Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
May God bless your hopes and prayers with love and peace.
LE
I had written what I thought was a lovely post on Pentecost at my church, and the season after Pentecost, but then the gremlins of the internet consumed it in one foul gulp.
So, rather than spend another hour recreating it, with so many tasks calling me, let me instead post a link to an intriguing video by Quayola called 'Strata' which you can find here.
May you seek and find The Holy Spirit every day of this season, and for you, may it be ExtraOrdinary time.
Peace,
LE
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 7:29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.
John 13:19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [he].
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
John 14:11 Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
John 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Exd 3:6 Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Jesus Is.
Peace,
LE
Rain comes down
Not every day
But it does come
Sometimes more often than I might like
And under my downspout
I have a watering can
Because when it isn't raining
A very small person likes to wander the yard
Blessing the flowers with water
And in this way
I keep water handy for her
To help her in her mission
And help make the world more beautiful
One drop at a time
May all of our dark rainy days
And all of our sadness
Be similarly transformed into moments
Of sharing and joy
Blessings
LE
I am the vine and you are the branches.
If you abide in me, and keep my commandments, my Father who lives in heaven will come and make his dwelling place in your heart, and I with him, and you will bear much fruit.
And my commandment is that you should love another as I have loved you. You are my friends if you keep this commandment. Go and bear fruit, my friends. If you keep my commandments, the fruit you bear will not be like that which rots or withers, or fades away, but which will last, and will grow – that will bear seeds that will grow in turn and lead to more fruit.
So bear much fruit, and do not despair if you are persecuted, because before you were persecuted, so was I, and when you are persecuted you lay up treasure in heaven. Show mercy and do justice, and love one another. The commandment is not hard. -And if you do you shall live in me, and I in you. And you shall have everlasting life and great reward in heaven.
All My Love,
Your Brother.
The sun rises, the sun sets
The moon waxes and wanes
The green life rises and leafs out
Fauns and children are born and grow
Old people hold hands, walking into the sunset
Rain waters the earth
Blue skies catch our breath
Birds sing
Fish splash
Squirrels leap
Chipmunks search the undergrowth for seeds
Woodpeckers knock, while skunks hunt for grubs below
Tiny sparks of life burrow in the earth and dance in the air
People help each other
People they know
And people they do not know
They set up funds, institutions, and ways of life to see to the care and shelter of others
For people they will never meet, for those who will come long after they have gone
Others have labored, and we have entered into their labors
Good is not the exception
We live in a very blessed world
We do not light a single lamp in the darkness
But add our light to the constellations lighting the sky
We do not sing alone in a vile place
But join the celestial chorus
There are those who do not hear
Who turn away
Who see the dark first, who struggle to pick out any good
Who cannot see how very blessed we are
Who cannot imagine the world of sharing that we really live in
And we must sing to them
And raise our light, our hearts
There is enough grace,
enough good,
… enough God for all of us
Raise your light!
God is not alone
God is with God’s self, a Trinity
God is with Creation, a vast Unity
God is with us all, an extensive Plurality
God is with the saints, a choir of Sanctity
God is in our homes, a member of our Family
God is with us each, in personal Fraternity
And we are with God
When we care
When we help
When we share
When we love
When we create
And when we show mercy
God is Love
And Love cannot exist alone
