Fading afternoon light Pale and fleeting Urgently beckons me To a moment That will never be again But feels like it is just for me It sounds an alarm Not to frighten But to remind me That this is not an ordinary day Nor an ordinary night It is a day and night of mystery … Continue reading When the Light of Emmanuel Shines
In the early part of the 19th century, artist Edward Hicks, a Quaker preacher who lived in Bucks County, PA, painted many paintings that now grace the walls of art museums in many places including the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City and the National Art Gallery in Washington, DC. As a Quaker, … Continue reading Speaking Tenderly
I was hoping that they wouldn’t find me this year, since I moved. You know, all those catalogues that inundate the mailbox at this time of year? But last week there must have been twenty catalogues that arrived in the mailbox, all telling me that they had just the thing for all of the people … Continue reading Come, Lord Jesus.
Again the moment has arrived When the afternoon light appears Illuminating the golds of leaves Still clinging to the branches Determined not to leave just yet They shimmer on the breeze An attempt to cover the spaces Where fallen leaves Have left holes For me to peer into The depth of the woods And … Continue reading Because the Titmouse Sang to Me
One of my favorite music memories has been singing The Creation, by Haydn. In glorious music and inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Judeo-Christian Creation story is told. Just recently, the church where I am serving sang “The Heavens are Telling,” from that great work and I got to sing the Gabriel part … Continue reading What the Heavens Tell Us
Like many children, I was afraid of storms. For several reasons, I was afraid of the storms at my grandfather’s farm. There was not real cellar or basement under the house, so in cases of very bad storms, there was nowhere to retreat. The windows in my grandfather’s house rattled easily. The trains … Continue reading Stormy Weather!
The day begins First in the darkness Of waning Night who is Trying to hold on to your secrets Not completely visible To anyone Not to the Darkness itself Not even to you I close my eyes And listen To the voices shadowed in the darkness Hoping that their sounds Echo other sounds that Encourage … Continue reading Restoration
