From "The Answer" by R S Thomas

Is there no way other than thought of answering the challenge?
There is an anticipation of it to the point of dying.
There have been times
when, after long on my knees
in a cold chancel, a stone has rolled
from my mind, and I have looked
in and seen the old questions lie
folded and in place
by themselves, like the piled
graveclothes of Love’s risen body.


Ronald Stuart Thomas was born in Cardiff in 1913, the son of a sea captain. He was educated at University College of North Wales and later undertook theological training at St Michael's College in Cardiff. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1936. He died at the age of 87 on the 25th September 2000. He wrote prolifically during his lifetime and his work can be explored at OldPoetry.

Tomb stone photo from Ascension Research Organization.
Linen image from Google Images.

Our ++Kate Has A Birthday Today!!!

We owe Hat Tips to Ann Fontaine+ [Wyoming] and Kay Sylvester+ [Cal] for the birthday newsflash, and to Tom Woodward+ of Sante Fe, NM for the separate but appropriate and tasteful limerick about Our Kate:

"Here's to our PB named Schori,
whose gift to the church is Amore.
When pressed by the left
and the right, being deft,
her focus remains: God's Glory."

"O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servant Katharine, as she begins another year. Grant that she may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen her trust in your goodness all the days of her life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Birthday, Katharine!

Consider giving a gift to Episcopal Relief and Development in honor of ++Katharine's birthday today. Go here to make tax-deductible donation in her name.

"My Soul Is Awakened"

My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring,
And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
For, above, and around me, the wild wind is roaring
Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.



The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
The dead leaves beneath them are merrily dancing,
The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.


I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray,
I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing
And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!

By Anne Bronte.
Images by Google Images.

9000th Visitor...Thank you!

I would like to thank visitor number 9000 in Austin, Texas for your visit today and for taking your time on exploring my blog. Thank you! Catherine+

"I Have Not Yet Done That For Which I Was Made"

O Lord my God

teach my heart

where and how to seek you,

where and how to find you.

O Lord you are my God

and you are my Lord

and I have never seen you.



You have made me and remade me,

and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess

and still I do not know you.

I have not yet done that for which I was made.

Teach me to seek you

for I cannot seek you unless you teach me

or find you unless you show yourself to me.

Let me seek you in my desire,

let me desire you in my seeking.

Let me find you by loving you,

let me love you when I find you.

Text by St Anslem.

Photos courtesy of ENS Images, Scott Gunn of InclusiveChurch.org and

Google Images.

Blogger's note: I am thankful to God, my Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, for leading the House of Bishops in the way of true wisdom and grace for all of God's people. It is my view that the calm, graciousness and intellect of our Presiding Bishop, Katharine, led the way and created the atmosphere for clarity and listening. And never has our House of Bishops been as clear and attentive to the needs of the baptized than on March 21st, in the year of our Lord, 2007.
Catherine+

"At the Sound of Your Name"

Here in this place new light is streaming,


Now is the darkness vanished away,


See in this space our fears and our dreamings,


Brought here to you in the light of this day.


Gather us in, the lost and forsaken,


Gather us in, the blind and the lame;


Call to us now, and we shall awaken,


We shall arise at the sound of your name.


Used as the invocation to the sermon delivered by The Rev Linda Calkins+ of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C., these words are from the hymn by Marty Haugen entitled "Gather Us In", on the 4th Sunday in Lent, 2005. Hat tip to Jane R who provided the source of these words.

"Calling All Angels..."

A man is placed upon the steps, a baby cries
and high above the church bells start to ring


and as the heaviness the body
oh, the heaviness settles in
somewhere you can hear a mother sing.

Then it's one foot then the other
as you step out onto the road
how much weight? how much weight?
then it's how long? and how far?
and how many times before it's too late?

Calling all angels,
calling all angels.
Walk me through this one
don't leave me alone.

Calling all angels,
calling all angels
We're cryin' and we're hurtin'
and we're not sure why...

And every day you gaze upon the sunset
with such love and intensity
why it's...it's almost as if
if you could crack the code
then you'd finally understand what this all means.





But if you could...do you think you would
trade it in
all the pain and suffering?
ah, but then you'd miss
the beauty of the light upon this earth
and the sweetness of leaving.

Calling all angels,
calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone.

Callin' all angels,
callin' all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone.

Callin' all angels
callin' all angels
we're tryin'
we're hopin'
we're hurtin'
we're lovin'
we're cryin'
we're callin'
'cause we're not sure how this goes...


Lyrics by Jane Silberry. All Rights Reserved. Photos courtesy of Google Images.

"Reconciliation"

I do not give
so you, I may impress;
try as I may to live,
failing to provide redress.

I know you cannot be bought
nor would I try
to ignoble someone whose life
does God so dignify.

