Lenten Writing Prompt #2
What does a 'Lenten Valentine's Day' look like amid romantic expectations, children's valentine's day parties at school, the pressure to binge on excess from so many different sources...the list goes on. Do you fight it? Or is there a way for that to exist side by side with fasting, praying and/or giving?
Ashen Faced Love
ReplyDeleteBack from the mirror looks this face.
Wrinkled, aging with a smudge of ash
Curious eyes peek out, of romance no trace.
St. Valentine’s hype meets truth with a crash.
Word Become Flesh smiles a kind gaze.
Creator reminds the value of this now.
Spirit breathes, beats out this mortal phase.
Almighty Three/One before whom we bow.
Walking into this season needs abiding love.
Each day brings a chance for renewal.
Our mantra, “4 minutes”, a true gift from above,
Intensifies, instructs each stitch in life’s crewel.
Beloveds gather to mind this day.
Spouse, S.O., heart mate asleep, near,
Fill the love quotient to full in their way.
Pets remind us how to love without fear.
Offspring slowly gathering age,
Live lessons learned while in our home.
Now making their mark, earning a wage,
Around this amazing blue globe they roam.
We must ever walk in paradox to be well.
Ashen smudge, powerful reminder
Being chosen, marked by love’s knell,
Called, selected in baptism’s binder.
Our special gift this day, truths elation,
We, children of God, live life as a gift.
Almighty One makes love to all of creation.
Our best efforts bring smiles, a grace lift.
May a kiss be shared.
May a hug linger.
May your soul be bared.
May your song find a singer.
The Rev. Ronald Allen Melver, M.Div.
14.2.13
Beautiful! Could be a hymn.
DeleteSara
Wonderful!
Delete"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)
ReplyDeleteMy 22 year old son asked me the best question I have been asked for a long time. "Dad, if you could snap your fingers and convert the whole world to Christianity, would you?" My answer: "Andrew, that is the best question I have been asked for a long time. No, I would not."
Anytime we claim exclusive rights to God's inclusive love for all creation we step into dangerous territory. Does God love me? Yes. God even loves Christians we feel the need to categorize people into those who are "in" and those who are "out".
Joel Lohafer
hear hear Joel. God seems quite able to handle the diversity. we can find ways to love, work, play, discuss and dance together. most of the worlds struggle might be eased if we stay in the path of grace.
Deleteronaldo
Thank you Joel. A beautiful parable.
DeleteLove it!
DeleteLearning Lessons of Love
ReplyDeleteValentine boxes in second grade, pasted hearts smeared with lace;
Classmates skip around the classroom, delivering silly sayings:
Roses are red, Violets are blue. You’re so ugly you should be in the zoo.
Valentine exchanges in fifth grade, budding moods of puberty;
Recognizing the loneliness of not being known, not understood;
I hide in the woods; unseen tears falling in the moss.
Sophomore dances with clumsy feet and poodle skirts,
I sit along the wall wishing to be seen, to not be seen.
Does anyone like me? Does everyone not?
Longing to know and be known, to be understood.
The price must be paid, who knows what it costs?
Who loves me? Who loves me not?
God speaks through Jeremiah 31:3 saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”
This sacred gift from God is God's own longing,
God’s own knowing and understanding of me,
Calling me to know and love another.
"God's own longing" Powerful words RuthAnn. Powerful
DeleteI love the path that this poem takes through the stages of life and ends with God's own longing. Lovely words. Thank you!
Deleteagape-eros-philia-storge
Deleteit's all there and more
ronaldo
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLent’s Valentine
ReplyDeleteWith hearts and flowers everywhere
And celebrations of love that we share
If it falls into Lent
And the seasons a bit bent
Restart tomorrow, we don’t care.
Hehe! God giving us a Valentine's mulligan...
Deletelimericks rule. love will out.
Deleteronaldo
You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.
ReplyDeleteLeviticus 19:18b, Matthew 22:39, & James 2:8
In the Bible
This Commandment is repeated 3 times
It must be important
and yet
and yet
We seem to have such a hard time
understanding it
It teaches us that
we cannot know how to take care of our neighbor
unless
we can first take care of ourselves
and yet
and yet
we overeat
we underexercise
we overspend
we underpray
for
lack of time
lack of energy
lack of money
lack of perspective
Did we forget
that our bodies and minds
are Living Temples
that belong to
a Living God?
That all of Solomon's Grandeur
could not compete
with what God created
on that sixth Day
so long ago in The Garden?
and yet
and yet
It's never too late
to begin anew
Each day
to repent and
try again
to take the best care of
this gift that God has given us
to feed ourselves
move ourselves
dress ourselves
love ourselves and forgive ourselves, with care
and prayer
Which will then help us to love our neighbor
for then we'll know how it's done
fHs
Sara Heck
"Then we will know" Thank you Sara - somehow in this writing the caring for oneself seems tender and not forced. When the feel of the writing and words come together meaning happens. Thank you.
DeleteVery Sapphic in it's beautiful rhythm. I love it very much.
Deletei can taste the dripping nectar from the fruit. Creator invites us into sweet embrace and loves abundance. Everybody into the pool.
Deleteronaldo
I write poems for my daughters each year, just like my mom did for me when I was a kid, to let them know in a more vibrant language, how much I love them. They got their poems yesterday and they each felt very proud of their poems - a happy pride in their vision of themselves through my eyes. I hope it can always make them feel that way through the years and help them see themselves as loved and cherished children of God. Here is what I wrote for them this year:
ReplyDeleteOldest Daughter (6)
Beautiful mermaid in the water
I’m so glad that you’re my daughter
Blonde whirls adorn your watery crown
Floating in the bath
Toes curled down
Eyes and lips relax with a smile
I get to watch my mermaid for a while
Floating mermaid
Loving beam of sun
Watching you grow is so much fun!
Youngest Daughter (3)
We still call you baby-boo
Even though you’re a big girl too!
Rest your head on your place-place
I can’t say no
To cuddly hugs that I love so.
Hugging princes
Little lamb
I hope you know how proud I am!
how blessed be the girls of the mistress of word!
Deletemay they grow strong, tall and joyful
ronaldo
Titus 2:4
ReplyDelete"...encourage the younger women to....love their children..."
I think you've proven yourself well on this one. :)
fHs
s.h.
(Hi, there. I'm late adding into the blog. The first prompt motivated me to share. "Better late than never" is a good adage for my entry as well as for my post. Ha, and no preliminary draft here. It is what it is. Enjoy!)
ReplyDeleteA "Lenten Valentine's Day"
Ash Wednesday service.
Sermon. No surprise.
"What will you give up for Lent?"
Topic turns a bit.
What are you dependent on?
What should you do without?
What can you put into God's hands?
Trust what is possible.
Possible? Impossible.
Trust? Trust.
What is holding me back?
What has always held me back?
I know the answer.
Dare I put it out to "give up for Lent"?
Easy, is *procrastination*. I give up procrastination.
But, I know better. The truth, is insecurity.
I use procrastination as a crutch for insecurity.
So, there, in church, Ash Wednesday.
I give up Procrastination.
I give up the Crutch of Insecurity.
I give myself permission to feel Confident.
I allow God the opportunity to help me grow in strength.
I trust, that God will let me, trust what is.
A unique challenge.
Might seem selfish as a "sacrifice."
But, as it turns out,
I become my own Lenten Valentine.
KD*
welcome to the lenten cabal. may your honesty inspire all.
Deleteronaldo