivina Breath prayer “So I say to you:Ask and it will be given to you;seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to…

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  • Trinity Sunday – and ordinary grace

    Watch the Triune face give three-fold shape to our faith: ev’ry day is grace. Last week, I shared on my Substack how I was wrestling with the purpose of my preaching at the moment and how identifying the purpose of it within this current season of my life would likely necessitate a change in the actual how…

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  • A Prayer for Wonder: Seeing God’s Glory in Our Lives

    In his book, “Story“, Steven James writes: You clothe yourself with daylight.You wrap the stars around your waist.Crickets chirp from the folds of your garments,Grizzlies growl from the deep pockets of your evening robe.Where do you set me upon yourself?Am I an earring, dangling in the moonlight?Am I a necklace, flashing by your breast?Where do…

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  • Discipleship: beyond the crowded life

    A reflection on discipleship based on Luke 6:17-26 and thoughts from Parker Palmer’s book “Let your life speak.”

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  • A Slow Joy

    A Slow Joy

    An Advent reflection on joy as both a gift and a practice based on the slow promise of God present with us, creating a new day.

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