Where has the time gone?

I find it hard to believe

That the twigs that once were so green have hardened

And the limbs can no longer bend with the wind

The bark that once was so smooth has dried and cracked

The leaves have fallen and faded

And the trunk has added some rings

Where has the time gone?

Morning Call

As the mourning dove's lonely voice calls out, searching for a friend, so I call out to You.  In the morning I sing and listen for the familar sound of your voice.

Prayer

It looks like steam rising from the lake in the morning
or the spring rain falling from the sky

It sounds like the birds as they greet the new day
or the quiet of a foggy morning stroll

It tastes like the finest Cabernet and smells like the most fragrant rose

It feels like the warmth of a cup of coffee coursing through my veins
or the joy of a rich conversation with a friend.

Going down to silence

As I embrace the morning quiet, I first notice the steady hum of the refrigerator, the creaking floor as it awakens from its sleep, and the drone of the busy highway in the distance.  

I hear the mockingbird testing his voice, a chorus of crows greeting the new day, and the melodic whistle of the morning train calling out its arrival.  

I feel the cool delta breeze pushing through the screen door, stirring the blinds like aspen leaves. 

           I perceive the purr of the ceiling fan, 

              

               the clock ticking, 

                 

                    my gentle breathing,  

                   

                         the still whisper of God.....

Awaken Your Senses

I am currently reading a book that I highly recommend called “Awaken Your Senses”.    It has been one of the most impactful books I have read in a long while.  It is not so much a book to read straight through as it is a book to work your way through slowly.   This excerpt best describes what the book is about:

Words are the primary form of communication we use to nurture our spiritual lives.  They happen to be the language of the left brain.  The left brain, which is the logical and concrete center of our thinking, uses words to understand and interpret experiences.  However, the left brain cannot experience – God or anything else.  The left brain takes meaning from our experiences; the right brain does the experiencing.   The right brain, the creative and intuitive center of our thinking, communicates through images, not words.   By image, we mean anything you envision through one or more of your senses.   We need both sides of our brain in order to live and grow as a person of faith.  In fact, neither side can do its job well without the other.  Words provide content and information that are critical to faith formation, but words alone are not sufficient to create encounters with God that nurture wholeness.  As Dr. Terry Wardle of Ashland Theological Seminary says, “We are over informed and under transformed.”   Why?  Because we rely almost exclusively on word-oriented approaches that provide information about God but rarely facilitate engagement with God.  We need to awaken both sides of our brain in order to experience God.

My faith experience, has primarily taken place at a church that puts a high value on the study of God’s Word through sermons and personal study.   My spiritual practices have primarily been focused on reading, studying, memorizing, and acquiring Biblical knowledge.   All of these practices have been primarily engaging the left brain. I have had very little training or exposure to the practices set forth in this book that teach me to engage God with all of my senses (the right brain).  The book’s exercises have been especially valuable.   I feel like I am using muscles long dormant as they have helped me to experience God anew and see what an active part He plays in my everyday life.  It has truly been a transforming experience for me.