It is far too easy, when life is dark, to turn to facts and non-facts, arguments and counterarguments, all the words and torrents of opinion. We look to these things to help us make sense of the nonsensical, the absurd, the impossible to believe. But I find, when life is dark, poetry often helps more […]
Friends, if you live in or near the Cedar Valley, I want to personally invite you to a beautiful event happening soon. Blake Flattley and Tanner Olson are from Nashville and are bringing their music, poetry and joy to the area on September 21st. You can read more about them here and here and here. […]
"Everything depends on how we read, on how we enter the magic circle of a text's meaning; on how we smuggle ourselves into its words, and all the texture of a text to weave its web around us." (Michael Fishbaine) May you enter the magic circle of today's Psalm, smuggle yourself into its words and […]
The great pastor and theologian, Eugene Peterson, said: "God hears anything we whisper or shout, say or sing. Right words and correct forms are not prerequisite to a heavenly audience. God is not fastidious in these matters." Thank God, right? Prayer can be any form of utterance we throw out into the universe. God is […]
A short thought or poem for the weekend, friends ... A few lines from David Whyte's beautiful poem Sweet Darkness: You must learn one thing.The world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worldsexcept the one to which you belong. Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweetconfinement of your alonenessto learn […]
A short thought or poem for the weekend, friends ... Happiness A bee settled on a rose petal. It sipped, and off it flew. All in all, happiness, too, is something little. Trilussa (aka Carlo Alberto Salustri 1871-1950)