For what would the treasure be,
if you were to return so easily.
Hard won is your rare allegiance,
that was lost with such negligence.

Redeem me,
let our pain cease
for true I am,
let mercy be;

Restore the promise
of sweet civility;
absolution, confession;
for Christ' sake, reconciliation.


Written by Anne Skelton, 2006. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with exclusive permission.

The Living Flame of Love, by St John of the Cross

I am reposting this poem by St John of the Cross because I sense it is so fitting for the times we are in and because I think it got lost in the proverbial shuffle. And as an editorial note, I am refraining from any opinons or comments regarding all that is going on in the Church and the AC for this Lent. I think I needed the break as much as a few other bloggers. Blessings on all of you as you move through your Lenten journey this season before Eastertide. Catherine+


St John of the Cross found inspiration for some vivid physically-charged poetry regarding the "uninteresting wilderness" of contemplative prayer.

Here is Kavanaugh and Rodriguez's translation of The Living Flame of Love written by St John:


O living flame of love
that tenderly wounds my soul
in its deepest center! Since
now you are not oppressive,
now consummate! if it be your will:
tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!

O sweet cautery,
O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
that tastes of eternal life!
and pays every debt!
in killing you changed death to life.

O lamps of fire
in whose splendors
the deep caverns of feeling,
once obscure and blind,
now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely,
both warmth and light to their Beloved.

How gently and lovingly
you wake in my heart,
where in secret you dwell alone;
and in your sweet breathing,
filled with good and glory,
how tenderly you swell my heart with love.

Photos one and three: courtesy of Google Images

Photo two: courtesy of http://www.mttaylor.com/

"I Can Deal With An Imperfect Church"

The Rev Barbara Cawthorne Crafton has reflected on the meetings in Tanzania in her own very special and gentle way. But, it's firm and enlightened gentleness I wish you to partake of.

"I CAN DEAL WITH AN IMPERFECT CHURCH"

How often have I desired to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings

and you were not willing! Luke 13:34

"I haven't written my pithy, quotable essay on the Anglican Primates meeting in Tanzania yet.

I want to write it, but I keep thinking of things that slow me down. Not indecision about the disagreement at hand -- I'm not in doubt about the rightness of everyone being fully the person God intends, whether in marriage or ministry. My own life has been too rich with the blessings of friendship with far too many gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people to turn my back on them now..." You can read the rest of her Daily eMo for 03/02/2007 here .

A new poetry blog

Hi there all...

Though this is not a posting of thought-provoking poetry or prose, it is worth shifting gears to bring it to you and your attention.

In my Lenten musings, I have come across a new-to-me blog called The Grotto. It is about the poetry of Anne Skelton, and apparently hosted by her as well. She is somewhere in my neck of the American woods but her offerings are in their early stages and sort of reflect some of our Northwest seasonal affective disorder. Some if not all deal with personal loss for now, but in communicating with her, she promises things will get lighter as time goes on. It seems that a good friend of hers has persuaded her to create this blog for her own expression as well as the enjoyment of others.

As I perused the blog I later had to ask her if she was going to leave it with only the written word or would she put up some photos or art work; she said she didn't know; she paused, sort of shrugged invisibly in her letter and then told me she thought that maybe that would be a good idea [yay! For me!]. She moves deliberately and thoughtfully so let's all be patient. Currently she has four works up at The Grotto and some links to poetry sites she finds edifying and "beautiful".

So, in your journeys, I urge you to stop off at The Grotto and rest awhile as you read some soulful work wrought of words.

Catherine+

...living Lent in the fast lane....

"Belief"

He finds me when I am not looking,

the soft footstep at the threshold of my senses

an embrace of apple blossoms humming with bees,

murmuring all languages that have ever been spoken

Oh quickened tongue made of light and earth,

voice of star and root, wave and leaf

He comes to me when I am not seeing,

the honey glow of light from behind the door

Here is the expectant coil of green beneath the snow,

beneath the burn, beneath the stone

Here is warm and sun on skin again after night,

after grief, after sorrow.

By an Anonymous poet as featured by Maggi Dawn by way of The Wicker Chronicles in 2006.

Photographs courtesy of Google Images.

Loving Your Neighbor...

"Christians have to find a way--a lens--if you will,

through which to interpret this body of text [the Bible] on which our faith is founded....

My lens--and in this I am not alone--is the two great commandments.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul, and you must love your neighbor as yourself.

YOU MUST LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

And I don't see the word "straight" in there anywhere."

--The Reverend Lily Conner, Episcopal priest, in the mystery novel by Michelle Blake, "The Book of Light", page 41, published in 2003--

___________________

Why does it take a fictional character to explain the obvious about scripture?

Photographic images courtesy of Google Images.