Shining Spirit

The first light of morning peers over

the mountain’s highest peak and

slides through deep cut canyons.

Its soft glow becomes an exclamation

point of substance and strength.

The mountain’s family, wild creatures,

big horn sheep and white

tailed deer, are warmed

by the gift of morning.  Pines

and spruce, every living thing

welcomes the day.  Light embraces

great granite boulders and sheer,

rugged faces of walls exposed

over centuries by wind’s

artistic breath.  The mountain

and all its children smile at the

blessing given and received.

Watching this act of indiscriminate

embracing, I feel  warmth on my face

and in my spirit.  No word can describe

the joy of inclusion in this breath-giving moment.

The valley shines and sparkles in the

rushing flood of Light.

It falls on everyone.

Everyone

Everyone.

Graceful Spirit moving in and

among us, shape this day according to

your desires.  Only let me be part of your

creative movement as you mend our brokenness,

celebrate with us joys we experience, encourage us when

we stumble, love us even when we abandon love for our own

pleasures and purposes.  We lift our arms to you as your children.

Lift us, we pray, and hold us close to your heart so that we might feel

the sacred rhythm of life.  Graceful Spirit moving in and among us, Beloved

One, we wait for the touch of your hands and the gift of this day in your embrace.

May it be so.  May it be so.

Does one star matter among pinpoints of light?
The sky is filled with the eyes’ delight.
Millions of gifts of light in the night,
so why does one star matter?

Does one child matter who goes hungry tonight?
He sleeps in love’s arms in the soft evening light,
and his parents cry at the pitiful sight
of their child who won’t wake tomorrow.

Does it matter that we’re on a treacherous course
to demolish the earth with little remorse?
Our delicate home that is clearly the source
of our lives in this cosmic parade?

A hawk, a tree, all that live in the sea,
why should it matter to you or to me?
Who cares that we can no longer see
those gifts of grace in the world?

So why on earth should a bird or a bee
make any difference to a man like me?
There’s plenty more for people to see,
so why does one thing matter?

Why?

Hospitality, an ancient art, is the
heartbeat of a peaceful world.

“Come, share food at my table.”
“Take shelter until the storm has passed.”
“You are welcome here.”

Hospitality holds out the hand,
takes the chance, sees deeper
than the apparant, asks no payment
in return.

It is a spiritual virtue, a cultural
necessity, a personal commitment
to the value and wellbeing of all
living things.

Not just about people, hospitality
to the earth determines the
fate of human history.  It refuses
to exploit as it heals the wounds
of hostility.

My recipe for morning meditation—

Sit still

Be quiet

Close your eyes for two minutes

Tell your mind to be quiet

Don’t argue with it

Open your eyes to the photograph above

Follow your imagination wherever it leads

Say “Thank You”

May crystal drops of mercy wash over
me and drip from my fingertips to
nourish the earth.

May the surging river that flows through
my heart carry peace to my mind and
kind words to my mouth.

May the wind of my breath carry away
all the clutter and broken pieces of my
life, leaving me the fertile soil of hope.

May the hawk and the dove nest
together in the branches of my spirit as
symbols of peace in this tired world.

May my thoughts float through the
universe as oases of comfort and may
the stars send them on their way into
every darkness.

May it be so this day.

Life changes with one fundamental idea.
To grasp it is to understand.
To hold it in the heart is to climb
out of the mire of sectarianism and
see the world and its inhabitants
in a new way.
To practice it fulfills philosophy,
religion and psychology.
I am not a human being trying
to be spiritual.
I am a spiritual being trying
to be human.

Today I’m going to see something on TV
that angers me, probably News, and I’m
going to tell the TV what I think.  Lord,
temper my temper with self-control.

When I see something beautiful today,
may I slow down enough to enjoy it.
Better, may I actually stop, put down
what I’m doing and take in the full
blessing.

When I am tired, remind me to rest;
if I encounter sadness, help me
remember hope.  May I be friend
to the stranger, a helping companion
to the wounded, and a voice for the
voiceless.

Maybe we’d better go through the day
together.  I think I’m going to need help.

May it be so.  Thank you.

In this world of shameless greed,
my preacher, with emotion, pleads,
“Be brave, my friend.  Get off your chair.
Have courage to explore out there.
There’s ample human need.”

I know I should,
and if I could,
I really would.
What kind of excuse will I dream up today?
I know what to do.  I know what to say…but
my schedule is tight,
my hair such a fright,
my shoes don’t fit right,
my bank account’s light,
what if someone picks a fight?
The sun’s awfully bright,
it’s too dark at night,
I have such poor sight,
hungry dogs bite,
I might get frostbite,
My son’s a Hittite-
by no means contrite.
Oh, no!  Snakebite!
Is “NO” impolite?
It’s all watertight.
I can’t go tonight.

Sorry.

I know I should,
and if I could,
I really would.

As I wake this day with hope and purpose,
then lose my way in the mazes of detail or drudgery,
find me, I pray.

If my eyes look but do not see
or my ears listen but do not hear,
shake me from my stupor, Abiding Spirit.

When I think more of myself than I should
and less of others than I ought,
be gentle in your mercy, Christ of Life.

Should I speak harsh words to my neighbor
or release words of untruth into the world,
clean out the clutter in my mind, Holy Presence.

And If I try to bind others by power or prejudice,
remind me that I am free because of your love.
May I be fully aware that this is your day, not mine.

May it be so.