Tag: Prayer

Where one or two …

 

A drop of water

falls.

Drip.

Another.

Drip.


Drip, drop – more fall. 

The drip becomes a trickle;

Drip, drip, drop -.

the trickle a stream.

The stream becomes a river,

a down pour, a torrent –

surge, rush, roar.


A flood begins with just a drip. 

Snow.

Sun on snow. 

A little warmth,

a little melting.

A moment of easing,

    loosening, 

         a shifting of weight.

                 gathering momentum –

 And whoosh! 

A million tonnes of speeding snow.


An avalanche begins with just one flake.

A swallow

perched on the telephone wire,

testers slightly. 

Now or later?

One swallow, two.

Another, three. Sway.

Now or later?

Four, six; 

Eight, ten. Now?

Gather, check, sense the air.

Now? Now!

Up, and away, 

wings beat, compass set,  

off – 

fare well.


Where one or two are gathered, 

change begins.

May God bless our endeavours.

Rejoice!

May my heart be an altar  

pure and simple

where I praise God.

Not in oil fields 

but in wheat fields 

does my heart rejoice.

Not stuck behind the wheel

but freely on two wheels

does my heart rejoice.

Not coddle by a boiler 

but warmed by the sun 

does my heart rejoice.

Not gorging on steak 

but feasting on beans 

does my heart rejoice.

Not jetting above the earth 

but swimming in the water 

does my heart rejoice. 

Nor gasping on fumes 

but smelling fresh rain 

does my heart rejoice.

Not imprisoned by concrete 

but shaded by trees 

does my heart rejoice.

Not deafened but explosions 

but transfixed by bird song 

does my heart rejoice.

Not by hoarding everything 

but sharing with all 

does my heart rejoice.

.

Accept my praise, 

and my joy, 

Lord of my heart.

Falling in Love 34

A green tau/ cross


Today is the feast of St Francis, known as the patron saint of environmentalism. He was someone who was constantly falling in love with God, with the world around him, with all the diverse creatures and people he met – many of whom were despised by others – and with simplicity and poverty. Indeed he declared himself betrothed to Lady Poverty.

Let us follow his example of delighting all that is around us, of pursuing a life of simplicity, and of joyfully loving God.

Falling in Love 33

Who says the sky is blue? The sky’s palate is constantly changing as its mood. Does this sunset suggest glory, energy, future hopes, turmoil or beauty?

The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation. 

Falling in Love 32

Apples are reputed to have been grown in the Garden of Eden. Their colour, crunch and savour are enticing even though now we see them as commonplace rather than exotic. They are a homely fruit and adaptable for use in puddings, jams and chutneys, cakes and pies – or simply to scrump straight from the tree. 

The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation. 

Falling in Love 31

This winter flowering iris is such a vibrant blue which offsets the yellow streak that must be so attractive to insects. Blue is often associated with heaven, the skies above and the waters below –  and with precious minerals. Blue is: lapis lazuli, sapphire, turquoise, aquamarine, navy, cobalt, cyan, cerulean, marine, gentian, peacock, and celestine. 

The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation. 

Falling in Love 30

Clouds, like water, are fantastically varied – maybe because they are themselves made up of a myriad of  mini water droplets. Here the clouds resemble little puffs of candy floss or maybe cotton wool. Although the air seems still, these clouds are constantly moving and morphing, and whilst down here it is a warm summer’s day, up there the temperatures are very much colder!

The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation. 

The Fragrance of God

I have no burnt offerings, 

nor fragrant incense to offer –

Yet I will praise you,

God in highest heaven,

for the joy of the gift of smell.


The tantalising aroma

of fresh coffee beans

that presages 

a heart-lifting brew.


The apple-ripe scent 

of yeast

and the warm smell

of fresh baked bread.


The fragrance of strawberries 

perfectly captured

in the jam,

as a delight all year round.


The complex layers

of red wine,

hints of berries and spice,

intoxicating my nose.


The sweet perfume of honeysuckle

and rose,

when I peer into the heart 

of each delicate bloom.


The smell of the river,

with muted undertones 

of weed and mud,

floats along on the breeze.


The musk of the stag

as the rut begins;

and the tang

of autumn’s decaying leaves.


Thanks be to you, Our God,

for such fragrant offerings

that lift heart and soul

in endless praise.

Falling in love 29

Hilda

Cats are both attentive and self-contained. Alert when they wish, and asleep when they wish: they have no hang-ups about what they ‘should’ be doing. Christopher Smart, the eighteenth century poet describes his cat Jeoffry as having a daily routine that is a life prayerfully aligned with God. 

The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation. 

Falling in love 28

Log and moss, Lake District

Close up mosses create their own landscape in miniature. And the closer we look, the more detail we see. Delicate fronds and feather-like leaves; small rounded pebbles; a semi decayed leaf; a spike of grass; the age-worn grain of the log. 


The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore. 

As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over. 

And our love for the world wains and falters. 

The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.