Posts Categorized: Pastor’s Ponderings

How sweet it is When the weather does as it should, When the flowers bloom, When the birds sing, When the soil warms, When the grass greens, When time permits And we venture forth And slip the earth Between our palms… Praise God, for the basic things From which all blessings flow.      … Read more

If you made a quilt Of the scraps of your years Would you gather in The nights of worry And the gallons of tears? Would you dig and find The days of turmoil And the hours of trouble? Would you congregate The months of hope, The weeks of prayers, And all the years In which… Read more

When we forgive our brother or sister, There is Jubilee. When we invite the hungry to sit down for a feast, There is Jubilee. When we open up the gates of the city, There is Jubilee.   When we release the prisoners, There is Jubilee. When we water the garden and nurture the crops and… Read more

The bend in the river Looks just like the hundred other bends We’ve paddled around, So I expect nothing Except more disappointment.   But for some reason I keep paddling, Straining against the heat of this long day And against the weight of hope.   The fist stare, The birds fly to a higher branch,… Read more

I’ve had that thorn for years, But it flared up a few days ago, Acerbating a splinter That was new and fresh- Or maybe It was the splinter That made the thorn flare up- But anyway, I muttered “God, Why is this necessary?” But I didn’t hear God answer. Instead I heard the mothers Of… Read more

When things go awry I wonder how they journey, How’s the weather there, Do they wish that we were with them?   Do they stay as long as they like And rejoice on their return, Or do they come back resigned To go to work once more?   Or is it something more like sin,… Read more

Lord we are waiting, waiting for your Kingdom- and brother, sister, are we ever! We are waiting too long on a day too hot. our spirits parched, our stomachs turned. But meanwhile, here are some berries, no person can claim they came from them- they are wild, they came from you. Thank you. We can… Read more

What would I do If there was nothing I could do?   I’d do what I couldn’t As well as I could Until God saw me struggling And said “Here, let me help.”   So pray when you can And pray when you can’t, And wait and look and plead for God Even when You… Read more

Let us pray for the year to come, For each day, For every week, For all 12 months that wait their turn To challenge us, as they may.   Lord, let them be gentle But even when they are not, Let us remain confident in you.   Lord, let there be joy in their moments…. Read more

There are some cold dark days In December when I understand That faithfulness is not enough- That night will come no matter What I have done that day, That red ribbon and sparking lights Cannot undo a thing that did not go well. Well, there is no second verse- I go on, trying to perfect… Read more