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
Every morning I am startled When the invisible veil lifts And for a brief moment I feel I understand I know The presence of God in me And me in God Today, 7:49 am Was that moment The wind sent swirling cool air To caress my face It’s softness, a gift of love … Continue reading 7:49 am Was That Moment
Was that you Who casually stopped by To read my thoughts If it was It was subtle Happening without me being aware That something I thought That something I wrote Something That lives deep in my heart Would mean enough to you To notice I hope that was you Who casually stopped by … Continue reading Was That You
It is part of my daily routine. I get up early and sit in silence on the back deck, sipping my first cup of coffee and watching whatever is going on outside at the time. Often, I am watching the sun rise through the trees. Sometimes the sunrise also burns off morning fog and starts … Continue reading The Song of the Wild
Have you been to the ocean? Do you remember the first time that you saw the ocean? I remember the first time that I saw the ocean, vividly. I was 9 years old and for the first time ever, my family was going somewhere on vacation besides my grandfather’s farm! We were going to … Continue reading Preserving Deep Waters: It Is Not Futile
A poem for St Hildegard Day A grey, overcast morning Does not cease the Praise and prayer of Creation The wren has found her mate And the music they create is glorious Gratitude to their Creator And each other Yellow leaves drift from the locust Down toward the ground In a kind of dance Of … Continue reading A Poem For St Hildegard Day
Seasons of Creation 2019 I have been reading a novel lately, one recommended by Dr. Larry Rasmussen in our Environmental Ethics class on Care of the Earth. The opening chapter of the novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers tells a story about a family and a chestnut tree. The novel is beautifully written novel … Continue reading Favorite Trees
This morning I was surrounded By a conclave of cardinals Young ones Whose feathers have not yet blossomed into The bright reds And luscious deep browns of adulthood The ones who flit Back and forth and dart In and out of my aviary Also known as my deck Where morning coffee And quiet contemplation Are … Continue reading Listening to Cardinals
