Poetry Friday
Introduction to First Issue:
Welcome beloveds! Glad you are here!
I am looking to build an inclusive community for those who are interested in spiritual wonderings, invitations to the Divine through poetry, music, writings, and sharing. Every Friday I write a blurb of what has been coming to me in my devotional space for the week and add poems, etc., to it. Hopefully, these pique your interest. I invite you to think of your own feelings and musings as I share. And please comment and add to the conversations.
I post most every Friday (hence the name), however, I might post whenever the mood strikes! This is a free space so when you subscribe there is no cost.
Beloveds,
For those of you who are new to Poetry Friday my spiritual companion is Wild Horse. When I saw this picture it spoke so loudly to my soul. For me this picture represents the Spirit breaking free through barriers. What a powerful image! I am curious of what it may conjure up inside of you?
I recently returned from an International UMC Convocation hosted by Reconciling Ministry Network in North Carolina. It drew me into a space that was living into an intersectional understanding and participation. It lifted me upward towards a transpersonal space. If I was evangelical I would describe it as a revival of body, mind, and soul. The feelings of being immersed in that sacred space were empowering, safe, and free/dom. Being surrounded by the other congregants gave me joy and, my oh my, the preaching was phenomenal as well as the music. When you are in a space where all forms of marginalization are acknowledged and justice is spoken aloud, it is a powerful reminder of how our world COULD be. AND, we are not there yet, ever working to claim that space. Our space.
One of the important things (and there were many!) that I took away from Convocation was the recognition that when we are in the work of seeking justice we can get overwhelmed and it is easy to get down or depressed. When that happens the first thing that gets set aside is our imagination. We lose our way of thinking outside of the box. One story shared at Convocation was that of Mary at the tomb as she was grieving. Jesus appeared but she did not recognize the risen Christ. Was it possible that she could not imagine Jesus in a new form. Christ called her name and then she recognized him. She was able to see Jesus in a new way. You see, in order to stay uplifted, we need to move to where love is. It is there that we are able to see and recognize what Christ may be doing in a new and fresh way. The presenter recalled that even when a plow is deep within the ground it is churning up new soil that is ready for growth. I believe we can apply this to many areas of our lives. Look for where the love is and be in discernment for what could be new and fresh for us to experience - even in dark places.
Blessings,
Jace
*I’m learning a new thing so the format of this space may change as I educate myself!
Finding the Divine in all that is and exists; Living the State of Grace behind the appearances. By sensorial return and sensuous sharing, knowing how to reach the core. And to accept this exact place in the world; that everything and everyone have by birth. Then, feeling in your soul, a spark of the World Soul— Only when this is done, your eyes are becoming the windows of your soul. Aboulker-Muscat (1995, p. 44) (Aboulker-Muscat, C. (1995). Alone with the one. New York, NY: ACMI Press.)
Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. How do they learn it? They fall, and falling, They’re given wings. I(Rumi, Trans. 2004, p. 243) Rumi, J. (2004). The essential Rumi. (C. Barks, Trans.). New York, NY: HarperCollins. (Original work published 13th century)
