When the king, garments torn with grief at the broken law,sent messengers to me in hopes of hope,I thought at first, Have you come to me, notJeremiah, looking for a mother insteadof a firebrand? It mattered little.You cannot soothe a fire with lullabies,can only shout loud and clear that the whole town might hear.For sometimestheContinue reading “Waiting 7: Huldah”
Tag Archives: king
Palm Sunday
We cut banana leaf from our backyard and dressthe table with these fronds for a king.Day is overcast; spirit drizzles withthe quiet acedia of another quarantined day.No procession today, on this or any street;only hearts can fling wide their gates.Yet heart has always been best, been the mostfitting place to worship this king,temples prone toContinue reading “Palm Sunday”
Christmas 1: “A little child shall lead them…”
There were perhaps others on the look-out for kings that day, scouring the glossy mags, checking out the trendy spots, tracking every star on the rise. It was easy enough with the census on and everyone back to their homes, easy to know who would be where (and no-one who was anyone would ever beContinue reading “Christmas 1: “A little child shall lead them…””
Christmas 11: Upsidedown
One of the more curious lost phenomena of Christmas was the late Medieval custom of appointing a so-called “Lord of Misrule” (or, as called in Scotland, the “Abbot of Unreason”). This involved either a peasant or an unimportant figure in the church being appointed to oversee the Christmas revelries. A related or parallel custom involvedContinue reading “Christmas 11: Upsidedown”
20 Contemplations #18: Anointing
In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness… God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. (Psalm 45:4a, 7b) Do not be deceived. He comes in meekness now to expose the proud. He sleeps among the donkeys and cattle now; soon theContinue reading “20 Contemplations #18: Anointing”
Damascus Road Prayers: Advent 2
…as if He were a seed in our garden, or a small flash of light for our pupil, He shone forth and diffused and filled the earth. (Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns for the Nativity) Days crack like soil. In the parts of the world where summer parches we wait like potholes for the rain.Continue reading “Damascus Road Prayers: Advent 2”
Epiphany: To an unknown painter
Too regal: There were no drapes to hail Him king, no cherubim in the background, aloft, casually decking the scene, mid-song. Yet this is right: if there were crowns, they would be laid at His feet; and knees, if wise, would know to bend. We foresee the pious, in the corners, turned toward their futureContinue reading “Epiphany: To an unknown painter”
Easter Thursday
And He reigns! He reigns in light and in quiet, in death and in life, in depth and in height. He reigns in plenty, He reigns in drought. He reigns in our faith, reigns in our doubt and nothing is too big for Him who rose from death a shining King… Put toContinue reading “Easter Thursday”
“Your hearts and minds, prepare them…” – Streaming Page CXVI Day 5
The moment in the Easter narrative that always captures my attention most powerfully is the story of Palm Sunday, of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, hailed as king yet his death from that moment assured. This is the theme of today’s Page CXVI song, the beautiful “This Blessed Day”, accompanied by my new poem forContinue reading ““Your hearts and minds, prepare them…” – Streaming Page CXVI Day 5″
The Consolations of Writing 