Lent Day 21. Truth.
Lent Day 21. Take an imaginary walk with Selah Companion Debbie Tripp, through her poem “Truth.” And we offer an Irish Blessing in honor of the day.–D.B. editor
Tag Archive for: Poetry
Lent Day 20. Divine Embrace.
Beth Griffith was inspired to write today’s poem from a photo she took in the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. May you be inspired as well on this 20th day of Lent.
Lent Day 15. With Interest.
Friday, Lent Day 15. Today pause and savor this poem by John Kiemele, entitled “With Interest.” John is on staff at the Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover, Massachusetts. Here & Now is broadcasting coast to coast with this post.
Lent Day 14. A Moment in Time.
Lent Day 14. Today, walk around Green Lake with Selah Companion Kathleen Heppell in “A Moment in Time.”
Lent Day 13. Greyness.
Today receive a gift of poetry from the Selah Community’s Christopher A. Ball, “Greyness” for day 13 of Lent.
Lent Day 12. Five Friends.
Lent Day 12. Correction: Today we are blessed with an imaginative reflection about four friends lowering the paralyzed man to be healed by Jesus by Zoanna Pearson’s son, “Five Friends.” –D.B., editor
Lent Day 9. Love Embodied..
Lent Day 9. We greet Friday with one of our own, Beth Griffith’s photo essays and poems,”Love Embodied.” Savor her post over your coffee. So a little journaling perhaps. Enjoy!
Fleeting Injurious Gratitude
CHRISTOPHER A. BALL
Selah Community
fleeting injurious gratitude
when the throbbing surge of cracking bones
or torn tendons
inhibits your way in the world
from what you can see
or where you can be
not only does our day slow down
but our awareness of joy
in little ordinary parts of our day
can be held in remembrance
and with appreciation
until we heal up
and then we move on
forgetting the gifts
and expecting our wants
with endless disappointment
and constant angst
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Listening into Lent
A Quiet Day of Preparation for the Season
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM ON ZOOM FREE
Lent means “Spring” and, at the same time, was intended to draw our attention to forty days in the desert. Leaning into these contrasting images, may Lent be a season for (re)awakening for us. Whether it is found in anticipation of the budding life of spring or exposure to the wide open and barren spaces of the desert, let us intentionally approach this season with a quiet space and prayerful hearts in anticipation of new awakenings.
Let us take this day to sit before the Holy One in quietness and rest. Whether in centering prayer or journaling or any combination of spiritual practices, the time spent with God is intended to center our hearts for the season.
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Here & Now Lent Series 2023
February 22 – April 9
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Join us as we take a contemplative journey through Lent and Easter through a special edition of the Here & Now blog. Receive a daily blog post beginning February 22, Ash Wednesday through Easter, April 9. Members of the Selah Community write the Here & Now blog in an invitation to PAUSE, ENCOUNTER the Spirit through contemplative practices, and GROW TOGETHER toward wholeness and loving others.
From the writers of the Here & Now blog.
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Advent Day 26
Parousia
By Christopher Ball
part of the Selah Community
parousia
to wait
with patience
in hope
by faith
in the return
of the One
who is
and was
and is to come
is to look beyond
our toil
and pain
throbbing with anticipatory,
nervous restlessness
aching emptiness
and frigid darkness
vibrating with primordial Spirit
the essence of our very being
woven together tenderly
with delight
Advent Day 20
Annunciation
By Wendy Bryant
from the Selah Community
A breath, an opening, constant movement
lungs open, close, pause
another breath, another opening… and another, pause
astounding ministry is offered again and again
when will i consent? to bring to birth
God’s Spirit…suspended…waiting…for my “yes!”
The Annunciation is a painting widely attributed to the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1472–1476. Leonardo’s earliest extant major work was completed in Florence while he was an apprentice in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio. The painting was made in oil and tempera on a large poplar panel and depicts the Annunciation, a popular biblical subject in 15th-century Florence. Since 1867 it has been housed in the Uffizi in Florence, the city where it was created. Though the work has been criticized for inaccuracies in its composition, it is among the best-known portrayals of the Annunciation in Christian art. Source: Wikipedia
Editor’s Note: Annunciation, also called Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit to be called Jesus (Luke 1:26–38). Debora Buerk, editor
Advent Day 19
Candle Light
By Lisa Veitenhans,
Selah Companion
The afternoon sun fades shadows to shadows
No electricity to brighten the late day.
Collect the candles.
Strike the matches.
How feeble they look in the deepening gloom!
Moment by moment the shadows reach their depth and disappear
Branches against the sky no longer seen.
Back toward the house,
My candles!
Alive in the darkness.
With welcoming warmth,
Long leaps of light dance against the walls.
What could not be seen in half-light
Came alive in the night.
After the gloomy shadows,
In the pure darkness—
Light! Leaping about laughing.
Advent Day 13
The Guest
By Zoanna Pearson,
Selah Companion
I remember the year my son came home for Christmas
we lived a continent apart
My excitement was tangible
my expectation vibrated
I planned meals that he would enjoy
I baked his favorite cookies
His bed was made with soft sheets
new towels were laid out just for him
His coming was all I could think about for weeks
I anticipated his arrival with eagerness
How do I prepare for the King of all Kings
do I sit in prayer, waiting for his arrival
remembering his journey from seed to divine human
Can I imagine opening the front door and seeing him standing there
accepting his gift of a perfect leaf or tiny feather
Or perhaps, he’ll come early, roll up his sleeves and help
asking about the recipe or why I dislike pecan pie
Do I set the table picturing him in the seat of honor
do I bless the food not as I eat it but as I prepare it
Will I thank him for all the hands that touched it before me
ask blessings on each person who sits with him today
No glitter, no twinkling lights, no ornaments or festive packages
candles, aroma, soft music, laughter, gratefulness
Oh, welcome, Lord Jesus, I’m so glad you came
