Poetry of Hafiz - A Sufi Master

To Build A Swing

You carry

All the ingredients

To turn your life into a nightmare-

Don't mix them!

You have all the genius

To build a swing in your backyard

for God.

That sounds

Like a hell of a lot more fun.

Let's start laughing, drawing blueprints,

Gathering our talented friends.

I will help you

With my divine lyre and drum.

Hafiz

Will sing a thousand words

You can take into your hands,

Like golden saws,

Silver hammers,

Polished teakwood,

Strong silk rope.

You carry all the ingredients

To turn existence into joy,

Mix them, mix

Them!

Hafiz reflects my idea of what church should be about: Using our collective genius to build a swing for God so we can celebrate together an existence of joy.

Just a thought,

P.C.

Contemplative Prayer

It feels at times that we are constantly bombarded by noise, both externally and internally. It is hard to hear the Presence of God because of the percussive cacophony. How can anyone be expected to find restoration for the soul when there is so much dissonance? Contemplative prayer is an opportunity to just be.

In contemplative prayer "we move from communicating with God through speech to communing with God through the gaze of love. Words fall away, and the most palaple reality is being present to the lover of our souls. When we let go of all effort to speak or even to listen, simply becoming quiet before God, the Spirit is free to work its healing mysteries in us: releasing us from bondage, energizing new patterns of life, restoring our soul's beauty. Here we allow ourselves to be loved by God into wholeness.

Such communion with God is an end in itself, not a means to another end, however good."
Marjorie J. Thompson from Soul Feast.

New Items

I have added a couple of new things to this blog. One is a connection to podcasts of sermons and worship. If you like to listen rather than read the sermons you can either sit at home with a cup of joe and listen using your computer, or you can send the podcast to your IPod or mp3 player and take my voice anywhere. Kinda scary. Go There Now.

I have also added a section I am calling "Expand Your Faith Awareness." I will be adding different websites that offer video vignettes of people talking about faith and spirituality. Check out Bill Moyers on Faith & Reason. I am hoping that you might watch a video that triggers a deeper level of thought reagarding your faith. Perhaps we can discuss your thoughts via this blog or meet with a small group to explore further.

There is also a new section called "Spiritual Classics" which is a collection of audio podcasts of the "greats." An electronic library for your spiritual growth and edification.

Just a Thought,
P.C.