I find the contemplative
practices like labyrinth walking, meditation, contemplative written reflection,
to be helpful to me in keeping centered and my soul in balance. It is in this
time of contemplation that I am able to stop long enough to hear my what my
soul needs to say. It is a time that I have come to need to keep myself filled
and ready for my more difficult days in ministry as a chaplain.
Because
of my contemplative nature some of my writing takes on more of that kind of
focus. It is more of the internal, musing type. It is never very polished and
is more reflective of my deep thoughts in that moment. I never quite know when
these will rise up from my soul. It is an exciting adventure waiting to see
what my soul will find itself writing.
I
leave you with several of my written contemplations. Take a moment to quiet your
soul, breath deep and open your heart and soul to wherever these poems/prayers
may take you.
Dirty, Tired Feet
Dirty, tired feet - the sign of a
trail well done.
In life the trail moves ever
forward.
Ever changing to reflect the
landscape
of the people encountering it.
My choice is in how I walk the
trail.
Do I choose to complain of my
weariness?
No, instead I choose to rest, to
take Sabbath.
I choose to open my eyes to more
than just the trail, but to the people along it.
Those that can help me, those
that need my help.
I choose to encounter God in
every person and part of the trail.
In choosing God as my trail-mate
I also choose the experience of the soul.
When one engages the trail in
this way the landscape of the soul cannot help but be changed.
Be made more beautiful.
Dirty, tired feet - the sign of a
life's journey fully engaged and well lived.
The Sanctuary of my Heart
What is the sanctuary I am
creating in my heart?
Is my heart closed off or do I
choose welcome?
Is it a place of anger or do I
choose forgiveness?
Is it a place of illness or do I
choose wholeness?
Is it a place of fear or do I
choose courage?
Is it a place of hatred or do I
choose peace?
The sanctuary I choose for my
heart is a place of welcome, forgiveness, wholeness, courage and peace.
It is a place where I will choose
to create intentional sacredness.
It is a place where I will seek
to reach out from and choose to help create a world that all seeking refuge
from injustice, pain and suffering can make their home.
A Prayer for the new day
The day is fresh with the
possibility of new beginnings.
Lord open my eyes to the
possibility of new beginnings around me so that I may be the instrument of
encouraging blessing.
God open my heart to the new
beginnings you have started in me.
Create in me a new blessing.
Amen.
Senses of Stillness
When was the last time you sat in
stillness?
The kind of stillness that quiets
mind, body and soul.
To turn off the noise of life and
embrace all the senses of stillness.
To fully notice the feeling of
the wind as it blows in a storm, cool and crisp on the face.
To smell the coming of a cleansing
storm on the wind.
To hear the song of the night
with the cicada's call and tinkling wind chimes.
To see the trees dance in a
graceful embrace of the arms of the wind.
To feel smooth yet rough wood of a deck under bare feet.
To feel smooth yet rough wood of a deck under bare feet.
To taste and savor each and every
sip of warm, fresh tea.
To have the fullness of the
Spirit wrap around you and cleanse you of the day so that you may slip into the
sleep of the night whole and new once more.
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